Welcome to our little corner of cyberspace. You bring up an EXCELLENT point and one which I have not even considered.

Thanks for reading and for your excellent contribution.
Mark

I think the response to that, though, is not to be fearful, but to be authentic. People who google you want to get to know you, so why not monitor your online content to make sure it gives an accurate, dynamic picture of who you are?

One potential problem is when you have a common name. When you have the same name as someone else, how do people know which pages are about you and which are about someone else?

Those are excellent points. I think an HR professional who sees a few party shots and lots of friends, could also help. Especially in our field. I always remember that like PR campaigns, we need to stay authentic. I would be nervous about someone who has few friends, never says anything interesting, never acts human. You would be “found out ” quickly for faking. I think a more important issue is that EEO laws prevent people from asking certain questions about race, sexual orientation, family status, etc. Now they can find out immediately and anonymously. So the bigots and homophobic people of the world can filter. If your real paranoid, you would literally have to disappear off the face of the earth to avoid these issues.

My recommendation would be to look them up. Find them out. That levels the playing field.

The IT technology took away a lot of communication barriers and limits while bringing the world a lot closer. That means an increase in transparency and a decrease in privacy. I used to find blogging fascination because I can talk whatever I want in private and publish to only the audience (like my close friends) I intend to inform. I don’t blog because I want to create some publicity from a relatively easier platform. And I also find people willing to spill out deeper thoughts in the online world. Therefore, you see more interesting and bolder statement which is another catchy feature I find.

The fun stops when certain censorship thrive. I remember one day my mom madly came to me “ordering” me to delete my post complaining about her after arguing with her the other day. I was very embarrassed and shocked as well. Oh yes I should had reminded myself that my mom is in the IT field. And she’s very up-to-date to all these new technology tools. So.. there goes away an “outlet” for me to shout out.

When Mark introduced those blog tracking tools to us last week, I was really amazed how we’re being watched in the blogsphere. I guess when the employers google you, they’re interested in seeing who you really are. But with such censorship and thus bloggers might get more reserved, I wonder if people would still really be who they are in the online world.

I am not surprised that HR ‘googles’ applicants. They do it for the very reason each of us ‘googles’ a potential employer, professor or roommate. And maybe this is unusual, but being “invisible” on Google is more worrisome to me than finding unflattering results. Having an online presence is critical.

Like web strategist Jeremiah Owyang puts it, “Today’s resume is your Google search results.” Building an online footprint is no longer a luxury but a requirement. What was once thought of as ‘ego-surfing’ is now considered a smart idea for anyone wanting to protect their personal brand.

Since HR screening through Google is inevitable, I’d rather control what comes up in the searches by creating the content – and use it to my advantage. If used correctly, I think it can prove to be an effective way of showing potential employers who you are and what you’ve done.

I’m no subject-matter expert but here are a few ways in which I hope to “rewrite” my “google resume”

• Use my personal blog as an ongoing resume, a digital portfolio. I have heard social media experts suggest that blogs are a good way to give potential employers a snapshot of your personality and demonstrate your communication skills and writing ability.

• Revisit my LinkedIn profile. Google loves it and for most people, if they have a LinkedIn profile, it will show up as the first result. Customizing your LinkedIn URL makes a big difference. Social media guru Chris Brogan has some great tips on making LinkedIn work for you. http://www.chrisbrogan.com/make-your-linkedin-profile-work-for-you/.
Here’s an interesting slideshow, too. http://www.slideshare.net/GKawasaki/linkedin-presentation-699784/v1

• Manage my privacy settings within each social network I use.

• Set up Google Alerts so that I am notified whenever something about me is published online. If someone is having a conversation about me, I want to know.

• Engage actively (with well thought-out comments) in online discussions relevant to my profession and skills.

These are a few things I hope will make a difference to my online reputation. I would love to hear more thoughts and suggestions…