Is HR going to give me the boot right at the door? - Short story

Hi monkeys,

I posted this in the I-Banking Bullpen a while ago, but didn't receive many responses, and figured that the Get A Job forum might have been a more appropriate place.

I have a short story that I'd like to share with you, and a follow up question to ask:

I've been lurking/posting on WSO for a while now, and have been putting a lot of the information on this site into practice. As a result, I've been working my ass off this entire summer, with two finance-related jobs, and have also been networking aggressively. I've been following all of the tips that I've read on this site, and have developed a great book of contacts. Additionally, I go to a target school, have a strong GPA, and solid work experience.

The only problem is that when my full name is Googled, a suspect page comes up as the first result. I included more information in a link at the bottom. For reasons that are difficult to explain, it's not possible for me to "Google-bomb" this result and take care of it that way. Basically it's there to stay. For the record, this thread that results from the search is basically a situation that I handled very poorly as a freshman idiot, but is in no way criminal (at least, no criminal charges were ever filed. My criminal history is completely clean).

Does anybody know how the HR process works, and whether or not this incident will keep me from getting into the investment banking industry? I've been working really hard over the past year in pursuit of an investment banking position, and am sincerely hoping that HR isn't going to automatically ding me for this. The worst part for me is knowing that the e-allegations against me are entirely untrue, and am hoping that due to the wild wild west nature of the internet, HR might disregard or at least question it.

If anybody can shed any light on this matter, I would really appreciate it. I'm very worried about my prospects, and could use the opinions of current bankers / individuals who are familiar with the HR process.

More information: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/how-much-tr…

 

Umm... How can you say after all of those responses that you didn't get many responses.... Looks like you got a boat load. HR departments have better things to do than to google every potential employee's name. Unless your name is Justin Bieber, I don't think they are going to care enough to do a search. Background check is a different story perhaps.

 
Bruce Wayne:
Hire a SEO person to get rid of it. Just ask some brainy engineer on campus.
I can't. As I explained in my original post, I have a very unique name. Unless I created a whole host of fake profiles, there's no way for me to bury it. Additionally, I think that Googling a student's name and having two pages of results pop up looks suspect in and of itself, and would invite further digging.
dest149:
Umm... How can you say after all of those responses that you didn't get many responses.... Looks like you got a boat load. HR departments have better things to do than to google every potential employee's name. Unless your name is Justin Bieber, I don't think they are going to care enough to do a search. Background check is a different story perhaps.
I was really hoping to get some input from those familiar with the HR process. WSO is a fantastic resource, but I've found that it's often people like me (students) speculating on matters that they're not entirely familiar with. Don't get me wrong: I really do appreciate any input, but like I mentioned, am looking for the input of someone a little more knowledgeable about the matter.
 
Best Response

Nobody is going to know the answer unless they worked in HR. I was in a management position and did a lot of on campus recruiting and I don't know for sure what HR did in terms of Internet searches/background checks. I do know at my current firm we pay a firm to do background checks on people and we would Google someone before working with them, but big banks are a question mark. I know you say it's impossible, but try to bury it. Write some papers or get your name listed in a bunch of organizations or something. Or change your name.

If you google the incident without your middle name, does it come up then? If not, just eliminate your middle name and/or initial from your resume if you have it on your resume.

Probably not a big deal. You seem like you have a good explanation. Also, I doubt too many people are going to worry that the worst thing on your record is a sour eBay (or whatever) sale.

 

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