What Does Google Say About You?

Nothing

If you are not present on social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, recruiters will never see you at all. That means you could miss out on job opportunities as a result. A Google search will show results for your name from these different social media sites, but, of course, if you haven't completed a profile, you are invisible to recruiters.

Negative Press

You may be present on different social media sites, but if the information there is negative, you are in a worse position than if there was no information at all. A sloppy profile filled with typos is negative press for you. And, if you have responded with a comment to a video or article with profanity or other negativity, this can show up on Google as well and hurt your professional image.

Great Press

If you have been intentional about your online presence, what Google says about you can give recruiters a reason to take a second look at you. Here are some pointers on what you can do:

• Google yourself to see what comes up. You need to see what recruiters will see when they search for you. That way you can make any needed adjustments to your online presence.
• Take charge of your ZoomInfo profile. ZoomInfo is a site that automatically collects data about people online from different sources on the internet. Sometimes there will be erroneous information on ZoomInfo under your name because the site confused you with someone else with the same name. Also, there may be information that is omitted about you that should be included. You can go to ZoomInfo for free and claim your name and correct any mistakes there may be. You can also post your picture to your profile if you choose to.
• Create profiles on social media sites for visibility. LinkedIn is the most popular site for professionals, and there are hundreds of thousands of recruiters on LinkedIn searching for candidates. Make sure your profile is complete and it represents you well.

If you follow these tips, then you will have Google singing your praises.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.