Without getting too technical, I will discuss briefly some of the main themes or ideas that most writers across the web have put forth, in giving us a clue as to how to create authentic online profiles that can impact our professional lives.
1. KnowGoogle thyself
The first is to do an online search of oneself. The age-old adage of self-awareness being the beginning of wisdom certainly does extend to our digital age. According to ExecuNet, 77% of recruiters used search engines to find background data on candidates. (Cooper, 2011). Doing an online search of oneself helps one to get a snapshot of any positive or negative impressions of oneself that one can find online.
The benefits of knowing this are two-fold. One, the candidate does not have to be caught by surprise should employers bring to light some of the candidate’s past activities found online (eg. past remarks made). Part of being authentic is to also be aware of who one was in the past, and who one is now, and thus be able provide accountability to employers. (Henry, 2012)
2. Enhance strengths, mitigate weaknesses
Being aware of any possible junk tied to one’s profile, the candidate can now decide how to present a better impression of oneself. This is where the second benefit lies. The candidate should remove past traces of oneself that can potentially ruin the candidate’s reputation. For instance, inappropriate photos or remarks made on social networking sites deserve to be cleaned up. On the other hand, the candidate should start enhancing his online presence in more positive ways. For instance, creating a LinkedIn profile to network with potential employers online, or making use of blogs to showcase one’s portfolio are just some of the ways.
3. Honesty is the best policy
In light of how to create an authentic profile, I believe the principle of honesty applies across every medium. If employees and even senior management can face harsh consequences for lying in their resumes, the same caution should be taken in online profiles (Pepitone, 2012). A LinkedIn profile for instance, is almost an extension of one’s résumé, albeit being in the form of an online profile. One should not risk tarnishing one’s credibility or reputation by putting up false information online.
Additional tips on how to manage your professional and personal profiles on LinkedIn and Facebook respectively: http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/04/12/sociability-how-recruiters-use-social-media-check-applicants-and-tips-linkedin-and
References
Pepitone, J. (2012). Yahoo confirms CEO is out after resume scandal. [online] Available at: http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/13/technology/yahoo-ceo-out/ [Accessed 3 Dec. 2014].
Henry, A. (2012). How to Clean Up Your Online Presence and Make a Great First Impression. [online] Lifehacker. Available at: http://lifehacker.com/5963864/how-to-clean-up-your-online-presence-and-make-a-great-first-impression [Accessed 3 Dec. 2014].
Cooper, C. (2011). You’ve been Googled: what employers don’t want to see in your online profile. [online] Available at: http://careers.theguardian.com/careers-blog/google-online-searches?intcmp=239 [Accessed 3 Dec. 2014].
Wings.Like.Eagles 
Hello Simon! Thanks for sharing the three ideas of how to create an authentic online profile. Your post is really interesting, especially when ‘SWOT’ analysis is taken into consideration.
You mentioned that candidate should remove past traces that will ruin their reputation so I would like to take this discussion further by raising a question. Past traces can be removed easily with a touch of a finger. However, as we discussed previously, no digital footprints can be removed completely. Instead of trying hard to remove/cover up their past, how do you think candidates can in turn impress employers when their names are being searched online?
I agree ‘Honesty is the best policy’. However, if a job seeker has a criminal history, what do you think he/she should do? For example, if one had drug issues, how do you think he/she could turn the tables around when looking for a job?
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Hi Xiuzhen, thanks for your comments. They are good questions. I would like to link your first question back to my first point about knowing(googling) thyself. If the candidate has a good idea of his past digital traces, the best thing he could do is to come prepared with answers should he be probed about his past online activity. The idea is similar to answering the typical interview question where candidates are asked to share about their past mistakes or failures; rather than avoid the question the candidate should acknowledge it and provide assurance to his prospective employers as to how he overcame the mistake or what he had learn.
Your second question about criminal history is a tricky one. I personally do not think that he has to reveal such information online. It is like making a first impression. One does not have to tell one’s entire life-story to acquaintances he meets, likewise online. Such information has to be disclosed to employers anyway when candidates fill up job application forms, hence there will be an appropriate medium for disclosing such personal information.
However, the candidate can use his criminal history to his advantage. For example, if he had made a tremendous turn-around and is now making steady progress, his life-story can become a personal inspiration for others to see. If such is the case, the candidate can consider disclosing such details online. It is however, a tricky issue and should be taken with caution.
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Hello Simon,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on building a professional digital profile. I agree with Xiu Zhen that using SWOT analysis was an interesting point up there. Eliminating and removing past traces do help to provide a better image of the person/candidate. However, in my opinion, I think it contradicts on being honest. What do you think? I understand the reason for keeping a positive image for your digital profile but afterall, the objectives of employers screening social media or institutional sites is to know more about the candidate.I believe it does not hurt to be humble and mention weakesses because no one is perfect. Candidates can probably insert in different sections for example, I excel in writing creative contents and it has been one of my strength however, I’m bad with numbers. I cant do math..” Its a digital profile ABOUT YOU. What are your thoughts on this?
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Hi Winnie, good point you got there!:) What I was hoping to put across was to remove past traces that are leaning towards the lines of inappropriate or negative. For instance, one might have made insensitive and inappropriate remarks on one’s profile in the past – that can definitely be taken down. That being said, I do believe that the candidate can leave his past digital traces (even the negative ones) if firstly, he is aware that traces of his past still exist, and secondly, he is ready to provide accountability for his past should his prospective employers happen to surface them during an interview.
No harm in acknowledging one’s weaknesses as well. However, just like in an interview, you wouldn’t want to just mention about your weakness and leave it hanging there. We normally would assure our employers that our weakness does not make us less effective as a person, and that we are aware of how to overcome them. I believe the same can be applied online to our digital profiles. 🙂
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Hi Simon,
your point on “honesty being the best policy” resonated strongly with my point of the need to be yourself and not be a fake, as an impersonator will eventually be exposed as a fraud. I believe a way of preventing fraudulent information uploaded onto professional networks will be to have some sort of verification process. But the key thing that employers can do on their part will be ensure that stringent checks occur during the recruitment and selection process! Totally agree that one’s online profile is an extension of who we are in real life and any fraudulent behaviour if discovered may tarnish one’s reputation and ability to source for work in future. All in all, it was a joy reading your blog post, your analysis is impeccable and spot on!
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I like how you used “Google Thyself”. But could the picture link to the item? or better yet the shop?
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this video is…well as i see it…you cant always believe…sometimes things have to…well….maybe we need some new…gamm…this is just how…4 years or sour;2308f#&m…gufff….so im sayin is…..hurm…mitt is….yeah so
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Duane,Come to think of it, ࣨfemale vagina” is redundant. Unless, of course, in Hannityland a female vagina is considered more dangerous than the neutered variety. Anson,I take it you didn’t read the Wall Street Journal blog.
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