Google Me!

Online Reputation Management and Networking in the Facebook Age

And you might have checked out:

Almost anything you put online can be searched

Now you have a Permanent Record!

Did you know that….According to a survey conducted by the Society

for Human Resources Management (SHRM)*

50 percent of employers use the Internet to review information you supply.

20 percent research candidates on social networking sites.

20 percent have disqualified candidates base on information they found.

5 Steps to Cultivating your Online Portfolio and Network

Step 1: Search Yourself

Perform search for your name

Check links—are they yours or someone else’s?

Consider a name that’s all yours.

Step 2: Update and Fix

Decide if you want to use a profile for professional networking—or not.

Update any existing profiles with current information.

Remove the stuff you wouldn’t want Mom to see.

Reconfigure search and security settings.

Professional….

…and not so professional…

Step 3: Establish a good foundation

Construct a profile. Have someone look it

over. What kind of

professionals live there?

Find social networks or websites specifically for your profession.

Step 4: Grow your connections

Find and add employers, co-workers, professors, and classmates to your network.

Get positive endorsements.

Add to your profile by joining groups, answering questions, etc.

Feel free to refuse invites from people you don’t know

Step 5: Cultivate your Network F2F

Get business cards and use them.

When meeting people, “pitch” and *listen*.

Send email after a meeting.

Invite new contacts to your network.

Think Twice Before Posting highly personal information online—it

may come up in search. A potential employer or third-party searcher might find it.

Linking your blog, Flickr stream, Tweets, or other personal info to your professional profile. Keep pseudonyms private.

Accepting invitations to “friend” or “connect” from people you do not know.

Happy Networking!

Credits

*Ho, Mike: ”Should you research job candidates at social networking sites?” in IT Manager’s Journal, November 9, 2007

All Photos courtesy of iStockPhoto http://istockphoto.com