This article is contributed by a CareerAddict content partner.
Job-hunting? You’ve probably already revised your résumé, customized your cover letter, figured out good answers to standard interview questions, and thought you were all set. But before you finish your application, you might want to pause and think about what most applicants neglect: checking what the internet says about you.
Nowadays, it’s become the norm for employers to check a candidate’s online footprint. A quick Google search might unveil your LinkedIn profile, personal websites, old tweets, your blog comments, photographs, forum activities and even content that you've posted or uploaded many years back. Even though they’re mostly not connected to your qualifications, they can still affect a recruiter's initial impression of you before you even get the opportunity to introduce yourself.
Your digital footprint is like your non-official digital résumé; an essential part of your professional image. Whether you like it or not, it can give away information about your communication style, your values and more importantly, if you take your career seriously. As such, it’s not just a matter of cyber hygiene to conduct a digital footprint audit before looking for another job. It's a smart career move that you’ll certainly be thankful for down the road.
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Why your online presence matters more than ever
The way hiring is done has changed drastically in the last ten years. Besides the screening process for résumés and interviews, which remain standard in candidate assessment, recruiters now also do a considerable amount of pre-employment screening. Not only do they verify documents, but they also collect further insights on the candidate before concluding their decision to hire. With the popularity of online profiles in both professional and social media spaces, the majority of information can now be found on the web, so many employers simply conduct informal searches as a form of their pre-screening process.
A job search shouldn't be just about making a visually appealing CV and preparing your interview responses. It’s equally important to have a positive digital footprint. Recruiters don't just look for evidence that you may be unfit. Most often, they aim to get a whole picture of the person behind the name and phone number provided in a CV.
It’s never a good idea to just let your online presence speak for itself without your hand in it. Imagine two candidates applying for the same position. Candidate one is active on LinkedIn and engages in industry conversations while also regularly posting content about his profession in general, whereas the second candidate seems to have stopped updating his publicly visible profile five years ago. Considering their credentials on paper are on the same level, who do you think is more likely to get the recruiter’s nod?
First impressions have always been important in job applications. The only difference is now, recruiters mostly make that first impression through digital platforms, not in-person, since a significant chunk of the modern job application process is done online.
What constitutes your online identity
People tend to think of their online identity through the lens of their Facebook or Twitter accounts, but that's only a part of the story. Any other online activity like posts on forums, webpages that have been archived, and the like can play a role in building a person's digital identity over time.
The biggest reason the Internet is such an effective platform is its incredible ability to remember. One solution to maintaining control over what others see of your life online is regularly reviewing your different accounts as well as getting familiar with online safety resources. It's easy to think your online activities from ten years ago are all in the past, but the reality is they’re still out there and can be dug up easily by anyone interested and has the time.
On a positive note, it's a fact that most employers aren't out to catch people’s lies over the Internet. Their goal is mainly to find a good match, which means that as soon as they’re convinced that you’ve got great potential for the job role, they aren’t likely to care too much if you’ve got a habit of posting silly memes.
You don't have to erase the past to change the future
A digital footprint audit is not merely the process of getting rid of your embarrassing content on the web. It's a step towards figuring out the types of content available publicly and checking whether they represent who you are now and whether they can support or hinder your immediate goals as a job seeker.
You can begin by typing your name in the search engines and see what comes up. You may find some old profiles you don't even remember about, forgotten blog posts or articles, or cached pages that you thought were deleted, but are still accessible.
If you have a LinkedIn profile, check your privacy settings and make sure you’re only visible to your preferred audience. Do the same with other platforms you use. Also, to help strengthen your personal brand, your LinkedIn profile’s content should support what you’ve listed on your résumé, portfolio, and other professional documents. It would help if your professional online profiles convey a common story, since recruiters are likely to review them at some point during the hiring process. If they’re contrasting, the inconsistencies may leave the hiring officer with doubts about your qualifications.
The point is not to erase your digital history, but to make your presence on the web speak of the type of skills you have, your professionalism, and your career goals.
Creating a positive digital reputation
Once you have revisited your profiles and made adjustments, it’s time to build something constructive, and perhaps even influential.
During interviews, recruiters will want to look beyond your qualifications. They’ll also want to determine your personality, which is a major factor in both role and cultural fit. Referencing your professional online activities, you could talk about a discussion you had on LinkedIn about a topic relevant to your industry, relevant articles you’ve published on your profiles, events you attended and highlighted, or projects that showcase the skills that may support your target role. Professionals who engage in meaningful online networking activities are likely to enhance their visibility and, at the same time, boost their credibility during the employment process.
Eventually, your positive content will build up and slowly become part of your current digital brand, which could also help improve search engine results on your name once they can reveal a better story of who you are now instead of who you were many years ago.
In addition, you can learn how personal information gets collected and exposed online. As a job seeker, this will help you make more educated decisions, particularly when it comes to the type of information you allow potential employers to access. You can also look for cybersecurity resources online. There are websites like Cybernews, where you can get tips about data protection and privacy, so you can be better prepared when it comes to safeguarding your digital data before you even submit your documents to recruiters.
Minor issues that could affect your results
Generally, interviewers don’t judge candidates based on just a single post or photo. Their goal is to learn more about the nature of the candidate by observing a series of posts that may reflect professional characteristics. Typical blunders are the following:
- Professional development is not reflected well when the applicant's profiles are outdated and lack activity.
- Varying professional information across your résumé, LinkedIn profile, and other professional media.
- Deleting old content, while the info might still be cached or just archived but still accessible online.
Your digital footprint doesn’t have to be perfect. Simply keep an accurate, authentic, and up-to-date account of your skills and work background online.
Your digital footprint doesn’t end when you start working
These days, if you want to know more about someone, it’s very common to look up their name on the internet. It's the same for recruiters. Before an official interview, they’ll likely do some research on the internet to get a better idea about your background.
Even after you land the job, try to make it a point to periodically review your publicly available profiles while also updating any details that have changed. Small, regular updates will help you save time in the long run, and it also means you never have to worry about being unprepared for sudden or unexpected online background checks, especially when you’re eyeing a promotion — because you’re always ready.
The most important advantage
Most job seekers spend countless hours editing their résumé, since it’s a key document during applications. Yet, few will find the time to just check what the Internet says about them if someone does a quick Google search of their name.
But in the same way that a well-written résumé alone cannot guarantee a job offer, a carefully curated digital presence isn’t a ticket to an interview. Its primary benefit, however, is that it removes the possibility of you being judged based on your irrelevant content, and instead support the professional image you’re trying to put forward. When the hiring team sees that your information online is consistent, professional, and relevant to your target role, it’ll help them determine your fit faster, all based on your skills, experience, and potential without being distracted by unnecessary details.
Controlling your online image will give you the upper hand in a tight job market where your online presence could be the deciding factor when there’s close competition. It's also one of the most affordable investments you can make if you’re looking for a change in your career and want to maintain a professional image that can open doors to better opportunities.
Final thoughts
In preparation for a job interview, you need to do a lot more than just tailoring your résumé. Adopting modern job search strategies to get a leg up also means ensuring your digital footprint will match the quality of your application documents. Your online presence, forgotten but publicly accessible social media content, and search results aren’t just the first things a potential employer may see after quick research; they’ll also influence a recruiter’s general perception of you, even before they meet you.
Remember, a digital footprint audit isn’t for hiding your unwanted past. It’s to help you present an image of an ideal professional to your potential employer. A strong and smart management of your digital reputation is one of the easiest yet effective ways to create a good first impression in the digital world of job hunting.