How do you find out what an Employer will see about you Online?
Tags: career, interview, google, employer
Published: 2024-05-15 07:31:28

From the [CareerBuilder survey](https://resources.careerbuilder.com/employer-blog/employers-research-candidate-social-media-profiles), we know that almost seven in ten employers admit to performing online searches on job candidates. These employers expect you to know you will be Googled. If you’re not making an effort to clean up your online image, you’re basically saying, “_I don’t care_”.

With that in mind, you owe it to yourself as a job seeker to make sure that when potential employers search for you online, the find the right kinds of results. Follow these steps to conduct your own search:

1. Do a search for your name in all the major search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, Ask, even YouTube). _Note_: If you have an account with any of these providers (such as Gmail), you will need to log out and do your search anonymously, since results are customized for users.

2. Conduct the search with a variety of options, including with and without quotation marks, with and without your city or state, and with and without your industry or last employer.

3. Ask a trusted friend or family member to search you and see if they find anything they think you should be aware of.

You should make an effort to get rid of anything could even be perceived as inappropriate because, the fact of the matter is, [you probably won’t get a chance to defend whatever is discovered about you online](https://link.digitalreputation.co.ke/tktsbgbpe).

![Employer Online Search](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/f10thtokorkefbckzmb2.png)

**_So, what are employers looking for, and how can you wow them?_**

Here are key points that employers are looking for and how you can make sure they work in your favor:

### Conveying a Professional Image
Convey a professionally based image by: writing articles or guests posts for industry blogs or sites, participating in online discussions, and sharing white papers, case studies or a portfolio of your work.

### Showing your Personality
Technical writing has a definite place in your professional image, but employers want to see your online image portraying an approachable, well-liked individual.

### Information to Support your Professional Qualifications
Sometimes employers are just looking to verify that you haven’t lied on your application. Let employers know you’ve actually accomplished what you said you did.

### Creativity
Employers aren’t necessarily judging how impressive your DIY images on Pinterest are, but they are looking for someone who can think outside the box and bring a unique perspective to the workplace. Show them you’ve got what it takes to stand out and make an impact.

## Great Communication Skills
Employers are looking for individuals who can clearly communicate with coworkers, customers and partners well beyond an email memo. Demonstrate your communication skills by making sure you use proper grammar and spelling in your posts and social comments.

## Glowing References
No matter what you say about yourself, having strong references and recommendations from others will go far  in convincing employers you’re the right person for the job. Online, this can include recommendations and endorsements on LinkedIn, followers on social sites, and mentions on other blogs or sites.

You don’t need to do all of these things, and you certainly shouldn’t do any you’re uncomfortable with, but **it’s important to keep in mind what your online presence is telling employers**. It’s also important to keep in mind that your online image should match your offline image — don’t try to portray someone you’re not.