What is Google Telling Your Potential Employers?

May 29, 2014 | Career Blog

Where do you turn when you pause to wonder who starred in a 1980s movie, what year a certain song came out or where you should go for dinner? Google, of course. Searching online has become the No. 1 way we look up information on people, places, products, and, well, pretty much anything.

It’s also one of the first things employers do when they want to learn more about a job candidate. In fact, as this Huff Post Blog notes, 80% of employers Google job seekers before inviting them in for an interview.

So while a great resume, a neat appearance and solid interviewing skills are still critical to landing a job, it’s also important to have a clean – and impressive – online profile. How do you know what employers will find? Simply Google you own name. Be sure to search for your maiden and married names as well as any nicknames. 

Most likely a personal website or your social media profiles will pop up first. You should have a LinkedIn profile that reflects your resume and highlights your areas of expertise as well as education and training. 

If you have a wide-open Facebook profile, be mindful of your posts and photos. Do you want a potential employer to browse your Las Vegas bachelor party photos? The same goes for Twitter or Instagram. If your profiles aren’t private, anyone can take a look at what you share. 

Do you have a website or personal blog? A website with your name as the url (www.johnsmith.com) is a great idea. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy but it’s a place to have your resume, bio and professional highlights. There’s nothing wrong with a blog but just be mindful of what is says and whether it’s appropriate for a possible employer. For example, a blog post bashing your past employer could send the wrong message.

Just because you’re job hunting, doesn’t mean you should go off the grid. You want potential employers to find you but you also want them to find appropriate information. That’s why social media profiles and your own website work well – you provide the content so you have control over the message. And that message should be “Hire me!”

For more tips on how to prepare for an upcoming job interview, download our free ebook, “10 Tips to Ace Your Next Job Interview.”