We all know that we don't want potential employers to see Facebook photos of us passed out naked on the frat couch covered in Magic Marker. And now most of us know that employers are looking for exactly that. So managing your digital reputation is becoming more and more important. Why? According to the Harvard Business Review we are in the age of the perpetual job search.
Even if you have a job currently, you've probably got your ear to the ground and are at least passively looking for something else (and if you're not - you should be). More and more, however, employers are doing the same thing - in reverse. HR departments are scouring the web to find your dirty laundry, and they're using high-tech aggregation to pull in stuff you're not even aware is out there (your proclivity towards sports betting and midget porn, for example). A full 70% of companies surveyed admit to deciding against a candidate based on what they've dredged up.
Recruiters have been shown to not just look people up on search engines, but to dig very deep, through social media profiles, shopping profiles, online gaming sites, classifieds and auction sites (think eBay and craigslist) — and even in virtual worlds like SecondLife!
So this is important stuff. Putting your best foot forward on the web is quickly becoming your first line of attack when it comes to landing a great job. But even that might not be enough:
Using today's technology, an employer can search 1,000 submitted resumes for keywords such as university name, previous employer name, and specialty. The computer can serve up the three people who fit the employer's criteria. The employer reaches out, interviews them, and hires one. More than 99% of candidates didn't even get at bat. No human evaluation — for subtlety, interesting career paths, etc. — was needed or utilized to get to the top of the pile.
There are some things you can do to improve your odds. First and foremost is being proactive about telling your story online. Because if you don't, someone else might. And you'd much rather be known for your magna cum laude than for that picture of you blowing chow all over your date after losing a case race.
It goes even beyond that. Establish some web credibility. In this line of work it might mean writing a couple of well-researched pieces for Seeking Alpha or something along those lines.
It really comes down to managing your Top 10 entries on Google. At least at this point in time your average HR flunkie isn't going to go any further than that if there are no red flags. Here's mine:
It's some entertaining reading for anyone cyberstalking me. Doesn't hurt that the NYT and the Atlantic wrote about me, and the Playboy cover in the Images section would probably pique a little interest. A writer could have a worse Top 10 (side note: if you Google Edmundo Braverman and click on Images, be ready to laugh your ass off).
So be aware, guys. The Internet can make you or break you these days. It's definitely something you want to stay on top of. More and more your digital reputation determines how far you can get in this world (at least as an employee).
I'm probably on the employers blacklist by now.
It's not so easy, in any forum I take part I usually have different nicknames exactly because of this. Unless you use your real name for subscriptions or online-related stuff, it'll be really hard for them to track you down.
My reasoning is that a privately owned company, for example the bar I worked at during college, doesn't care nearly as much about what you do as a publicly owned place (compared to the chain restaurants) as long as you don't do something over the top and embarass the whole company. I'm thinking that such rigid controls are just going to attract the most lifeless and dry people possible...or the biggest crooks who hide their crazy the best. Beyond looking for extremely obvious bad behavior, I don't think it's good for the health of the companies to create such rigid standards.
Combined with a total lack of loyalty or disregard for their employees, I don't understand why someone would possibly WANT to make a career at these places no matter how much they paid....and lately, finance isn't even paying all that well. Is this going to just give a lot of power to more private companies where the people know each other better and have a higher tolerance for idiosyncrasy?
What do you think?
Just googled myself. Apparently I'm also a computer programmer from Russia. Could be worse.
Maybe it's good to have a name that you share with someone (slightly) famous? It's hard for me to even find much about me, even if I google my school + my name.
Yeah, I share a unique sounding name with someone really famous. So aside from LinkedIn, it is almost possible to find me online.
That being said, I'm still very cautious of my online profile and people need to realize that emails can be googled and a ton of info can come up that way. Always best to have a professional email account seperate from personal.
The most annoying trend I see especially in girls today is taking pictures of every fucking thing and documenting it on FB/twitter. You can find these picwhores taking photos at clubs, parties, restaurants etc. What pisses me off the most is when they take pictures of your food or take pictures while you're eating. Bitch please I'm eating, how would you like me taking pictures of you without your makeup on?
Interesting...I did this for myself and realized one of my articles I wrote for my college newspaper has been spread across multiple websites. I also share a name with a (slightly) famous black minister so I'm going to see if I can find a way to get my name and articles on the first page results.
Try using Copyscape for this. You'd be amazed at how often you get plagiarized.
Thanks. I'd probably have never otherwise known where all my writing had ended up.
My name's extremely popular, so I think I'm good.
Hey Edmundo, thanks for posting this. It reminded me I had written a bunch of blog entries on MySpace from my days in the military. I just finished taking them down. It's always funny to take a look at yourself from years past.
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