It is more and more common for employers to do an online search for information about a prospective employee during the hiring process. They want to ensure that minimal digital dirt exists on potential new hires. According to Urban Dictionary, “digital dirt” is “a negative online reputation; something negative connected to your name online that others can easily find: i.e., drunken pictures, extreme rants on message boards, complaints from exes, or talking smack about your boss. Extreme digital dirt is a digital deal-breaker.” It can also include unflattering information about you found online, true or untrue, such as news stories, arrest or bankruptcy records, and the like.
Your goal as a job seeker is to minimize your own digital dirt. Some of this is easy – avoid posting or being tagged in drunken photos, don’t participate in heated online forums and message boards and never, never, ever, post negative information online about an employer. Go right now and take a close look at your social media accounts and any message boards or digital forums you participate in. Delete any and all offending posts. From today forward, take the pledge that you will no longer use your public presence to trash anyone or to air your grievances.
What about things outside your control such as newspaper articles or public information? Your goal here is to create enough good, relevant, positive content to bury the bad. No time for that? Use your network to ensure that potential employers have reputable references to check on you. Talk with your faculty and other trusted individuals in your life about the best way to handle your individual situation given your industry and career goals. Make sure you get in front of the bad news by being the one to share that information with a potential employer if necessary. Need more info on how to do this? Set up a coaching appointment with one of our staff and we will help you devise a game plan for success.
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