According to a recent survey one in five employers finds information about candidates on sites such as MySpace and Facebook, and 59% of those said it influences recruitment decisions, with one quarter having rejected candidates based on internet research.

One survey respondent said his company rejected a candidate based on activities found online that "did not fit ethically" into the organization. Showcasing yourself in social situations such as at a party or including comments that portray a negative view of a workplace can all impact upon recruiter’s decisions.

On the other hand 13% of HR recruiters said that they had decided to recruit people based on positive things they had found whilst conducting internet research on a candidate.

"The rise of search engines such as Google means that potential employers are never more than a few clicks away from information about you," said Peter Cunningham, one of the survey authors at Viadeo, a business social network site.