Tips for Grads to Protect their Online Reputation

Over the next few weeks, college students across the country will graduate and embark on their next step in life: finding a job. What many students fail to realize is that in today’s world of social media, their online reputation can make or break their candidacy for a position.

TrustedID, the nation’s most comprehensive identity protection and reputation management service, offers some easy tips for recent graduates to protect and manage their online reputation:

· Delete Digital Dirt: Many students’ social media pages are littered with digital dirt such as incriminating photos or inappropriate links. Be sure to wipe this all clean before beginning a job search.

· Privatize Profiles: Graduates can privatize their profiles on many social media sites to control who can view it. Remember that social media lives forever – just because comments and photos are deleted doesn’t mean they are gone. It may be a private profile, but it’s a public site. Always assume that what goes up will be seen by the world.

· Google Yourself: See the top 10 results on Google for your name; often recruiters only view the first page of results. If a graduate sees negative results, they should consider creating new positive profile content which can outshine the harmful results.

· Positive Spin: Potential employers can get an impression of a candidate’s personality through their social media profiles. Graduates should highlight achievements inside and outside of work and try to block any negative comments or photos.

· Follow the Leader: Follow key luminaries or potential mentors in your field on social media. This will show employers that you are passionate about the job and excited to learn.

· LinkedIn Logic: Create a strong LinkedIn profile since many recruiters use LinkedIn to fill positions. With over 200 million users, it is also a great way to establish and build business relationships in your desired field.