It’s amazing how much you can learn about a person by visiting the “reveal all” Web site – Facebook.So it should come as no surprise that employers are looking for job candidates’ revealing information on networking sites. What they are finding is that the profiles don’t emphasize skills students learned in the classroom, but those they learned after hours.

Some who post on sites such as Facebook and MySpace are offended at the idea, but employers are now thinking twice about who they hire to represent their companies.

Despite fair warning, many personal Web site-users have ignored the helpful advice from the media to clean up their profiles.

After all, it’s only a potential job at stake.

According to ABC7.com, a recent survey found 77 percent of employers use search engines to uncover information about candidates, and 35 percent have eliminated a candidate based on information they found online.

So why do so many college students continue to post photos of themselves at keg parties in their barely-there Halloween costumes? Many students believe the boss can’t take a peek because you must have a college e-mail address to register.

Oh-so-wrong.

According to ABC7.com, some interns’ jobs are now to perform background Facebook checks on potential job candidates. With millions of people registered with these sites, don’t expect to keep your personal life hidden – and with good reason.

These background checks are valuable in weeding out potentially dangerous employees as well as upholding a company’s reputation. Publishing your reckless behavior online is a good indication of reckless behavior in the professional world.

Don’t be surprised if you walk into an interview and your potential boss asks you to explain why he should hire an alcoholic party animal who can’t keep on his or her clothes.

Amy Kopsea for the editorial board.