Your 5-Point Plan to Improve Your Online Reputation
Whether you are actively looking for a job, monitoring the market, or simply staying informed, the internet has become a necessary step and, above all, a great communication tool when used correctly. You must therefore learn to master its intricacies to avoid getting caught in its web. Here are some keys to building and maintaining your online reputation with recruiters, as more and more of them rely on information circulating online.
1. Take Stock
We have all, at some point, had the reflex of typing a person's name into a search engine to learn more about them (Americans even invented a word for it: "googling"). Some of you may have even already done this when recruiting a new employee. The first step is therefore to take stock of what is said about you by entering your first and last name into your preferred search engine and seeing if it appears in the search results, but also, and especially, knowing what content it is associated with. Your objective is clear: to appear in the top 10 searches and to have primarily professional content offered.
2. Be Proactive and Present on as Many Websites as Possible Related to Your Activity.
To move up in the search rankings, simply take advantage of website referencing. Thus, when you register on job sites, on the alumni website of your school or university, or on professional networks, do not neglect any information on the form. Your job title (CEO, COO, CFO, etc.), the name of your company and its sector of activity (Food Processing, Insurance, Banking, etc.), your school or degree name are all keywords to highlight on these sites so that your name is associated with them in search engines. By doing so, you will fill the first search engine results with structured, relevant and valuable information, relegating less positive content about you to the bottom of the list. In parallel, even if it may take time and prove tedious, you must remove any content that could harm you. Do not hesitate to contact the site(s) concerned and contact the body regulating internet users' rights (CNDP in Morocco, CNIL in France, etc.) in case of difficulty or lack of cooperation from the sites concerned.
3. Manage Your Photos
A CV or profile photo remains a communication tool that you can use to your advantage. Indeed, when you distribute your business cards (at a forum, an after-work event, etc.) and you have your photo on social networks, your contacts will recognize you more easily through your photo than by your name. That being said, never forget that a photo aims to show you at your best professionally... and not personally. A CV or candidate profile photo should be taken with a neutral background so banish group photos, party photos, wedding photos, beach photos and so on. A special mention for your Facebook profile photo because it is automatically referenced and therefore very easily accessible to recruiters.
4. Lock Access to Your Personal Data
Your personal data does not concern recruiters, so do not make accessible photo albums related to your private life. It is not necessary for a recruiter to admire your sporting achievements or baby photos. Check your privacy settings when posting a photo or even a status. Change your password regularly and unsubscribe from fake friends, those people you have never met and who could use your data by copying your photos, etc. For the same reasons, do not accept relationships with people you have never met without at least "googling" them beforehand!
5. Weigh Every Word You Post Online
You should think carefully before you speak... this still applies online. When you post a public status, send a tweet, or post news, measure and weigh every word because you do not know how it may be interpreted. How many times has a celebrity or politician seen their popularity plummet because of poorly written information or information taken out of context? All this is to say that you must, if you have not already done so, take the lead because recruiters and future employers are increasingly scrutinizing the slightest clue that will allow them to learn more about you. The internet can make or break a reputation, but if you follow this advice, you should be able to manage yours and present an image that matches the one you want to project. One last point: search engines regularly change their algorithms, and you are constantly leaving new traces on the internet. Managing your online reputation is not a goal, but a never-ending journey, so stay alert!
The ExeKutive Team
