Google Yourself

No, seriously. How often do you? If you are job seeking, do it right now, and do it frequently as you seek to establish a professional online image.

Brian Krueger, president of the site CollegeGrad.com (worth a visit at www.collegegrad.com/) cites “a growing trend in the number of employers who are Googling candidates and visiting social-networking sites . . . to research for additional information” on job candidates who are under consideration.

What might begin as a well-intended electronic investigation for candidates’ achievements could lead to employers viewing pages with profiles, photographs, and even videos that could be detrimental to employment opportunities. Krueger cites researchers’ estimates that “99% of MySpace and Facebook web pages are considered to contain inappropriate information. He asks job seekers to remember that “the Internet blurs the line between what is public and what is private.”

“Jobs Choices” magazines are an excellent resource. Published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, take some time to check it out at http://jobchoicesonline.com/. In the Diversity Issue of “Jobs Choices 2012,” author, blogger (www.lindseypollak.com/blog) and lecturer Lindsey Pollak offers “10 Tips for Using Social Media in Your Job Search.” You can link to her list at: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nace/JobChoices2012DiversitySpecial/#/22.

Her top tip? Develop a professional presence. She asks: “What do people find when they Google you?” She recommends setting up a profile on Linkedin, “which is a 100 percent professional network.” Social media profiles should be edited by adding professional details.

Another article by Meg Langland in the same issue of “Jobs Choices” gives the successful job seeker some vital tips on “Workplace e-Etiquette.” She begins the article with an admonition: “Accustomed to texting during class? Do you check your Facebook page throughout the day? Send tweets to your followers? If you’re about to enter the world of work, expect your communication habits to undergo a radical change.”

To view the complete article, written by the Director of Career Services at Westminster College, who presents on and writes about e-etiquette and the new college graduate, go to: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nace/JobChoices2012DiversitySpecial/#/50.

Langland ends her listing of “General Rules of Thumb for New Employees” with this caveat: “Be wise about what you post on online social networking sites; remember you are now an employee and not only representing yourself but also an organization.”

Briefly stated, what Krueger, Pollak, and Langland, all respected professionals in their field are suggesting is that you Google yourself before, during and after your job search. And look at the content there and in your social media accounts through the eyes of your prospective employer.