‘Egosurfing’ is part of smart job hunting

Although some may dub it 'egosurfing', others might call it a wise career move to conduct a web search to see what information about you is available online. After all, what is visible to you also is visible to potential employers.

In a recent survey developed by global recruitment specialists Robert Half International, 69% of workers interviewed said they have entered their name in one or more search engines to see what results were displayed.

Robert Half general manager Megan Alexander says while all professionals should protect their reputation by monitoring their online presence, this is especially critical for job seekers.

"Many employers now routinely perform internet searches to quickly learn about applicants' interests, experience and industry involvement."

Alexander says job seekers need to pay attention to what they share online including contributed content, article comments and photos, taking steps to ensure the image they project is professional.

Robert Half offers the following five tips for making your online footprint work for you:

1. Know what's out there. Set alerts using Google or other tracking services to receive a notification each time something new is said about you, and delete any content that could be seen as unprofessional or controversial. If you find unflattering material you cannot remove, be prepared to explain if a hiring manager asks about it.

2. Take advantage of privacy settings. If you belong to social networking sites or have a personal blog, adjust your privacy settings so you control who has access.

3. Contribute to the conversation. As appropriate, comment on articles of interest to you and your field, and consider writing columns for industry organisations.

4. Exercise discretion. Be aware that whatever you post may be seen by potential employers, and give careful consideration to how statements you make may be interpreted. While you want to show you have a well-informed opinion, keep your comments constructive and avoid disparaging others.

5. Keep your profiles current. Make sure your professional profiles on sites such as LinkedIn and Google are up-to-date and highlight your experience.

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name:
Your email:	Not displayed to the public
Comment:
Comments to NetProphet go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved.

Anti-spam verification:

Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Email Updates Sign up now

RSS Feeds View the list

Twitter Read our tweets