Did you know that 54% of employers have found content online that has caused them NOT TO hire a candidate? 

In this post, I’ll share three suggestions to help you stay on top of your online reputation.

Why Your First Impression Online Is Important

It’s no longer sufficient just to have a great looking resume and being able to write a motivational job application when you’re looking to land your dream job.

Today we see changes to the way companies are recruiting new employees, which makes it critically vital for you as an employee to be on top of your online presence if you want to land that next dream job.

Some time ago, I received a looong passionate email from someone who was very frustrated by her professional situation. Frustrated, because she felt she was doing everything in her power to land a job within her sweet spot, but she never got called in for interviews.

Since I didn’t know this person and had never met her, I did what most people do. Can you guess what I did?

Of course, i went on Google, and I didn’t have to go very far to get an indication as to why she might have a hard time getting job interviews.

Page One on Google!

Not surprisingly, her LinkedIn and Facebook profiles were on top, but the three following hits were all very critical. They were all comments she had made on various platforms, and all in a vulgar language, I’m not even going to repeat. Reading those gave me a pretty good indication as to why she might have a hard time getting called in for interviews.

She was devastated when I told what I’d found…

But, like my good pal and online reputation expert, Wayne Denner, says; it’s what you’ve posted in the past that will come back and haunt you in the future.

It doesn’t matter whether it concerns your career or dating life. Today, your first impression online defines how people who you haven’t yet met will perceive you.

A 2017 Career Builder survey showed that:

• 70% of employers use social media to scan candidates’ online profiles.
• 69% of employers use Google and other search engines to scan candidates.
  (up from 59% in 2016)
• 54% of employers have found content online that has caused them NOT TO hire a candidate.
  (… you knew that)
• 35% of employers have decided NOT TO invite a candidate in for an interview because they didn’t have an online presence.

The Career Builder survey also showed that 44% of employers had found content online that caused them to hire the candidate.

So, What Does That Mean To You As An Employee?

As you can see, the new reality is that more and more companies research their candidates using Google and social media when it comes to selecting who they want to invite in for interviews.

Frankly, that your next job could very well depend on what a recruiter or future employer finds on your social media profiles and through the online footprints you’ve left behind.
I have three suggestions on what you should do to stay on top of your online reputation.

• 1. Google yourself in incognito mode and clean up your social profiles, if necessary.
• 2. Have a professionally optimized LinkedIn profile and presence
• 3. Take ownership of your online presence by having a personal website, like in my case its nielsreib.com, and share your thoughts about your industry, share takeaways from conferences, and relevant books you’re reading on your career website.

When you have these three aligned, Google, LinkedIn, and your career website, you’ll stand out compared to any other applicants, and it will help you land your next dream job.
So, is Google your enemy or promoter in your career?

Final Thoughts

The numbers are speaking for themselves.

More and more employers, recruiters, and headhunters are using Google and Social Media to scan their candidates. And if you want to improve your chances of passing the scan of your online presence, then sign up for my free email course, which will give you weekly action steps to help you stand out the next time you apply for your dream job!

If you find working from home challenging, then book a session and let’s set you up for success.

Want all my best tips and help to get used to this new situation minimizing distractions and improving your productivity?

Book your time today and start implementing new work strategies this week.