Imagine that you’ve just applied for the perfect job. You couldn’t be more thrilled because you think you’re the perfect candidate — except for those skeletons waiting in the closet, or on Google for some of us.

The job has everything you’ve ever wanted, and during the interview the employer acts like he loves you. If you get the interview, that is.

If so, you go home confident that you nailed it, and wait. And wait some more.

What if you don’t get the job, not because of a lack of qualifications or something on your resume, but because of that Facebook picture or blog post that showed up when your potential employer looked you up online? Or maybe it was that time you got busted for underage drinking, and your name made it into the local newspaper’s online police reports.

We live in an age of rapidity. What you did last night ends up splashed all over Facebook, and what you’re going to do tomorrow is posted for all the world to read about on your Twitter account before you even do it. While this may not seem like a big deal now, imagine how bad it’s going to look when your future employer searches you and finds that YouTube video of you and your best friends doing keg-stands and singing along to Miley Cyrus. Not exactly the image you want to project.

Now more than ever, college students must be more cautious about what ends up on the world wide Web. You have no idea how many times people have stumbled into the Pipe Dream office asking for their name to be removed from our Web site, and I bet you dollars to doughnuts that there’s a good chance five years from now, Student Association President Adam Amit and Assembly representatives Elahd Bar-Shai and Lawrence Faulstich will be regretting decisions made earlier last week even more than they do right now (see Page 1).

The Internet is not a place where stories get lost — your college exploits will be available for years to come, haunting you during your job search and beyond.

We suggest that you not only be cautious with what you put up, but you also manipulate the Web to serve yourself. By putting up your own controlled content, you can move your positive attributes higher up on the Google search list.

A few of the Pipe Dream editors attended a journalism conference this weekend in Austin, Texas, and one of the workshops focused on what to do when an individual requests to have his or her name removed from an article online. While it’s not a legal issue, it is an ethical one that sometimes comes down to a question of rewriting history.

While none of the editors in the discussion had a clear cut answer, most said their first instinct was to say “no.” So if you find yourself in this rather unfortunate situation, consider forewarning a potential employer — be it verbally or through written word — that way your application will be less likely to be categorically denied.

Look into purchasing a domain using your own name, and adding your own blog about your extensive accomplishments or goals. Create a LinkedIn page where you can put up your resume and experiences. Make your own Flickr page where you can upload pictures of your study abroad trip — without those extensive wine tastings.

Being cautious with something as permanent as the Internet is little more than common sense, but you’d be amazed how much trouble forgetting these simple rules can bring.