Google yourself regularly to map and tweak your online image
When my best friend was visiting, I got her a t-shirt that read “Sometimes when I am alone, I google myself.” In the early days of the search engine, that seemed like a really funny joke.
But these days, googling yourself is not a mere vanity, it’s almost essential, especially if you’re looking for a job.
Most employers will agree that once the stork delivers your resume into their hands, the first thing they do is check your online presence. So, Bam! Google!
And if the only thing that pops up in their search are racy pictures from your Spring break or incriminating, nasty posts about your co-workers, then that could potentially be a red light for your employers.
So, here is a list of Top Online Turnoffs I came across in Richmond magazine.
Profanity: If you wouldn’t say it in front of your grandmother or on national television, don’t post it online. It may actually end up in front of your grandmother or on national television, or — just as bad — a recruiter.
Inconsistency: When you put online resumes and bios on LinkedIn, Facebook or your blog, make sure they match what you have in print. If you tweak anything, tweak it consistently.
All Play and No Work: Fool around all you want on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites. But be sure to mix in some online business — join some industry organizations, actively participate and tweet positive things about your work.
The magazine says it doesn’t help to be totally paranoid and log off Facebook forever. In fact, some recruiters get dissapointed when they look for you online and can’t find your Facebook page. “
“Recruiters want to see pictures of you interacting with others,” says one recruiter in the piece, “they want to see that you are a team player.”
So get going, Google yourself and mend that online image.
