Who’s reading up on you online?
Posted by Diana Needham on Monday, May 4th, 2009
Ever wonder who is reading up on your online? If you are in the job search mode right now (or think there is a chance you may be in the near future), you should.
If you’re a blogger, forum user or social networker, have you given any thought to the kinds of personal info you’re putting on the web? With the recent news that more and more employers are using the internet to research job candidates and staff, let’s take a look at the potential pitfalls of living your life online.
What’s your “Internet reputation”?
The Internet is a very sociable place. Millions of people all over the world are signed up to networking sites (My Space, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and many others). If you’re among them, it might be second nature to you to write an account of your last night out and upload photos to show just how much of a good time you had.
Before you hit the ‘post’ button, it will pay to think about who will be able to see what you publish. The web is a public place and you don’t always have total control over who can access your info. Plus the more you publish, the easier it is for employers and prospective employers to find out more about you than you’ve told them on your resume.
You may be asking: Do employers really pay attention to what you put online?
Some do. Recent research by a networking site found that one in every 5 employers admitted they used social networking sites to search for information on candidates. Two thirds said that what they found influenced a recruitment decision, and a quarter said that they had decided not to hire someone because of what was online. You’re likely to blow your chances of making a good first impression if the first search result they come across is you in party animal mode.
The Top 5 Big Mistakes
Here are some of the big no-no’s that might scupper your chances of landing that great new job:
- Posting stories and photos of wild nights out. Your friends might be impressed, but what about your future boss?
- Gossiping about friends’ love lives…or publishing detailed accounts of your own
- Whining about your current employer
- Criticizing your manager or colleagues. What may seen to you like a bit of gossip between friends can look very different to your boss (or a prospective new boss).
- Spending too much work time on social networking sites. The time a post was added is apparent on many sites. Are you doing this during work hours?
Check yourself out!
We all care about how we come across in person and the same applies on the web. Here are my top tips on how to check yourself out.
- Enter your name or email address into Google and see what comes up. If it’s that blog about your New Year’s fancy dress party, consider removing it.
- Read the privacy policy of sites before you sign up. It pays to know exactly how your information will be used.
- If you want to get things off your chest on a forum or blog, use a fake name. Better yet, talk with a friend via other means rather than posting anything online.
- Use the web to your advantage: upload your resume or join a professional networking site like LinkedIn.
All in all, it’s about being sensible. Be careful what you publish and post – if you wouldn’t put it on the back of a postcard, don’t put it out there!
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