TAKE CHARGE OF THE ONLINE YOU

When the FBI or CIA needs to know something about someone they run a background check on that person. Once upon a time only organisations like these could do such a search on an individual. Now everybody can run a background check on any person. It’s called ‘Google search’. Have you ever thought to yourself what happens when you're looking for a job and you send your curriculum vitae in to twenty plus employers? They google you and this can have an impact on their final hiring decision. I believe this is a good thing. It means you have an opportunity to build your professional online presence and direct them towards you and how you want others to see you. Maybe you have your own business. Have you ever wondered what happens when one of your reps leaves a meeting where they are pitching to a new prospect? They get googled. Yes, the company gets googled, but the sales representative will be first on the hit list for a background check. What comes up in the search can be a deal maker if the prospect likes what they see. It can also be an added factor in losing a deal if the prospect finds little, nothing or offensive information from the person’s personal social media content. Have you ever done a search on somebody wanting to learn a little more? If not, you are one of a few. Most of us do. And without a doubt, you can be sure the same is done with you when you are looking for something, or when somebody is looking for something from you. This also happens when you’re looking for a job, looking for business or simply socializing. You are responsible for your name and where it is, and what it says about you on the internet. You can manage what people see via social media.  This can all be done in a few hours. Open a facebook, linkedin, twitter and youtube account. Link them all together. keep the Information and name on the accounts the name. Start a basic blog. When this is done you can create the information for all these sites that you wish others to see. The content can be based on your professional curriculum vitae if you’re looking for a job. It can be based on your company, products and your interests if you are in business. Or maybe you just want to rightly have power over how you look and how much can be seen when people are checking you out. There are no excuses. If my wife’s eighty seven year old grandmother can do all this, well then, so can you.

Drop the monkey business and take charge of the online you.