Protecting Your Reputation Online
Posted in Online Job Search
In the very encompassing Internet technology, information is received at a much faster rate. This information varies from a wide array of topics, including people talking about other people. What's worse, if an online user writes or posts something damaging about you (whether or not it is true), chances are other people will see it and that includes your prospective employer.
Job interviewers may contact some references that are not listed on your resume but know a lot about you. Ex-girlfriends, or a person witnessing your unusual behavior, are some of the examples of peoples who most likely put nasty facts about you online. Recruiters typically go to social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace and simply conduct a "background check".
Here are some ways to check your name for unauthorized claims and how to deal with them.
Clean up your online pages - If you are a member of a social networking network, you need to edit your profile and make it clean and professional-looking. Remove elements that are deemed unworthy like "party pics". Recruiters usually check out your own online profile before going to other branches.
Check your name online - Use a search engine and simply type your name. Once the results are posted, check for any entries about unfavorable information about you (whether false rumors, situations when you exerted negative behavior, or even non-likeable information of a person with the same name as yours).
Ask nicely - If you find something online that is quite unfavorable, you may want to ask the writer (through private messaging, for instance) of having that alarming entry removed. Of course, not every requests gets fulfilled.
Clear your name during interview - If your recruiter brings up the questionable information during job interview, you need to explain it in order to clear your name.
