Online Reputation Management for Generation Y
For many members of Generation Y, making their way through high school, getting into a good college, or finding that first job is tough enough, so adding one more to-do item to their lists seems a bit burdensome. However, managing online reputations is just as important for those under 30 as it is for those over 30. Plus, keeping a clean online history or polishing up one’s online footprint can only help land that first job or gain acceptance into college choice number one.
A recent University of Massachusetts Dartmouth study revealed that 23 percent of college admissions offices use search engines like Google to research students before even considering them as acceptable candidates. Of those same offices polled, 17 percent admitted to using social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace to vet potential students while another survey from UMass Dartmouth shows that 53 percent of Inc. 500 companies reported using a Google search and/or some kind of review of MySpace and Facebook as part of the hiring process.
Most recently a Data Privacy Day survey sponsored by Microsoft showed even more dire numbers, saying that 70 percent of hiring managers in the US have claimed to reject candidates based on what they found. Considering the ramifications behind a poorly managed reputation, and the proclivity of Gen Y to share their lives freely, we thought it would be a good idea to offer some advice on reputation management for college students and recent grads.
On Blogging and Social Media: As one journalist puts it, “imagine that your mother is reading every post you write and watching every move you make. By the way, she already is.” Keeping your digital nose clean begins with a bit of common sense. Posting distasteful or even questionable items to the Internet can have negative results a little ways down the road or even a long ways down the road so keep that in mind with everything you post. Even harder is making sure other people don’t post items of you you’d rather not have online – not an easy thing to correct. A 2006 USA Today article gives just a few examples of high school and college students who paid the price when their online reputations didn’t turn up squeaky clean. In the four years since then, social media use has become even more prevalent, with Facebook tallying more than 350 million users and Twitter becoming a worldwide phenomena.
An important rule to keep in mind is that Facebook, MySpace, blogs, message boards, and other online tools aren’t private. Parents should relay this message to their children and be conscious of what their children are doing online. Check out Project PRO: Privacy & Reputation Online, a collaborative effort between the American School Counselor Association and Reputation Defender, for tips and ideas on keeping children and adolescents safe online. Without professional help, cleaning up many items that have been posted is a difficult task.
On Tweeting Safely: With Twitter has come a whole new method of sullying one’s online reputation. Adhering to a few simple rules can keep personal information from getting out and keeping Gen Y Tweeters safe. For starters, never give out personal information, including your full name, address, phone numbers, or passwords. Additionally, keep profile information brief and avoid responding to users that you don’t know. Also consider every tweet you send out, including tweets that identify where you are, where you’re heading, or photos where you’re easily recognizable, as tweets can remain visible for many years. Read more tips on safe Twitter use here.
On Finding a Job: We’ve reported plenty on using tools like LinkedIn and Facebook to create professional online resumes, as well as how to drive traffic to these profiles once they’re built. However many Gen Y’ers are still catching on to the concept of using devices like LinkedIn and Facebook, according to an article on Recruitingfly.com.
Take our advice – using these tools (in particular using them in a professional manner, as with Facebook) can usually only help your chances, not hinder them. Furthermore, putting the web address to your LinkedIn profile on a hardcopy of your resume isn’t a bad idea – it provides another method for potential employers to do their homework on you and lets them know you’re tech savvy.
