As a society that stresses the chronic social media presence, we ourselves numb to the reality that everyone (employers especially) cares to see photos and updates status that provide direct insight into our social life. Keeping your Internet footprint is important, and social media can be a great way to appeal to potential employers. However, it is essential to find a reasonable balance in the display of your professional and personal identities.
What types of shares you should be aware of?
The most common mistake that is made in the attempt to create an Internet presence is reputable oversharing. The ease of using social media sites is dangerous because it allows the ability to connect with a large group of followers in seconds, maybe overindulging in what we think is appropriate for the online community. It is important that you do not use your media microphone to express criticism about your professional life.
Similarly, many people are now using Facebook and Twitter to launch their opinions on a given subject in an uninformed public. With greater freedom of expression on the Internet comes even greater responsibility. We must learn to lead us into the art of minimalism, or at least ensure that our profiles are set to private so we do not share all the details of our lives with the world. "Less is more" is the golden rule in terms of how to drive online and social media. By posting updated constantly, you are not only putting yourself in a position to be more severely judged by potential employers, but you are also potentially put you at risk of identity theft.
How your online reputation impact your professional life?
There are a number of ways that social media can have an impact on your life. You may find yourself in hot water if your boss sees you their bad-mouthing on your social media accounts, but also has a great effect on whether or not you land that job you have recently applied. The recruiters said that social media gives them a more complete picture of a potential candidate resumes, and they almost always inspect their online history to learn about their habits, interests and how they are presented. The breakdown of recruiters research methods, as reported by Cross-Tab.
- candidates 70% of recruiters have rejected based solely on the results of their Internet.
- 75% of companies adhere to hiring policies that require recruiters to search online presence of a candidate.
- 7% of applicants believe that their online activity has affected their job search.
Fixing your online reputation
Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to ensure your online reputation reflects the best parts of you.
Where to start
Put yourself in the shoes of a manager or recruiter. First, search your name, user names and email addresses and to assess the damage that must be rectified. Recruiters check Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Search.Aol.com for anything they can collect to build a more rounded understanding of the type of person that each candidate.
Then use a people search site to do a background check on yourself. These sites take information from public records, local court records, criminal reports and social media profiles, even audiences, such as your LinkedIn (depending on the service). As you go about your background check, make sure that all the information that is easily accessible to the public is correct and current. If you find information from your social media account, it usually means your account is public and that information can be removed if you change the account settings to private.
Go through your social media accounts
Make sure you do a thorough scouring of each platform - this is old photos, updates and photos of others that you liked to hide in the shadows. Look through your status updates, photo albums on Facebook. Continue to sites like Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, removing inappropriate or questionable content that may come across the radar of a recruiter. As you go through your accounts, you should also make sure your profiles are set to private. This means they will not be evaluated by a search engine, which means that your profile will be protected against foreign and eyes to the potential employer.
Highlight the positive
Although it is easy to abuse of social media, it can also be an extremely useful tool to create a positive image for recruiters to gain a deeper understanding of the balanced and socially responsible person they hire. Use your media platforms to show the best parts of who you are.
Follow the rule of thirds to create a vivid representation of your professional self more attractive. A third of your Internet profile retailer to be who you are as a human being - a little information about where you come from and what you do goes a long way. The following third party should be shared information from a third party outside that is relevant to your interests and the work you do. Finally, the remaining third must be used to promote your personal brand.
Keep an eye
You will never be able to monitor your online reputation by simply search for yourself once. The only way you can constantly make sure your online reputation is the one you want is to constantly check on her. Make Google your name and verify your information about people search for sites about once every two months to ensure that you stay up to date on how your online reputation looks.
Being a member of the online community can be a risky business, but by taking small precautions to ensure you portray yourself in the best possible light keep you from being another online Horror Story .