Any online information about you can improve or ruin your professional image. Your social networking accounts should be managed properly if you want to maintain a good reputation. Here are some online mistakes you must avoid:
Failing to research – Use your name in a Google search. It’s important to check the results displayed on the first page. Are there people with the same name as you? If there are and their reputation is far from ideal, that could spell trouble. Potential employers may think that the other person is you and wrongfully turn you down. Are there embarrassing pictures of you from your accounts or from your friends?
Not doing anything – You have to act if you want to clean up your digital profile. Start using the privacy settings, so you can control what people can skim through your accounts. Untag yourself from your friends’ photos that you don’t want potential employers to stumble upon.
Not taking the initiative – You can’t ask people with the same name to improve their digital image so your reputation won’t be ruined. However, you can still take the initiative to differentiate yourself from them. Try to contributing guest posts to different industry blogs or forums relevant to the career you’re pursuing. In your posts, try to use industry-relevant terminologies and keywords so your name will be associated with the career you want. This way, employers will have better chances of spotting your true profile than some other profile.
Being tactless – You can unwittingly damage your online reputation by being tactless and indiscreet. Sure, calling your friends names on Facebook may seem like harmless fun among your group. However, some employers may misinterpret your comments and take them the wrong way. Be sure to think first before posting anything. Anything you write can have serious consequences.
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