Job seekers are often judged by what “digital dirt” can be found on them online. Digital dirt is anything posted on the web that portrays you in a negative personal or professional manner.
Many employers complete a Google search of their job applicants, either before or after an interview, to determine the applicant’s online presence. Employers seek to hire people of good character; people that they believe won’t embarrass the company. Upon finding digital dirt, an employer may decide to exclude you from their job candidate search.
Examples of digital dirt can include unflattering photos of you on Facebook, an embarrassing video of you on YouTube, or a blog post in which you said some things that you later regretted. Does your current online image reflect the image that you want a potential employer to have of you?
Ask Yourself
- Does online information accurately portray who I am or how I would like others to think of me?
- Do I feel comfortable having my current or futures employers, family members, friends or colleagues view this content?
- Could this information harm my professional career or future potential?
- Does it reveal too much personal information about me that I am uncomfortable sharing with the general public?
If you are uncomfortable with this content then you need to do your best to delete or edit it.
How to Identify Digital Dirt
- Conduct search engine queries using your name to see what is out there. Put your name in quotes on Google, Yahoo and Bing to conduct the search. Use every variation of your name and every subcategory such as “web”, “images” and “video.”
- Check out your social networking page or blog. Would you want a potential employer to see your pictures or read your blog? Consider deleting this digital dirt and restricting your contacts ability to post pictures or messages to your profile.
- Be aware that you may have an evil cybertwin out there. A cybertwin is a person with your same name. If your cybertwin’s online presence is negative, you need to be prepared to explain to a potential employer that that person is not you.
- To keep on top of your online identity, you may also want to register for online alerts if you name is mentioned online. Enter your name is quotes and utilize Google Alert, Yahoo Alert and Social Mention. Note that online alerts don’t work well if you have a common name.
Steps to Help You Get Rid of Digital Dirt
- Delete as Much of Your Online Dirt as Possible: Get rid of your posts that portray you negatively. If a friend has posted something unbecoming of you or tagged you, ask him or her to remove it.
- Update your Friends in Facebook/Twitter and LinkedIn: Review your friends in social media accounts and delete those names that you no longer want to be connected with. Note that when you delete a name from your friends list, that person does not receive a notification.
- Bury Your Digital Dirt: If you are unable to delete or edit your digital dirt, you can bury it in the search results. This is accomplished by simply flooding a search of your name with positive online content. Create a blog, Twitter or LinkedIn, Facebook account or post comments on someone else’s social media site.
- Adjust Your Social Media Account Privacy Settings: Use customized privacy settings to allow yourself the most control of your profile and how you wish to display your content as public or private.
- Create Dual/Multiple Online Identities: Create multiple accounts to reflect your personal and professional identities. The goal is to keep your personal life separate from your professional life.
- Avoid Joining Groups or Engaging in Embarrassing or Unprofessional Activities: Avoid overtly controversial activities. Make sure that your posts portray you in an accurate and flattering manner.
