16 Mar Polish Up Your Online Presence!

Did you know that employers are increasingly using the Internet to uncover personal information about candidates when making recruitment decisions? In fact, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey of 1,150 hiring managers last year, one in four said they use Internet search engines to research potential employees. One in ten said they also use social networking sites to screen candidates.

Given that, how much do you know about your (or your children’s) online presence?

Job seekers who use MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn or Classmates need to update their pages to reflect a professional job search image. (This is true for summer, internship and full-time positions.) Do you or your children have any information on a social networking site that might put off a potential employer? If so, then it needs to be removed.

The good news is these sites can be used to your advantage during a job search. If recruiters are going to use the Internet for background checks, then have them find information about you that bolsters your application. Your site should reflect career goals, specialized skills, GPA, honor roll or dean’s list recognition, volunteer activities, leadership positions, internship and work experience. Consider highlighting information not otherwise revealed on your resume or application.

So, how do you run a search to see what a recruiter would uncover about you? Try the following:

• Search your name, with and without quotes around it, on Spock.com, Google, Yahoo and MSN as it appears on your resume.
• Try the same search with your name and city.
• Try the same searches on MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn or Classmates.

These days an online profile can be a helpful factor during a job hunt, however be sure you and your children never publish photos or write anything on a blog or networking site that projects an image other than a professional one.
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