Whether you’re looking for a new job, applying for graduate school, or applying for promotions in the company where you currently work, your online reputation matters. Why is it important to have a good online reputation? Because it matters to recruiters. More than the average person realizes.

It’s not just what others are saying about you online that matters, either. Your social media posts, the people you follow, and the images you share reveal a lot about you that can impact your standing for the new role you seek. In a nutshell, recruiters absolutely care about your online reputation. Fortunately, there are things you can do to “clean up” your online reputation so that it is far more appealing.

Engage in Personal Branding Efforts

Whether you want to be or not, your name is a brand. It is up to you to own it and make sure it says great things about your capabilities, work ethic, personality, and more.

If you want to make big moves in your career, branding isn’t an option. It is something you must do. It involves more than simply making sure there is positive information about you available on the web. Solid personal branding works to make sure that there isn’t negative information, inaccurate information, or misleading information about you on the Internet.

You can also use your branding efforts to present yourself as an expert in your industry, publish papers that are relevant to your career goals, and even position yourself as a thought leader. It is an opportunity to make your name stand out from a crowd of applicants for the same corporate positions or entry into desirable graduate programs, internships, and fellowships.

Invest in Reputation Monitoring

While doing it yourself takes a great deal of time and effort, professional reputation monitoring services can help keep you updated with the latest information about online reviews, news stories, and social media mentions involving your name that could impact your personal brand.

The truth is that you do not need to have done anything wrong for unscrupulous organizations to sell information that makes it appear as though you have a police record, bankruptcies, personal scandals, and other negative skeletons in your closet. Even worse, without effective reputation monitoring services, you may not even know this information exists about you. And it could greatly damage your ability to change careers or advance within your own.

Consider Internet Privacy Solutions

The best option is to get rid of negative, false, and misleading information about you on the web by using internet privacy solutions designed to scrub your personal information from the web. This includes court records, public databases, and other potentially embarrassing material that could prevent you from the job you seek.

Contact NetReputation.com today to learn about the many ways we can help you manage your online reputation and build a personal brand that recruiters will gravitate toward