The lesson Vanessa Hudgens is still learning about online profiles

Vanessa Hudgens had a secret until a camera man pulled up beside her at a red light. Hudgens was smoking a cigarette along with the male driver of the car. What's the big deal? Why did Hudgens jump out of the car, run after the cameraman, and try to take his camera? For the longest time Hudgens has had a pure Disneyesque image. She is well known for her appearances in squeaky clean, kiddie friendly shows such as Quintuplets, Still Standing, The Brothers García, Drake & Josh, and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Recently, she has played mild mannered Gabriella Montez in the High School Musical movie series. Unfortunately, her career took a major hit when a nude photograph of her were discovered online. Disney fired her after the discovery.

Learning a lesson the hard way.
In an October 2009 Allure magazine article Hudgens said, "Whenever anybody asks me, would I do nudity in a film, if I say that it's something I'm not comfortable with, they're like, 'Bullshit, you've already done it.' If anything, it makes it more embarrassing, because that was a private thing. It's screwed up that someone screwed me over like that. At least some people are learning from my mistake." Perhaps this is why Hudgens was so upset about the cigarette smoking picture. What Hudgens learned is that your personal life and choices aren't so personal anymore and can have an enormous impact on your career.

Your personal life and work meet online
It is no secret that many company recruiters checkout your online footprint as part of the interview process. It is not uncommon for them to look at your Facebook page, and other social sites, as well as simply doing a Google search on your name. While you may think your online party pictures are cool, it really doesn’t matter what you think. It is what the hiring managers think that counts. Online searches of you certainly don't stop with recruiters. Your work peers, friends, bosses, vendors, contractors, and employees all have easy access to whatever is posted online about you. When was the last time you Googled yourself and looked at the results through the eyes of an employer?