How would you feel about a prospective employer or college recruiter seeing it?
Like it or not, ethical or not, everything that you put out on the internet is considered "public domain". It is there for anyone to find, and if you don't manage the content, you have no control over how people may use it in selecting you for the job or school your want or not.
Employers and university recruiters, especially in the United States, ARE looking!
WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO MANAGE YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION?
1. Create a LinkedIn profile- it doesn't have to be complete at this point, but it is a good place to be found in a search. LinkedIn is a professional networking site, not one where you will have any compromising pictures or comments.
2. Create an alias for social networks such as Facebook where people may be tagging you in pictures, or where you want to have some "freedom" to put information that you don't necessarily want a potential employer to find.
3. Untag any pictures or posts that you would consider controversial or that don't show you at your best. That includes those photos you took with your friends with your tongue sticking out, giving someone the "bird" or partying. If you don't have the authority to untag, contact the person who does and appeal to them to do it for you.
4. Start a blog on information that you want to be known for - are you an aspiring photographer? Post pictures, make sure that your name shows up with them.
5. Answer questions on such sites as Yahoo Groups where you can be found for what you know and how you deal with people.
You may also want to click to read this article that has some other good information on how you can track your reputation, and how you can mitigate the damage done by others who either have the same name, or who refuse to remove information that you would rather not be seen.
Karen Girard, CCDP, CEIP
Career and Employment Interview Coach
www.careerplanningforstudents.com
www.karengirard.ca
