Have you ever looked up your name in Google to see what comes up in the search results? There may be more information about you floating out there than you may think. Or perhaps even more information on your Googleganger than what you may even know. Your Googleganger is of course that person who has the same name as you and whose life and details are presented when you Google search your own name. So what have you and your Googleganger been up to online lately? And is it the professional image you want your current or future employer to know you for?
I use this photo as an example: when I searched my name on Google, this image appeared from a corporate Christmas Party that I had attended two years ago! While the image is completely harmless, in the social media world that we live in, personal privacy seems to be diminishing more and more with the general public being able to access a lot more than previous generations.
So what are you currently promoting to the world online? When you are applying for a new position, do you often consider that your employer may look you up on Facebook before they meet you face-to-face? What topics do you post on Twitter? Does your LinkedIn profile reflect your professional background accurately?
What does your current Facebook or LinkedIn profile picture say about you? What embarrassing photos have your friends tagged you in that come up in your Google search? How many future employers have made a judgement based on that party pose you have on your Facebook profile picture rather than the skills and experience listed on your resume? And what kind of photos are floating around for the general public to view?
Of course it’s not just companies that are searching for you. You are also searching for insight into a future employer. What stories have been written that help you decide that this is the company for you?
Media stories can often be a battle especially when it comes to large corporations, and some of the news being published about the company may not always be positive. My question for employers would be what do potential candidates find at the top of their Google search when they are researching your company? What information do you disclose to potential candidates who ask questions about any media coverage that they have read about or seen regarding your organisation?
As a candidate you may find the information that you look up on Google to be advantageous when it comes to looking for an organisation that has good credibility and that you will enjoy working for.
Naturally not all the information you find about yourself online is negative. Besides the image above, I also found sponsor pages for charity events and sporting races I participated. I hope if anyone were to view that they would believe I am a driven individual in my personal life and have a passion for adventure and helping others.
It is up to each of us to create an online presence that reflects our offline presence. But especially important when in the job search game. What has your Googleganger been up to lately? Why don’t you do a search now, you know you want to, and you never know what will come up!
