Digital Footprint Can Hurt Jon Hunt
Online presence Can Cause Career Headaches
If you think your friends are the only people who can view those less-than-professional vacation photos you posted, think again. With a few mouse clicks, potential employers can dig up information about you on blogs, personal websites and networking site profiles.
"People don't realize that what they post [online] is available for anyone to view; sometimes things they don't want others to see especially hiring managers," said Igor Abramovitch, branch manager for the North York operations of Robert Half Technology. "The Internet is a tool that people use for their personal and professional life and with the emergence of Web 2.0 and social networking, if people want to know about a person, it is instant with the web."
He added that the Internet is becoming a more and more common tool used by HR departments to look up any information on a candidate that might be of concern. "Hiring managers are more cautious; they don't want to make a mistake of a wrong hire," explained Abramovitch. "With the Internet, hiring managers expect candidates to … have a large digital footprint than someone who does not."
Mistaken Identity
But what if someone, who shares your same name, posted some unsavory things, what do you do? Abramovitch said that you can't prevent that from happening but you should be prepared to talk about it in an interview if it should come up. As well, he recommended that if you wanted to post those fun yet unprofessional vacation photos to share with friends on Facebook then utilize the privacy settings so only select groups can view it and not the entire World Wide Web.
If someone is worried that this web detective work might be an invasion of one's privacy, Abramovitch doesn't believe that since anything posted on the Internet is public.
Cleaning Up Your Digital Footprint
If people are worried about their digital footprint, Abramovitch recommended that it is good practice to stack your online presence in your favour. He cited going to your profession's association website or a professional blog to post comments on career-related topics and don't comment on someone's personal blog. "Layoff personal postings and concentrate on the professional that represent you well on the job hunt," advised Abramovitch. "Put information out there on a professional subject that might get picked up in a name search."
He added that your digital footprint is all about how you want to be perceived, which is why he stressed the importance of being active in any web presence of your profession.
Be careful what you post online
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