Reputation Management for Students
Have you Googled yourself lately? If not, maybe you should because you just never know what you will find. And if you don’t know what you will find, just imagine what others will see.
It’s easy to get caught up on Facebook, Instagram, twitter, and other social media platforms where your pictures can go up whether it’s you that’s posting them or your friend. Pictures from your trip to Cancun are great but maybe leave the ones where your pants are off and you’re jumping into the pool in your private folder on your computer. Why? Because you never know who’s Googling you. In fact, I can be Google searching you as you read this.
Companies are going beyond your resume
Companies today don’t go by just what they see on your resume. With the vast amount of social media platforms that include sites such at Facebook and blogging sites, companies want to see what you’re all about outside of the office. Chances are if you have half naked photos thrown across the Internet and you’re continuously writing blogs bashing brands and cursing like a sailor, you won’t be on the list of top 10 candidates. Remember, this is your personal brand you are posting; if it’s not something you want your parents to see, chances are it shouldn’t be up there.
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” - Warren Buffett
It is difficult, yes. You want to post pictures of parties and vacations and that crazy weekend in Vegas, but it is increasingly difficult to stay private with everything being so easily accessible. Not only do you have to be careful with what you post but you also have to monitor what other’s post of you. Something from a picture to a written sentence or two can lead others to think you are incapable of representing their company well.
There are also a variety of different ways companies can now search you and Google makes it that much easier. By simply searching your name, every published post about you will pop up. But wait, this can also work to your advantage. Have a blog that you are proud of and that include some great posts about your field and how much you enjoy it? That’s something a company would enjoy reading. You can also use this opportunity to use social media platforms to build your profile by monitoring what you post along with what other people post of you, and to also post about things that are professional and relevant to the field you want to work in.
Some tips from the professionals
Mashable posted a great article on the do’s and don’t of building an online reputation. Some of the great tips include the following:
Don’t let someone else create your rep; create your own digital strategy
Get online and establish a strong and positive presence
Google your name frequently and take note of where you appear online
Also check any online aliases, as these may be tracked back to you in the future
Check FB, Twitter, and other sites to be sure you catch everything being said about you
Ensure there is more good than bad
Post your own information on a regular basis
Use SEO to ensure your preferred articles are in the top results of your name
Make sure your own accounts are secure so no hacker will use them to post unpleasant things
Don’t reveal full birth dates, addresses, or other person information
Educate your family and friends
Monitor postings and tags of your image on social media; use image search
Ask others to remove photos or unflattering mentions of you from social sites
http://mashable.com/2011/11/02/protecting-your-online-reputation/
Your online reputation should have the same warning your parents gave you while growing up: be smart, observe your surroundings, and don’t do anything stupid! Be smart and conscious about what you are posting and build a reputation you will be proud of showing off. So go ahead, Google yourself and see what you find.
“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” - Jeff Bezos
