Your Online Your Online ImageImage

1.1. Clean it upClean it up

2.2. Showcase your Showcase your best qualitiesbest qualities

People are watching…People are watching…

According to CollegeJournal, a division According to CollegeJournal, a division of the Wall Street Journal, of the Wall Street Journal, 75%75% of of recruiters used search engines to learn recruiters used search engines to learn about applicants. about applicants.

26%26% of these recruiters eliminated of these recruiters eliminated people based on what they learned. people based on what they learned.

General research on colleges shows that General research on colleges shows that although admissions staff don’t although admissions staff don’t investigate every applicant, they may investigate every applicant, they may search when they are down to a search when they are down to a handful and need to make a choice. handful and need to make a choice.

Please also consider…Please also consider…

If you ask a teacher or other If you ask a teacher or other individual to write a letter of individual to write a letter of recommendation for you, they are recommendation for you, they are joining their credibility with yours if joining their credibility with yours if they agree. they agree.

You will want to represent a You will want to represent a consistent, positive image in a consistent, positive image in a letter, on the Internet, and in letter, on the Internet, and in person. person.

Imagine you’re a Imagine you’re a college recruiter…college recruiter… Do you want this Do you want this

person for your person for your

campus?campus?

What might be aWhat might be a

better picture better picture

to use? to use?

Consider you’re an Consider you’re an employer…employer…

“ “ name deletedname deleted, you're a racist! You're , you're a racist! You're such a desperate woman! Your such a desperate woman! Your arrogance made you the most hated arrogance made you the most hated housewife in the world today!housewife in the world today!””

Found on blogspot.comFound on blogspot.com

What might you think about comments such as What might you think about comments such as these if you learned they were made by a job these if you learned they were made by a job applicant? applicant?

Clean it up-Step OneClean it up-Step One

Determine your online imageDetermine your online image

1. search various search 1. search various search engines to see what hits your engines to see what hits your name receivesname receives

2. Review social networking 2. Review social networking sites such as Facebook and sites such as Facebook and myspace. myspace.

Other people may write about you Other people may write about you or post pictures that include you or post pictures that include you in a way you do not wish to be in a way you do not wish to be portrayed. portrayed.

Clean it up-Step TwoClean it up-Step Two

Sign up for alerts at various Sign up for alerts at various search engines. search engines.

For example For example www.google.com/alertswww.google.com/alerts will will require an email address and require an email address and then you will be notified of then you will be notified of updated information on phrases updated information on phrases provided by you. provided by you.

Clean it up-Step ThreeClean it up-Step Three

If you find unflattering materials, you If you find unflattering materials, you can request that they be removed. can request that they be removed.

If you ask a friend to take down items If you ask a friend to take down items you no longer want viewed, he or she you no longer want viewed, he or she will hopefully consider cleaning up will hopefully consider cleaning up their own digital dirt. their own digital dirt.

You may not want a future school to You may not want a future school to read the comments you made after a read the comments you made after a poor grade or bad day at school. poor grade or bad day at school.

Reputation DefenderReputation Defender

Reputation Defender is a service Reputation Defender is a service that will seek out and work to that will seek out and work to remove unflattering content remove unflattering content about you. about you.

It is a fee-based service, so be It is a fee-based service, so be careful of what you post to the careful of what you post to the web! You don’t want to have to web! You don’t want to have to pay to clean up the mess! pay to clean up the mess!

RememberRemember

Rarely, if ever, is material from the Rarely, if ever, is material from the Internet actually deleted. You can Internet actually deleted. You can take a picture down, but you don’t take a picture down, but you don’t know how many times it has been know how many times it has been copied and pasted. copied and pasted.

Did you know? Did you know?

The Internet Archive is regularly The Internet Archive is regularly archiving snapshots of the Internet to archiving snapshots of the Internet to preserve them as history. preserve them as history.

Showcase your best Showcase your best

Consider highlighting Consider highlighting community servicecommunity service school spirit school spirit awards and honors awards and honors

Bury the negative information in a Bury the negative information in a mountain of wonderful material. mountain of wonderful material.

Showcase your bestShowcase your best

Consider creating an e-Consider creating an e-portfolio that includes your portfolio that includes your academic achievements, academic achievements, club or sport participation, club or sport participation, and/or your interests and and/or your interests and aspirations. aspirations.

This way, you can present This way, you can present what you wish to share on what you wish to share on your own terms.your own terms.