The internet is a powerful time machine that can offer you endless information on any topic. However, people can also know more about you by googling your name. If you’re like most individuals, you may have lived your online life to the fullest. Maybe, you may have been doing drugs, drinking, or sharing flattering information on social media platforms on Twitter and Facebook.
As you intend to look for a job, you may want to get rid of some of your past online life because it may prevent you from getting hired. Seeking online reputation management services is vital for various reasons. This article highlights ways of cleaning your online reputation.
- Google Yourself
Most employers resort to Google if they want to know more about an individual’s reputation. That’s why you need to Google yourself to find out what they’re likely to see. A good reputation should be attractive to employers. However, some negative results that match yours may damage your reputation.
So it’s important to go through the first pages and list your dead and active profile. You don’t want your potential employer to find an old profile that you probably started in high school. It’s advisable to update or delete all accounts to give people the right perception of you. Online reputation monitoring will also help you to separate your profile from those of others who share your name.
- Search For Red Flags
Though it’s vital to create a positive online reputation, it’s very essential to clean up bad stuff. Most employers are on a witch-hunting mission and may be looking for reasons to dismiss your application. Identifying red flags and cleaning them up can help you prevent them from getting such information.
Some red flags that you need to look out for include strong opinions, inappropriate language, complaints from former employers, spelling and grammatical mistakes, embarrassing photos, legal challenges, inconsistencies between your online presence and resume, and immature posts. The best you can do with such information is to delete or bury them.
- Check Your Privacy
Most accounts on the internet have privacy settings that can enable you to choose who can view your information. Ensure that your photos are only visible to your friends. You can even put them into different categories, depending on how close they are to you. But even as you do this, remember that everything that you share with another person can easily become public.
- Use A Real Online Profile
Some people who search for the query ‘why is your reputation important?’ do so because they have pseudo accounts. However, the best way to build a strong online reputation is to be active and real. Fill out any online information and social profiles using your real name and legit information. A professional headshot that shows your actual face can also help in boosting your reputation.
- Act professionally
You should show anyone who tries to search for your online information that you’re a mature and intelligent individual. You can do this by using appropriate language, respecting other people’s opinions, and shunning arguments.
Wrapping Up
Your reputation can determine whether you’ll get employed or not. It can also affect the relationship that you form with other people. Cleaning your online reputation can help you to show a positive image to people searching for your name.
