Your Online Reputation Is More Important Than You Think
If you are a relatively good person and are finding it impossible to get a job -- or a date -- you may want to Google yourself.
Approximately 70-percent of employers look up job applicants online. 50-percent admit information they have dug up on the Internet has resulted in them not hiring a person. The threat to your reputation and livelihood is real. Luckily, there are steps you can take to ensure that people find more good then bad when they type in your name.
Michael Fertik, of ReputationDefender.com, has some suggestions.
If you're looking for a good place to start, removing Halloween pictures is always a safe bet. [From: CBSNews]
1. Don't let anyone else set up your online reputation. Create a positive profile on Facebook, etc. He stresses that you "write your own history."
2. If you find something unflattering online, contact the person responsible and ask them to change it or take it down. Ask nicely at first, then think about talking to a lawyer. The difficulty here is that the law is still behind when it comes to privacy and the Web, so you may be out of luck.
3. Monitor the Web for new information about yourself. Check frequently and deal with problems in a time efficient manner. The longer something stays, the more it spreads.
2. If you find something unflattering online, contact the person responsible and ask them to change it or take it down. Ask nicely at first, then think about talking to a lawyer. The difficulty here is that the law is still behind when it comes to privacy and the Web, so you may be out of luck.
3. Monitor the Web for new information about yourself. Check frequently and deal with problems in a time efficient manner. The longer something stays, the more it spreads.
If you're looking for a good place to start, removing Halloween pictures is always a safe bet. [From: CBSNews]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Hello Bob said 6:28PM on 1-12-2009
When I Google myself I get information on Tabitha from Bewitched. We have the same name and she's certainly more famous.
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Gazza said 8:20PM on 1-12-2009
I still don't get why people want to pour their life onto the net in front of everyone. 'Oh it's a great way to keep in touch.' Have you heard of email? Is the iPhone dead already? Hooking up with someone you were in grade 3 with 20 years ago... they are not your friend. Facebook is turning people into numbers, products, it's taking the 'human' out of what it means to be human. I fear a future where we have babies at home with the help of a robot. we plonk the child in fron of the TV until they are 7, then they get a social networking account. Our nanobots keep us in clothes and food and we never leave the house. how many real friends will we have then.
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Gazza said 4:43AM on 1-14-2009
I still don't get why people want to pour their life onto the net in front of everyone. 'Oh it's a great way to keep in touch.' Have you heard of email? Is the iPhone dead already? Hooking up with someone you were in grade 3 with 20 years ago... they are not your friend. Facebook is turning people into numbers, products, it's taking the 'human' out of what it means to be human. I fear a future where we have babies at home with the help of a robot. we plonk the child in fron of the TV until they are 7, then they get a social networking account. Our nanobots keep us in clothes and food and we never leave the house. how many real friends will we have then.
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Benjamin Wright said 8:45PM on 1-12-2009
To legally prevent an employer from using info from a social networking site, one might post terms of use that forbid such use. -Ben [The idea is not legal advice, but it is something to think about.]
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Udi Drezner said 11:02AM on 1-19-2009
I also recommend creating a profile on LookupPage which aims on getting your profile on Google when someone searches your name - even if it's a popular name. Check it out if you like :-)
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