Maintain your online reputation with these tips

The Internet is always on. This constant access to the World Wide Web can be extremely helpful and useful.  However, it can also work against you if you don’t know how to manage your digital footprint.

Your digital footprint is a record that keeps track of everything you do across your devices. This includes your social media activity, browsing history, or any photos uploaded that feature your name or likeness.

Have you been maintaining your digital footprint? If not, you should start now, because it can play a part in your public perception with employers.

Turn on Privacy Settings

Whether it’s your personal Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, keeping your profiles on a tight leash can, often times, be the safest bet.

Take the time to explore different ways in which you can manage the audiences for the posts that you share. A photo that is intended to share among your social circle may not be appropriate in a professional setting. Often, social media networks make it very simple to secure your account with minimal steps.

Think Before You Post

Face it, the Internet isn’t going away anytime soon, which means neither are any of the posts you choose to share on various platforms. Before writing your next post, take a moment to think about the perspectives of who will be reading it. A single message or image can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, and in extreme cases, can be shared quickly among networks if audiences take offense. By being patient and thinking before your next post, you show your social circle (and employers) that you have good judgment skills.

Google yourself

Part of controlling your online image is understanding what others see when they search your name online. Every few months, take a moment to search what comes up when you type your full name in a search engine like Google or Bing.

If an undesirable post or image comes up, you can attempt to have it taken down. For example, if an old image that a friend tagged you in surfaces on the first page of Google, you can simply remove the tag and it won’t reappear. If someone else “owns” the content or image on their own website or profile, you can contact the owner and ask to have it removed.

Your online reputation is important as a student and future job candidate. With so much information available on the Internet, you don’t want to miss out on a job opportunity because of a poor digital footprint.

Visit our website at PorterChester.edu to chat with one of our Career Services Advisors for other ways to make yourself the ideal candidate for the job you want after graduation.