Going to a job interview a couple decades back was a lot different. The recruiter surely would have gathered information on you, but that would be limited to your resume and your references. Today, all that is a different story. When you get called back to come in for a second or third interview for that dream job, odds are that the recruiter came in knowing more about you than you would hope. We’re the generation that grew up with the Internet, meaning that we were dumb teenagers with Internet, meaning that there’s plenty of our mistakes scattered around the web. We all have been tagged in that extremely unflattering photo on Facebook. The photo we forgot about but our friend insisted on putting up because “it would be too funny NOT to post”. All it takes is one misunderstanding of Facebook’s privacy settings and your dream job goes down the toilet. That’s the time we live in. A time where how you document your fun can play a huge role later on in life. There’s a saying on the Internet that goes: “you can’t delete anything from the Internet”. No matter how hard you try to delete those embarrassing tweets, it’s hard to delete all the people that retweeted it. It’s hard to explain to a possible soulmate why your Foursquare has so many “check in’s” to gentlemen clubs. There’s no doubt that how we make use of the Internet can have an adverse affect on our careers (and love life), but there’s ways we can help our own cause. We all make mistakes, and although I’m sure none of us are guilty of anything that can drastically hurt our chances at a great future, there’s ways we can improve the odds. As far as getting your career started, the Internet can be your best friend. Taking advantage and making full use of LinkedIn can be pivotal in distancing yourself from the competition. It’s a great way to connect to people you’d otherwise never meet and to increase your chances at landing that job interview. You can also get comfortable with the Internet, because as the tide turns, more and more companies are looking for employees with social media experience. Although the Internet can be your best friend, it’s best to play it safe and be skeptical of the stuff that we post for the public to see. Just as easily as one aspect of the internet can get us called in for an interview, another part of it can be the reason we blow it. Figuring out how to successfully use the Internet as a helpful tool instead of a hurtful one can lead to a better future, because we all know there is no future without the Internet. When our future kids Google our name, it is probably best that only things that we approve of make it on there, and we can start by being more productive today.