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Make Your Reputation Count When Searching for a Job

September 12, 2012 by Thomas Leave a Comment

With millions of Americans still searching for work, the stars in many cases have to align perfectly to land that coveted job.

While you can have years of experience, a desire to get the job done yesterday and not tomorrow, and the ability to work well with others, what could possibly be holding you back? Perhaps your reputation?

In today’s 24/7 Internet age, it just takes one unenviable image or statement to get online and cost you a potential job. As more and more companies turn to researching prospective applicants online, job seekers need to make sure their history is not something that will come back to bite them in the end.

Estimates indicate that more than 40 percent of resumes include false or altered information when they arrive on the desk or computer of an employer. Given that figure, is it any wonder more businesses are spending extra time checking out just who their next employee may be?

For the prospective employee, turning to services such as Reputation.com allows them to acquire personal information discovered on different blogs, photo sites, news outlets and social networking venues like Facebook and Twitter. Remember, it just takes one bad comment or image to kill a potential job.

As an example, say you are college grad entering the workforce for the first time. Your grades were super, you did a variety of charitable functions during your four years in school, and you come highly recommended by your professors and even an employer or two where you may have interned or worked part-time. Think that the coast is clear?

Wait a minute…. remember that silly comment you made on Twitter a couple of years ago where you admitted to shoplifting something from a store? Remember the photo you had taken at a frat party that was more than just a tad compromising? Lastly, remember that innocent comment you made on Facebook last year about someone’s ethnicity? Any or all of these scenarios could doom you if a potential employer discovers them through a  simple background check.

To start the process of better understanding your online image, do a simple Google search of your name and see what comes up.

In the event there are issues to be dealt with, using a reputation service company will allow you to put out more positive information about yourself and how you can help a prospective employer. By doing so, such information will move to the front of search-engine results, while pushing the negative details down.

In a world where your reputation can mean the difference between a job and unemployment, don’t bank on assuming your online reputation is squeaky clean.

Photo credit: scoop.it

Dave Thomas has more than 20 years’ experience as a writer, covering news, sports marketing, SEO, press releases, social media and more. 

 

 

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Filed Under: Content Tagged With: background checks, bc, employers, reputation

Comments

  1. Keith V. Birkemeyer says

    September 13, 2012 at 12:04 PM

    Dave,

    Great information, I agree. With the internet comes the fast pace of searching almost anything and coming up with a lot of maybe good and maybe bad information. I use google alerts to check my name, business and other industry items. It only takes one bad review and it doesn’t matter if you were right or wrong. Take the time and think before you post and hopefully all will be fine.

    Reply
  2. Dave says

    September 14, 2012 at 11:59 AM

    Keith,
    Thanks for reading. Yes, today’s Internet age certainly does added yet another ‘to-do’ item for individuals to consider when job hunting. With so many people looking for work, it just takes one negative online comment or photo to discredit an individual, even if that individual is well qualified for the position.

    Reply
  3. Sara says

    September 15, 2012 at 4:12 PM

    This article makes some great points, but what about if you have the same name as a bunch of other people? Whenever I google my name (maiden &/or married), the only search result that shows up in the first 10 or so pages that actually belongs to me is when I got my marriage license. Reputation.com showed my twitter account, which I use in a professional way, everything else wasn’t me.

    Reply
    • Liz says

      September 16, 2012 at 12:03 AM

      Sara,
      If you can own the url that is your name and start putting solid quality content on it. Build a Google+ profile and connect all of your social profiles to it. Update your LinkedIn profile, become active on Twitter and Google+ by sharing quality content that people who know you in business will value.
      All of these will help.
      Liz

      Reply

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