TO THE EDITOR:
Today, a name is not just a name. It is the gateway to a person’s online image, a key component of one’s personal brand. If you’re looking for a job or interested in building a successful career, then you must pay attention to the results of a Google search on your name. Recruiters, hiring managers, clients, colleagues, bosses, graduate school admissions officers and many others are checking you out online.
First, set up a Google Alert on your name and any common misspellings of it at www.google.com/alerts. This free service will send you an e-mail whenever your name appears anywhere online in the future. This will also help you track any places you appear online so you can draw more attention to these websites.
This brings us to the next important action: post more positive and professional things about yourself online. The best way to overcome any negative search results (whether truly yours or owned by someone with your name) is to have more great search results about you.
This includes setting up a LinkedIn profile and being consistently active on the site and setting up a professional Google profile. This also means contributing in a positive way elsewhere on the web, such as writing book reviews on Amazon.com, commenting on your favorite professional blogs, or writing bylined articles for a professional association website.
No matter what your name situation, you must take ownership of how people find and perceive you online. Your name is not just your name; it’s your reputation.
Holly Paul
U.S. Recruiting Leader
PwC
