As electronic technology becomes more and more important for college students transitioning into the professional world, more and more students need to think about their online reputation and what it could mean to a potential employer.

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Director of Performance Studies Diane Howard said face-to-face interactions are happening less and less, especially between graduating college students and employers.

But as technology makes the personal interaction more obsolete, technology also steps in to pick up the pieces.

"I think it's the dominant form of communication now," Howard said. "Often times the preliminary interviews, forms of preliminary communication, happens via e-technologies. Even interviews now are done over videoconferencing at a distance."

She said misusing networking Web sites, can have a negative impact on professional development.

"There's a horrible price to pay for inappropriate photos, videos; they're there forever," Howard said. "Employers do take those into consideration. Some people have lost job opportunities because future or prospective employers have found inappropriate photos. It's a serious problem."

The problem has many students paying attention.

"Everybody's on Facebook, everyone's on MySpace," student Krystal Danuz said.

As Danuz transitions into the real world, she said she's more cautious with blogs and social networking on Internet.

"You know that once you put it up there, you can't take it down," Danuz said. "You can take it off your Web site, but it's still on the Web. People can still get it from Google images."

Danuz and her classmates said they're watching the way they're presenting themselves, to make sure it's in the best light, so they have the best chance of securing a job when they graduate.

Besides learning what not to do, Danuz said the graduating seniors also learned a lot about different ways to attract an employer through different forms of e-technology.