Most of us treat our Facebook and Twitter accounts purely as social outlets. We update statuses and photos casually; and, we don’t expect our friends or followers to scrutinize what we share. In fact, unless we post something truly heinous or incriminating, we don’t worry that our profiles could seriously limit our educational or professional prospects.
As it turns out, however, those of us seeking to enter college and/or the job market should be somewhat worried. Checking up on and applicants’ social media profiles is becoming routine for many employers and admissions offices around the country. Recruiters are now saying that social media profiles help them gain a more comprehensive picture of a candidate than a resume and cover letter alone can provide. By looking at a candidate's social media profiles, recruiters can evaluate how you, as the candidate, present yourself, what your interests are, and your habits over time. Depending upon what they find, an applicant’s web presence can make or break an offer. This is especially true for students or recent graduates who don’t have much in the way of job history to recommend them.
There’s nothing wrong with using social platforms for fun...that’s what they’re there for. So, don’t run off and remove every photo from your Tumblr account, as no employer expects or wants that. But a little awareness on your part will definitely go a long way.
Us this article as your guide to taking control of your online reputation before applying for college and/or entering the job market!
Us this article as your guide to taking control of your online reputation before applying for college and/or entering the job market!
Why It Matters: Who’s Looking?
Kaplan Test Prep surveys 500 academic institutions each year; and, their most recent report should give you pause before you upload photos from last night’s party, pleas to your ex-girlfriend to give you one more change, or any dirty laundry.
- 27% use Google+ to learn more about prospective students
- 26% use Facebook to learn more about prospective students
- 35% found information on Google+ or Facebook that negatively impacted prospective students’ applications
The percentages listed above are rising each year, especially as academic institutions strive to connect with students through viral social media marketing campaigns. It is likely that admissions officers are scrolling through your post history; so, make sure you are putting your best foot forward with your social media presence.
Employers place an even greater emphasis on social media reputation. Cross-Tab, a marketing research firm, reveals a few eye-opening trends regarding your newsfeed and your hireability.
- 70% of recruiters denied employment candidates due to information found online
- 75% of companies have hiring policies that encourage recruiters to examine an applicant’s online reputation
- 84% of recruiters think that online reputations will impact future hiring procedures all or most of the time during the next five years
Unfortunately, very few applicants take their social media seriously enough. In fact, only 7% of applicants in the U.S. think that their online reputations factor into their rejections at all. Don’t make the mistake of putting inappropriate content out there for HR professionals, recruiters, and university admissions departments to see.
The following sections will guide you through the process of managing your digital reputation in a positive way. These tips will help you maximize the odds of getting into the college or career of your choice.
The following sections will guide you through the process of managing your digital reputation in a positive way. These tips will help you maximize the odds of getting into the college or career of your choice.
Recovering Your Online Reputation
Once you’ve identified problematic content that may be associated with your identity online, you’ll need to take steps to remove or hide any negative information. This, however, can be trickier than it sounds, especially if the content has been posted by another person, archived on a website, or stored in an account you can no longer access. Here are a few strategies that can help you work around common reputation roadblocks.
SOCIAL MEDIA PROBLEMS
- Other people’s content: If you’re tagged in another person’s photo, post, or comment, it might not be easy to remove your association with the content. Facebook has an entire video dedicated to removing tags and reporting inappropriate photos. Ultimately, you might need to contact the person who uploaded it originally and request that they remove it.
- Delayed deletion: Some content, such as tweets, don’t always disappear immediately after they are deleted. Twitter explains that posts occasionally remain in search records for a period of time after deletion. This can lead to awkward situations, especially if you want to remove questionable material right away. Before you post anything that is potentially embarrassing or inappropriate, make sure to consider this lag.
SEARCH PROBLEMS
- Distinguishing Yourself: If you have a common name, it can be difficult for you to set yourself apart from others who share your name. The tech news website, Lifehacker, encourages young professionals to purchase a custom domain that contains your first and last name. These URLs can help guide school admissions officers and recruiters directly to your web presence.
- Remove Search Listings: Google has a list of steps to take if you wish to remove personal information from search listings. The ideal method is to remove the content directly at its source, which might require that you contact a site’s webmaster.
WEBSITE PROBLEMS
- Forgetting Logins: You might come across inappropriate material on an old website profile, however you won’t be able to delete it if you can’t remember the username and password. First, attempt to reset your password. Next, contact a website administrator to see if they can remove the content for you.
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES
- Google Alerts: You can actually customize Google search settings so that you receive an email alert every time a search listing with your name is added. That way, you don’t have to search for yourself periodically to keep track of your reputation – Google does all the work for you. Just visit the Google Alerts website, type your name into the “Search Query” box, and customize the parameters. Select your email in the “Deliver to” box and click “Create alert.”
PRIVACY SETTINGS
- Facebook: Click on the “Privacy” icon from your home page. From here, you’ll be able to customize who can see your posts and limit how people search for your profile. Privacy settings can prevent recruiters or admissions officers from finding your profile at all, or it can only allow them to see certain posts. You can also elect to review all content you’re tagged in, so that guests at parties can’t post images of you chugging beers without permission.
- Twitter: It’s all or nothing with Twitter: you can either post “Protected” or public tweets. Protected tweets are only visible to approved followers.
- Blogs: Various blog platforms, including Tumblr, give users the option to make blog updates private or even password protect an entire blog. Make sure to explore these settings before your start publishing blog articles.
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