HOW TO MANAGE YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION!

This article regarding online reputation was originally posted by BestColleges.com.  We, at Metaverse Mod Squad, believe in the importance of building a personal brand and reputation — knowing how you are perceived online is so vital to success, both personally and professionally.  We hope you enjoy this brief synopsis of their great post.  The original post (linked above) goes IN DEPTH with recommendations, tips, sites, and detailed steps in fixing/building your digital reputation.  For more articles like this, please visit BestColleges.com!
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Most of us treat our Facebook and Twitter accounts as purely social outlets. We update statuses and photos casually; we don’t expect our friends or followers to scrutinize what we share. And unless we post something truly heinous or incriminating, we don’t worry that our profiles could seriously limit our educational or professional prospects.

As it turns out, we should be somewhat worried. Checking up on applicants’ social media profiles is becoming routine for many employers and admissions offices around the country. Recruiters say social media helps them gain a more comprehensive picture of a candidate than a resume and cover letter alone provide. By looking at these profiles, recruiters can evaluate how you present yourself, your interests and your habits. And depending on what they find, an applicant’s web presence can make or break an offer. This is especially true for students or recent graduates who don’t have much in the way of job history to recommend them.

There’s nothing wrong with using social platforms for fun — that’s what they’re for. Don’t run off and remove every cat gif from your Tumblr or account, no employer expects or wants that. But a little awareness will go a long way. This is our guide to taking control of your online reputation:

WHY IT MATTERS: WHO’S LOOKING?

Kaplan Test Prep surveys 500 academic institutions each year, and their most recent report should give you pause before you upload photos from last night’s party. Here are some highlights from admissions officers:

• 27% use Google+ to learn more about prospective students
• 26% use Facebook to learn more about prospective students
• 35% found information on Google+ or Facebook that negatively impacted prospective students’ applications

These percentages are rising every year, especially as academic institutions strive to connect with students through viral social media marketing campaigns. It is likely that admissions officers are scrolling through your post history; are you putting your best foot forward?

Employers place an even greater emphasis on social media reputation. Cross-Tab, a marketing research firm, reveals a few eye-opening trends regarding your newsfeed and your hireability. Here’s what the data shows:

• 70% of recruiters denied candidates due to information found online
• 75% of companies have hiring policies that encourage recruiters to examine an applicant’s online reputation
• 84% of recruiters think that online reputations will impact future hiring procedures all or most of the time during the next five years

Unfortunately, very few applicants take their social media seriously – in fact only 7% of applicants in the U.S. think that their online reputation factors into their rejections at all. Don’t make the mistake of putting inappropriate content out there for HR professionals and recruiters to see. The following sections will guide you through the process of managing your digital reputation in a positive way, so that you can maximize the odds of getting into the college or career of your choice.

1. EVALUATE YOUR REPUTATION

Put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter. Consider what you’ll discover about applicants through everyday search engines, background checkers, family history websites, social networks, and cached data. Digital interactions often leave behind footprints. What will yours look like?

For more on reputation evaluation, click here.

 

2. RECOVERING YOUR REPUTATION

Once you’ve identified problematic content associated with your identity online, you’ll need to take steps to remove or hide it. However, this can be trickier than it sounds, especially if the content has been posted by another person, archived on a website, or stored in an account you can no longer access.

For more stats, tips, and information on recovering your reputation, click here.

 

3. REPUTATION MANAGEMENT THROUGHOUT COLLEGE

Be very deliberate with the information you post online, and make sure that it doesn’t tarnish other people’s reputations either!

For more on managing your reputation through college, click here.

 

4. LEVERAGING YOUR REPUTATION DURING THE JOB HUNT

Now that you have your online reputation cleaned up, you can actively use your digital presence as a way to connect with recruiters, provide supplemental material to your resume, and increase your professional resources.

For more on leveraging your reputation during the job hunt, click here.

For additional sites and great resources, please visit the original article by our friends at BestColleges.com (link takes you directly to the article)!