Recruiters don’t automatically check every candidate’s online profile, but when they do (e.g. using a quick search on your name or taking a glance at your LinkedIn profile, and sometimes other platforms too), the information they find there may either corroborate your CV or, conversely, highlight a mismatch. From a professional social media platform that hasn’t been updated to public comments posted too hastily, your online presence leaves a footprint. So you might as well correct it before applying to make your application even stronger.
Where to start? 5 essential checks to take care of your e-reputation
Type your full name into a search engine. Take a look at the ‘Images’ tab as well. Whatever you see, the recruiter can also see.
Track down your old profiles: a forgotten account on a social media platform you no longer use, or content you’ve posted that no longer reflects who you are today. It’s best then to either update them or close them.
Check what is publicly viewable on your personal social media accounts. Adjust your privacy settings to differentiate what you want to make public from what you want to keep private for your friends and family.
Update your LinkedIn profile. Photo, headline, recent experience: these are often the first things a recruiter looks at.
Check that your profile is consistent with your CV. The dates and job titles must match.
The instant impression a recruiter needs to get
Iana Kolesnikova
Everything that appears in your most visible profile - often LinkedIn - should focus on the essentials: a straightforward recent photo, a clear headline stating what you do or would like to do, and work-related experience that anyone can understand. There’s no need to say too much. A good digital profile is one that isn’t too chatty: it’s one that allows people to quickly appreciate your professional attributes and goals. Add a few keywords related to your job or industry, because these will help recruiters find you on the platform.
Things that are best avoided to maintain a good e-reputation
Long-abandoned profiles that haven’t been updated for years. An empty or static profile gives the impression of a ghostly presence, which is hardly reassuring to a recruiter.
Information that contradicts your CV. Dates that don’t match, a different job title, experience missing in one place but listed in another…
Public content that’s difficult to reconcile with your professional image. When shared in a different context, some types of content can lead to misunderstanding.
Comments written in the heat of the moment. The traces persist on social media platforms. What was simply a knee-jerk reaction at the time may resurface to cause problems months later.
An excessively vague online presence that makes it unclear what you do or what you’re looking for. A lack of clarity is a sign in itself.
Questions - answers
How can you check what others can find out about you online?
Start by using a search engine to run a simple search on your full name, then take a look at the ‘Images’ tab results as well. You’ll see what comes up first: old profiles, public content, forgotten pages, etc. This is quick to do, and it gives you the opportunity to sort out the essentials before a recruiter does it for you.
Do you have to share every detail of your life online to apply?
Not at all. The aim here isn’t to display everything, but to make what’s already visible clearer, more coherent and more current. Your professional profiles deserve to be well presented and easy to read. Your personal web spaces can remain set to a high level of privacy – that’s your right, and recruiters understand this.
What might give others a bad impression of you online?
Mainly inconsistencies and discrepancies. A professional profile that hasn’t been updated for years, information that doesn’t match your CV, public posts that don’t align with your professional image, or comments made in a context that would be hard to imagine in a job interview.
