What Does Your Online Brand Say About You?

In this age of social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) more and more employers are using social media outlets to learn about job applicants. As a job seeker it is important to ensure that your online brand portrays a professional image. Your online brand is a composite of personal information that is available on the web including profiles, pictures, posts, tweets, comments, blogs, news articles, and public records.

The first step in focusing your brand message is to control the information you put onto the web. Go to your accounts and review them. Try to see them from a potential employers stand point and remove any information that a potential employer may find problematic. Change your security settings to control what other people can post about you, as well as what outsiders can view. I always recommend adding a professional picture as your profile photo. You may worry what your friends might think, but keep in mind you can always change it after you get the job. You should also add information that may be relevant to your job search and that may highlight some of your special skills, knowledge, and experience.

The second step in focusing your brand message is to find out what other information about you is on the web and do what you can to minimize negative information. A simple Google search of your name in quotes (example: “John Doe”) will get you started. If you have a common name you may want to be more specific by adding your city and state to the search criteria. If friends or family have posted potentially hazardous information about you, explain the situation to them and ask them to remove it. If someone has posted information that is slanderous, start by asking them to remove the information. If they refuse you may need to threaten legal action. If the damaging information is a news article or public record, you may have a difficult time having it removed. However, it doesn’t hurt to ask while explaining that the information could potentially hinder your future employment.

The final step in focusing your brand message is to add more positive information. You can accomplish that by commenting on blogs, posts, and articles related to your field. Make sure that the comments you make are insightful and add value to the conversation.

In closing I say this, keep an eye out for your online brand and nurture it. As they say, “if it ends up on the internet, it’s there forever”. I hope this information has been helpful.