placeholder
Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Bond International Software - Have You Googled Yourself Lately?

My name is Megan Walker, and I like to Google myself. It’s true, and although I don’t think I am narcissistic, I do enter my name in to the search box every so often to see what comes up in the search results. If you have never done this, I urge you to do it now.

Why should I do that?

Good question. What is one of the first things you do when looking at a new candidate or someone you are going to meet for the first time? For me, I tend to search for them online typically on LinkedIn, and maybe even to see if they are on Twitter. There is no ill intent here, but rather an interest in their career history and accomplishments, and are they someone I would like to follow and interact with on social media. I know I can’t be alone in this, so chances are high that others are searching for me too.

Don’t you want to understand your online presence?

It’s good to know what is out there in the online world with your name linked to it. I would like to think my current boss should he choose to type in my name would find only good things that show professional representation of myself and the company, but it’s also about being seen as someone in my industry with something to say. A quick search for Megan Walker and I can see a photograph of myself at the top of Google. This used to be my Twitter profile image… but quite some time ago. It shows that you can’t guarantee that the images you want to appear will be shown in the results. Looking through the first few pages, there aren’t any links about me specifically.

Look for links to your current employer

If I search for Megan Walker Bond, that’s where I start to get a bit more insight in to what others could find out. The very first one is my LinkedIn profile, so easy for people to find me and connect. The search results also show a link to my posts on LinkedIn Pulse. There are links to my Twitter profile, blog posts I have written for Bond and the archives for other sites I am an author for (including TEAM). A quick look on the images tab and I can see quite a few more of myself (along with the Megan Fox’s and Megan Good’s of the world!). All of the images out there, I am more than happy with anyone seeing, but could you say the same?

Are you representing yourself well?

Do you have an online presence? Although no one wants a bad image, it’s a good thing to be found and have a positive professional online persona. It can position you as a thought leader in your industry, and be seen as someone that knows how to market themselves. It would be an ideal world to think decisions are purely made based on your carefully crafted C.V. or the company you work for, but‘s just not reality. So do a quick search. Be a little self-centred, and see how you come across in the Google results.