The last semester has finished, all you final exams are over and you’ve valiantly crossed the stage and received your diploma. So what now? Well, it’s time to find a job so that you don’t have to spend too much time living in your parent’s basement. The job-hunting process is now very different than it was back when your parents started out though. Every job applicant has the Internet to contend with. This means it is important as a young job seeker to take control of your online reputation through reputation management. There are many ways to do this, and many tips to help you keep your Internet image. Here are some of them:
1) Google Yourself – The first thing you need to do in order to control your reputation online is to find out what is already out there. Google your full name, as well as any common variations, and then check out the results on at least the first 3-5 pages. Although most employers will probably only look at the first 1-2 pages of results, it’s good to know what pops up as far down the Google search as possible.
2) Identify Negative Links – Anything that pops up when Googling yourself that you do not want, try to have it removed. If it’s a social networking site, like Facebook or Twitter, you can go into personal setting and make these profiles private. This will keep them from popping up in a search. Other links may be more difficult to get down. Sites like BrandYourself.com allow you to pay to remove unfavorable links and tailor your search results.
3) Create Separate Business-Related Social Media Accounts – Often times, people have a separate business account for Facebook and Twitter. This way, you can provide information with or even become friends with people at work without concern. Just remember to keep personal info on your personal accounts and business info on your business account.
Have you recently graduated and been working on your reputation management? How have you gone about it? Share your thoughts by commenting!
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