More on Fired-to-Hired: Fired-to-Hired Home The Ends or the Means? All Jobs Are Temporary Don't Just Stand There Do What You Love Resume Mistakes Being Realistic About the Job Market Keep Your Digital Act Clean Fired-to-Hired Expert: Tory Johnson, Fired-to-Hired Expert Additional Resources: Career Change Center

My son and I had a little talk about that child right then and there.

Within your profiles - Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook - make it professional, not scantily clad shots from your vacation at the beach.

You want to create a recognizable identity that may be viewed by professionals connected to your field or by those you meet at an industry function, career fair or job interview.  At the very least, set your privacy settings so you control who can see what within your profile.

The contents of every profile must be employer-ready. By that I mean all of the content must be suitable for your next boss to see and read. Before I meet a prospective candidate, I check to see if he or she has online profiles.

Sometimes I’m impressed. Other times I’ve passed on an applicant because the content raises questions about his or her judgment. Whether that’s fair or unfair, it’s a reality.

Think about Olympic champion Michael Phelps. He made embarrassing headlines when a photo surfaced of him, a gold medal–winner, smoking pot from a bong.

Supporters claimed he was at a private party and his privacy was violated. Critics said he broke the law and behaved irresponsibly. The mistake damaged his reputation and brought about sanctions from the U.S. swim team.

In this age of digital dominance, anything about you can - and may - wind up on the Internet for prospective employers to see. Before you post anything under your name, keep that in mind.

Bottom Line:

So, before you apply for that next job, Google yourself to see what prospective employers will see. If you find things that could hurt your job search prospects, read Job-Hunt's "Activate and Manage Your Avatars" article for steps to take to bury the "digital dirt."

 

© Copyright, 2010, Tory Johnson. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

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About This Author:

Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the author of Fired to Hired.  She’s also the workplace contributor on ABC’s Good Morning America. Talk to her directly at Twitter.com/ToryJohnson.