Did you know that your most valuable and critical career asset is not your CV (as we often like to think so)? In today’s digital world, how your employers, airlines, peers and team members perceive you is via what you have already inadvertently shown them via your digital footprint on the internet. Today’s HR tools enable recruiters to understand the value you can create for them or with them even before you come in for your final interview. They use specialised HR - Social AI software to determine your influence on the internet through your social networks.

According to the latest HR newsletters (and there are many of them!), 90% of recruiters look at candidates social profiles and 40% have reconsidered a candidate positively or negatively after establishing their digital footprint.

Social media is a great way to connect with friends and family. But be mindful that the moment you post something online, it’s there forever. Everything you do online – whether it’s sharing an experience of a day out, having fun on the beach with girlfriends or posting a selfie of yourself in a bikini that has a sexy caption - they will be there forever, everything you do online leaves a trail. Even when it gets deleted, it still gets indexed by Google and all history of changes made by you are cached. (cached in IT terminology means you can see all the various image and text changes even after the user has deleted it).

All your interactions on Instagram, Tik-Tok and Facebook and other internet sites make up what’s known as your “digital footprint” – the trail of information that you leave behind each time you do something online. The internet itself is a universe of data – data that can be recorded and accessed with interrogation software. That data can both help and hinder your shortlisting in different ways.

That’s why having social media profiles that accurately and positively represent you and your professional passions can create a number of networking opportunities and open doors that may have your dream jobs contacting you or in the case of airlines, you may find you get offers from many airlines.

How a Digital Footprint Works

The internet is data. When you visit a website, the website logs your IP address (data).. When you comment on a website, add a comment to your retweet, like a post, participate in a public facebook group or on your FB wall, or add a photo to your Instagram, you are creating more data online.

The data may be passive or active:

• Active Data – Active data is when you, by choice, share something online. Whether it’s personal information like a Tweet on Twitter or a photo you upload to a photo sharing board, that’s active data.

• Passive Data – Passive data is information collected about you, often through other sources. For example, if you visit a website about say makeup or skin care, websites collect that data and link it to your profile or IP address. By accepting cookies (the pop-up box)that appears when you first visit that website, you have consented to the company that you will share your personal data with them.

Your digital footprint can have a significant effect on your future. Imagine you are looking for a job, and you apply to a company that is very interested in hiring you. What happens if they try to find information about you online? Will they find any embarrassing photos? Will they find you follow professional organizations? Will they find any controversial statements? Will they find incredible insight?  What is available that confirms that you are perfect for their business?

If you are like most people, you have probably Googled your name before to see what you came up with. But it’s unlikely that you’ve taken the time to thoroughly analyze what can be linked to you, and whether or not it will affect you. Remember, your digital footprint is everything you’ve done online, including:

• Website Comments – Especially those linked to a full name.

• Blogs or where you criticise past employers, say on YouTube – Either via video or the comments that you post.

• Social Media – In all forms where you have a presence.

• YouTube comments / Trip adviser comments – Posts written about you.

• Your instagram accounts and all other FB profiles that you have. Your interactions.

• Information shared on third party sites, e.g. Tik Tok, Reddit etc.

Even though there is some anonymity on the internet, your name is out there, and it may be linked to information that you do not want shared or openly available for information that you do. You may make comments under a fake ID, but if your fake IDs are connected by your computer or iphone with the same IP address (and often people use the same devices on multiple sites, including Facebook using different profile names, Pinterest names, and Instagram names), but as you use the same devices on the internet, the IP address is linked to your original name as well. That’s why you have to ask yourself: What will employers find?

You want them to find the “best you.”

Your digital footprint does not have to be a negative. Some professionals have an outstanding digital footprint, because they’ve been able to control what occurs under their name and they’ve successfully (whether actively or accidentally) marketed themselves positively. Your digital footprint can be in your control, and if you embrace that control you can make employers beg for you, not vice versa.
 
Cleaning Up Your Digital Footprint

Individuals rely on a clean and professional digital footprint in order to make sure that they are able to maximize their career choices. That means that you have a great opportunity in front of you – you can create a digital footprint that will truly make an impact. You can figure out what exists, analyze it, and determine how much it can affect you and how. You have the potential to spot problems, create solutions, and start generating a digital footprint that can be seen by clients, teammates, and your current and future boss.

Many people Google their name because they think this is how potential employers will search for them. But very few take the time to complete this level of analysis when they have different facebook or IG profiles, and when you clean up your digital footprint and make yourself more employable, (by ensuring that your online history will not affect you in your personal or professional life negatively, and possibly positively), your digital footprint can be a weapon in your employment arsenal. Watch all profiles used as your IP addresses from your phone, computer will always tell the internet social media sites that you are the same person.

HR now have software that scans to the second or third level tracking your IP addresses you use to go online so forget about cleaning up your digital footprint on say 4 accounts on FB, 3 accounts on IG, 3 YouTube channels etc…. Be positive and professional on all profiles that you use and interact as yourself ALWAYS. That way you do not find that you may be guilty of having some profiles where you have criticised your past employer or airlines. Always be mindful that it is quite impossible to clean up your digital footprint.

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