How to Know if You Have Digital Dirt

March 15, 2022 Post a Comment

A recent survey found 45 percent of employers used social networking sites to research candidates

A recent survey plant 45 percentage of employers used social networking sites to research candidates

(CareerBuilder) -- Merely like Vegas, what happens on the Internet, stays on the Internet. How that affects your job search is upward to yous.

Gone are the days when all you were concerned with was whether or not your résumé and cover letter were error-costless.

Now, you've got bigger things to worry about -- like what kind of personal information is floating around online.

Task seekers should not just manage how they come up across in person, but on the Web, besides.

We often forget that everything yous post online, from your Facebook contour to your Amazon book reviews, is out there for others to come across and approximate.

"Almost employers present hop on Google to search a proper name as a preliminary step, either before or right after the interview," says Monique Tatum, author of "Jumping Off the Curb and Into SEO Traffic." "A positive and strong online presence can play a tremendous part in the employer's start impression."

In 2009, 45 percent of employers used social networking sites to research candidates, according to a CareerBuilder survey, a 23 per centum increment from final twelvemonth.

Don't Miss

Thirty-five percent of employers said that what they constitute caused them not to hire a candidate.

"Hiring someone is scary," says Zack Grossbart, a virtual team charabanc and author of "The 1 Minute Commute."

"You lot're paying them to represent your visitor, and your reputation affects theirs. No company wants a newspaper headline with their proper name in it because of an embarrassing employee."

Times have changed

Non merely has the employ of the Internet, social networking sites, blogs and other new media skyrocketed in recent years; all of these things have revolutionized the job search.

It used to be that if a hiring manager dug around online and couldn't find anything, information technology was a practiced matter. Today, however, if you have no online presence, it could be more of a career killer than if an employer plant some digital dirt.

"If you accept an established career and no online presence, it is a large red flag for employers," Grossbart says.

"Employers expect to discover blogs, forum posts, LinkedIn profiles and many other sources of data about y'all. If yous haven't been mentioned by other people in a professional person context, employers will wonder why non."

Digital clay

Of course, the flip side to creating an online presence is that nasty stuff can make its manner into your Net infinite.

Every bit Marian Merritt, online rubber advocate for Symantec, says, "One man'south trash is another homo'south treasure and that's true online every bit well." And she should know.

"Early in my career, I said some things to an interviewer that didn't come out as eloquently as I'd like, and they live forever on the Internet," she says. "There'due south nothing I tin can do nearly that, every bit it was a news slice. That is permanent 'digital clay.'"

Although information technology can exist hard to cover your tracks on the Internet, experts say it is possible to go rid of those skeletons that have institute their mode from your closet to the Web.

Sweep the dirt under the carpeting

First, Merritt suggests using your name in search engine queries to run across what is out there. Use every variation of your proper noun and review every subcategory, from "Web" to "images" to "video."

Apply multiple search engines and click on everything, since thumbnail images might non represent what is actually posted.

It also depends where your dirt is posted. If information technology'due south something on your social networking folio or blog, you can delete it and information technology will eventually disappear. Simply Tatum says that if information technology's on a highly regarded site, it could remain out in that location for years.

Luckily, one of the easiest means to go rid of your digital clay is to create digital material of the good kind.

Tatum suggests developing your ain positive content by creating manufactures, starting a blog or posting to forums. As long as you can smother any negative data about you, you should be OK in an initial employer search.

Something to be proud of

Here are v means to build a digital footprint that won't scare away future employers:

i. Make your content useful

Assist people go something done or teach them something, Grossbart says. Respond to forum posts, answer questions or comment on blogs. Helping people is the perfect mode to showcase your talents to potential employers.

two. Bring together social networks, both for career purposes and social purposes

"Tell people in your network you are actively seeking a task. Even if you use online chore boards, information technology's more likely that your real-earth network of people will assist you detect the job of your dreams, or at least move your application to the elevation of the pile," Merritt says.

three. If you can't delete it, smother information technology

"Potential employers are far less likely to observe something if it is on the 10th page of your search results," Grossbart says.

"It can likewise exist worthwhile to post more than content to the same site. If your dirt is on Facebook, then posting more good professional content right at that place is likely to replace your dirt."

four. Avoid joining groups or engaging in online activities that could embarrass or restrict opportunities

Of grade, during a job hunt yous should consider your overtly controversial activities such as political, religious or social movements, Merritt says.

It's all part of the online motion-picture show of you, so make sure it is the well-nigh accurate and flattering view. And it sounds obvious, merely travel tips, book reviews and online gaming communication might not paint the picture of a "nose to the grindstone" kind of person, Merritt says.

"For instance, one bidder was a fan of romantic novels, and I establish myself reading her reviews on Amazon.com. There was no impact on her job application, just I did waste oodles of fourth dimension."

5. Beware the cybertwin

Exist wary of people out in that location on the Internet with the same proper noun as you, Merritt says.

"What if your cybertwin is in prison or owns a racist Spider web site? Find out who is out at that place with any variation of your name and be prepared to discuss and explain."

All About Jobs and Labor

glassmanothaver.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/10/12/cb.digital.trail.job.search/