When you see an interesting job listing online, chances are you take a few minutes to Google the company offering the position. Do you know that when you apply for that position, it’s highly likely the potential employer is Googling you?
Think for a minute about all the comments, blog posts and images you’ve posted over the past few years. What among all this online content would you not want a potential employer to see? Now is the time to take action to counteract any possible negative impressions that might be created by those Facebook photos you posted from last year’s spring break festivities. Other steps to take:
Review what’s up there
Review all of your profile pages on various social media sites. Consider deleting “Drinking tequila” as your #1 favorite pastime. Start repopulating these profiles with professional data and other content relating to your job search.
Get a new URL
Open a new URL on social media sites that’s as close to your name as possible. This helps push results to the top of a Google search. (In most cases, employers look at only the first five to 10 results, a list that’s easy enough to manage on your part.)
Make yourself an expert
Start contributing thoughtful comments to chat room discussions, online forums and industry-related blogs. This adds credibility to your name and also helps push favorable results to the top of a Google search.
Get alerts
To be the first to know when your name appears online, sign up for alerts at Google Alerts. You’ll get an email whenever information about you is added or updated.
Find assistance
A variety of services can assist in managing or cleaning up your online reputation. But be prepared; these services don’t come cheap.
Reputation.com’s ReputationDefender provides subscribers with monthly search
reports that cover blogs, news sources and social networking hubs. Other services worth checking out include Defendmyname and Naymz.
High Profile Staffing offers a wealth of tips and resources to help in your search for the ideal job. Contact us today to get started!