Online Identity Management and Job Search

If you are a job seeker and have not been getting the volume of interviews you anticipated, even though you have responded to numerous job postings, the trouble might be with your online identity. You see, whether you want an online identity or not, you have one. And employers and recruiters are using that online identity to screen you for potential interviews.

In fact, according to an online reputation survey done in December 2009 (commissioned by Microsoft), 79% of U.S. hiring managers and job recruiters contacted said they researched the online identities of job applicants. An astounding 70% of those hiring managers and recruiters said they rejected candidates based on what they found.

So, what kind of online identity information are employers and companies basing their rejection of job candidates?

59% - Inappropriate comments / text written by the candidate

52% - Unsuitable photos / videos / information

51% - Concerns about the candidate’s lifestyle

38% - Comments criticizing previous employers / co-workers / clients

35% - Inappropriate comments / text written by friends / relatives

35% - Inappropriate comments / text written by colleagues / work acquaintances

35% - Groups / Networks the candidate was a member of

34% - Discovered that information the candidate shared was false

31% - Poor communication skills displayed online

15% - Concern about the candidate’s financial background

The vast bulk of the reasons cited are able to be controlled by the you, the job seeker. The type of content you choose to share online and the people you choose to associate with does have an impact on your perceived hireability. In fact, 6 of the 8 reasons given are choices you actively make. The unfortunate aspect is that you may not be aware of how much these choices can harm your job search efforts.

If you have not done a Google search of yourself (put your name in quotation marks), do so immediately. You may be surprised at what you find. A client of mine did this recently at my urging and discovered that his name – and online identity – was shared by an adult film videographer! No wonder he was not getting interviews!

by Susan Guarneri, Career Goddess Blog