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While the digital age has brought about many technological advances, it also has created two separate perceptions about you as a person. One perception is the “physical person” that your family, friends and colleagues know and the other is the “online person” that people see from reviewing content about you online. Maybe the two perceptions are in balance but there’s always a chance that they are absolutely at odds.
When did you last Google yourself and review the search results? For one candidate, the results were shocking. The first result was their LinkedIn profile which they hadn’t edited in over a year. OK, no major problem but just a little updating needed. However, the second result was a profane comment on a Twitter account with his exact name. Turns out that there is a musician with the same name living on the other side of the country regularly Tweeting his views about our political and judicial system.
And, if that weren’t bad enough, the third result was a court docket notice with his name as a defendant in a fraud case. It turns out that there is yet another person with the same name living in a nearby State whose occupation is legally related but only from the other side of the cell.
By now you probably think that a name change may be a good idea. The good news is that by doing a proper background internet check on yourself, you’ll know exactly what other people see about you and whether you need to correct or edit online information.
When preparing online profiles, be sure to include your first, middle and last name, your city of residence and job title. If you are a member of any associations, boards, community or charitable groups, be sure to list those. The more relevant information that is provided with details about who you are, the better chance that any similar profiles will be dismissed and your profile will make an impression.
Regularly review your LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter pages and photos from the perspective of an employer. Is there any information that needs to be deleted or edited? Facebook Friends may prove not to be such good friends if their posts reflect poorly on you.
If you want to take it a step further, you can do a background search, financial search or criminal records search for a few dollars. Sites such as Intelius and NetDetective enable you to order reports detailing your background and will give you a snapshot of what other people might find – or anything that you need to correct. And, under Federal law, you can order a free credit report annually from the 3 credit reporting systems.
While some of this may sound like overkill, the reality is that online searches do and will continue to give current and prospective employers detailed information about you. Regularly checking what others will find may be a good use of an hour of your time.
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