Your Online Footprint by Motte Brown on 09/27/2007 at 3:37 PM

Ever think about who's checking out your online footprint? You should. Especially if you're looking for a job.

Today's Wall Street Journal has an article about how employers are checking out a candidate's "references" before the interview. Here's an excerpt,

The trend, which started mostly with Web-savvy recruiters in the technology industry, is now spreading to other industries such as human resources and financial services, says Cathy Henesy, talent acquisition leader at appliance maker American Standard Cos. Recruiters typically use networking sites to check on entry-level and midlevel job seekers, she says. But even professionals and CEOs have experienced the practice, often referred to as "informal reference checking."

The article points out that many hiring managers check a candidate's Facebook and MySpace pages to look for mutual connections. One recruiter says he googles the candidate to "check whether the job candidate has written any articles, and make sure the candidate has the degrees listed on the resume."

I did a quick Google search for "motte brown" just to see what a potential employer might find. And if they're looking for a guy who thinks he has something to say about everything, I'm good. Really good.

Your Online Footprint by Motte Brown on 09/27/2007 at 3:37 PM

Ever think about who's checking out your online footprint? You should. Especially if you're looking for a job.

Today's Wall Street Journal has an article about how employers are checking out a candidate's "references" before the interview. Here's an excerpt,

The trend, which started mostly with Web-savvy recruiters in the technology industry, is now spreading to other industries such as human resources and financial services, says Cathy Henesy, talent acquisition leader at appliance maker American Standard Cos. Recruiters typically use networking sites to check on entry-level and midlevel job seekers, she says. But even professionals and CEOs have experienced the practice, often referred to as "informal reference checking."

The article points out that many hiring managers check a candidate's Facebook and MySpace pages to look for mutual connections. One recruiter says he googles the candidate to "check whether the job candidate has written any articles, and make sure the candidate has the degrees listed on the resume."

I did a quick Google search for "motte brown" just to see what a potential employer might find. And if they're looking for a guy who thinks he has something to say about everything, I'm good. Really good.

Comments

[1. Amelia said the following at 11:22 PM on Sep 27:]

1

I hope that employers who engage in this practice use enough discretion to realize that there are often multiple people with the same name!

[2. nikki said the following at 7:35 AM on Sep 28:]

2

That is why I personally must approve all those who would gaze upon my personal information on Facebook or Myspace, before they look upon it.

[3. Rachel said the following at 9:25 AM on Sep 28:]

3

It's not just potential employers you've got to worry about. I met a man on eHarmony once and we dated for a while; he was a neat guy. Unbeknownst to each other, at the beginning we each Googled the other. I found nothing-- his name's so common-- but he found a rather embarrassing picture of me from my college years, which was on someone else's online photo album!

Then another time I got an email from a man who'd seen me online on some Christian sites. He seemed to be romantically interested in me. I Googled him and found comments he had posted on blogs that made it pretty clear he was longing to find a good Christian wife and would ask out just about anyone who seemed like they might fit the description. (Incidentally, that was by no means a deal-breaker for me. But it also turned out that we lived 3000 miles apart.)

[4. Canadian Boy said the following at 4:42 PM on Oct 1:]

4

I have an excellent online footprint. Searching my name yields four results, one of which tells of an award I received for volunteer work. I can live with that.

[5. Jared Fath said the following at 4:33 PM on Oct 20:]

5

I've got next to nothing. A Boundless post, a few references from the EJHS, nothing too exciting. That actually makes me happy -- I'm a virtual nonentity, and I like being that way. Now excuse me while I go listen to some John Coltrane, which makes me feel even happier and even more obscure on this cloudy Calgary day than usual.

[1. Amelia said the following at 11:22 PM on Sep 27:]

1

I hope that employers who engage in this practice use enough discretion to realize that there are often multiple people with the same name!

[2. nikki said the following at 7:35 AM on Sep 28:]

2

That is why I personally must approve all those who would gaze upon my personal information on Facebook or Myspace, before they look upon it.

[3. Rachel said the following at 9:25 AM on Sep 28:]

3

It's not just potential employers you've got to worry about. I met a man on eHarmony once and we dated for a while; he was a neat guy. Unbeknownst to each other, at the beginning we each Googled the other. I found nothing-- his name's so common-- but he found a rather embarrassing picture of me from my college years, which was on someone else's online photo album!

Then another time I got an email from a man who'd seen me online on some Christian sites. He seemed to be romantically interested in me. I Googled him and found comments he had posted on blogs that made it pretty clear he was longing to find a good Christian wife and would ask out just about anyone who seemed like they might fit the description. (Incidentally, that was by no means a deal-breaker for me. But it also turned out that we lived 3000 miles apart.)

[4. Canadian Boy said the following at 4:42 PM on Oct 1:]

4

I have an excellent online footprint. Searching my name yields four results, one of which tells of an award I received for volunteer work. I can live with that.

[5. Jared Fath said the following at 4:33 PM on Oct 20:]

5

I've got next to nothing. A Boundless post, a few references from the EJHS, nothing too exciting. That actually makes me happy -- I'm a virtual nonentity, and I like being that way. Now excuse me while I go listen to some John Coltrane, which makes me feel even happier and even more obscure on this cloudy Calgary day than usual.