Take Charge of Your Online Reputation
Continue Reading... http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/security/online-privacy/reputation.aspx
Chances are you already have an online reputation, even if you do not know it.
On the Internet, you create an image of yourself through the information you share in blogs, comments, tweets, snapshots, videos, and links. Others add their own opinions (good or bad), which contribute to your reputation.
Anyone can find this information and use it to make judgments about you. For example, research commissioned by Microsoft found that of the U.S. hiring managers and job recruiters surveyed, 79% routinely review online reputational information when considering job applicants.
Most of those surveyed count online reputation as one of their top selection criteria. In fact, 70% of the U.S. hiring managers in the study they have rejected candidates based on what they found. Top disqualifiers included unsuitable photos and videos, concerns about the applicant's lifestyle, and inappropriate comments.
On the Internet, you create an image of yourself through the information you share in blogs, comments, tweets, snapshots, videos, and links. Others add their own opinions (good or bad), which contribute to your reputation.
Anyone can find this information and use it to make judgments about you. For example, research commissioned by Microsoft found that of the U.S. hiring managers and job recruiters surveyed, 79% routinely review online reputational information when considering job applicants.
Most of those surveyed count online reputation as one of their top selection criteria. In fact, 70% of the U.S. hiring managers in the study they have rejected candidates based on what they found. Top disqualifiers included unsuitable photos and videos, concerns about the applicant's lifestyle, and inappropriate comments.
- Find out what is on the Internet about you
- Evaluate your online reputation
- Protect your online reputation
- Polish your professional reputation
- Restore your online reputation
Use search engines
Type your first and last name into several popular search engines. Search for images as well as text.
Be specific to increase your search effectiveness. Put quotation marks around your name. Specify the city where you live, your employer, or other keywords that apply only to you.
Avoid searching for national identity numbers or Social Security numbers. If you see these (or other sensitive data like credit card numbers, grades, or health information) in search results, ask the website owner to remove the data immediately.
Search all variations of your name. If you have ever used a different name or nickname, if you use your middle name or initial, or if your name is frequently misspelled, check these as well. Include personal domain names (for example, yourname.com) in your search.
Check sites you frequent. Search online directories and sites that compile public records, genealogy sites, the websites of organizations to which you belong or donate time or money, and the like.
Search blogs and social networks
Review what others have posted about you in comments, pictures, or videos. Explore their blogs, personal pages on social networking sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Orkut, Qzone, Twitter), or photo-sharing sites like Flickr and Snapfish. (Parts of these sites are inaccessible to many search engines, so you must look separately.)
Type your first and last name into several popular search engines. Search for images as well as text.
Be specific to increase your search effectiveness. Put quotation marks around your name. Specify the city where you live, your employer, or other keywords that apply only to you.
Avoid searching for national identity numbers or Social Security numbers. If you see these (or other sensitive data like credit card numbers, grades, or health information) in search results, ask the website owner to remove the data immediately.
Search all variations of your name. If you have ever used a different name or nickname, if you use your middle name or initial, or if your name is frequently misspelled, check these as well. Include personal domain names (for example, yourname.com) in your search.
Check sites you frequent. Search online directories and sites that compile public records, genealogy sites, the websites of organizations to which you belong or donate time or money, and the like.
Search blogs and social networks
Review what others have posted about you in comments, pictures, or videos. Explore their blogs, personal pages on social networking sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Orkut, Qzone, Twitter), or photo-sharing sites like Flickr and Snapfish. (Parts of these sites are inaccessible to many search engines, so you must look separately.)
Continue Reading... http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/security/online-privacy/reputation.aspx
