Take Control Of Your Web Presence
We’ve discussed in the past how your web presence will play a role in a background check. Good, bad or otherwise if you want to be the master of your web presence then these are ways to take control.
Join Linkedin
Linkedin is your digital resume. After you join it is typically the easiest thing to find when you search your name. Employers are going to be looking for the easy stuff if they do a quick Google search of your name. May as well make it easy for a potential employer to find stuff you are in direct control of.
Create a Digital Career Portfolio
A resume is somewhat limiting. The amount of time and energy invested into a looking for a job is astounding. Go the extra step and create a whole digital portfolio instead of being limited by a strictly text resume ala Linkedin. A website doesn’t need to be high end and flashy it can be whatever you feel reflects you. Start out with a free blog or even a free Google Site. If you have the connection have one of your freelance website buddies to make you a website. It doesn’t even cost $20 for a web domain name. This digital portfolio can be your way to showcase all of your achievements which may or may not translate well on Linkedin.
The best part of a personal portfolio website is you can run analytical software such as Google Analytics. You can monitor who is searching for you. This may not help you land a job but you can at least have the peace of mind of knowing that companies are searching for you.
Scribd
If you run your own blog or purchase a website you would be well suited to start a free Scribd membership. You can embed your own presentation materials directly on your blog or web pages. It is another account that is being indexed by Google to elevate your status on the internet and positively with potential employers.
What does you Facebook account say about you? Depending on your settings and what you currently have on Facebook you need to do a couple of things. Make a proactive approach to your Facebook account and have it respectable with no damning evidence or pictures. Otherwise you make you account unsearchable ie non public profile.
Having a Twitter account with your name in it would also rank in the top Google rank. Google is actively searching Twitter posts too. So if you have your name as your Twitter account profile if you keep it professional you will look great in the eyes of potential employers. If you are looking for a marketing job, you can gain an audience by following top advertising firms, commenting on cool advertising campaigns you’ve spotted and even helped to create.
Google +
By now everyone has at least heard of this. Its still in the early stages buts its Google’s middle finger to Facebook. With that being said the same actions/precautions should be used with this as Facebook. As a personal opinion even more so. Google will probably cache everything that touches their social network so there is little way to get rid of past transgressions or mistakes.
Summary
By no means are these the only ways to get out there and be visible to the internet. The above ideas are among the best and importantly all can be accomplished with just sweat equity, no need to spend a penny.