Is Google Sabatoging Your Job Search? Here's How to Deal with It

In the age of Facebook and YouTube, the first stop for all job seekers should be Google. Why?

According to Computerworld, a 2006 survey by executive search firm ExecuNet indicates that 87% of recruiters said they use search engines to check out job candidates. And in a CareerBuilder.com survey of 1,150 hiring managers, one in four said they use Internet search engines to research potential employees. One in ten said they also use social networking sites to screen candidates.

These are numbers that continue to grow, particularly as the recession gluts the job market with qualified candidates, allowing those organizations that are hiring to be even pickier than usual.

Plus, doing these kinds of searches often turns up information employers definitely wish they had ahead of time. In the CareerBuilder survey, for example, employers reported discovering:

• 41% - candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs


• 40% - candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information


• 29% - candidate had poor communication skills


• 28% - candidate bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employee


• 27% - candidate lied about qualifications


• 22% - candidate used discriminatory remarks related to race, gender, religion, etc.


• 22% - candidate’s screen name was unprofessional


• 21% - candidate was linked to criminal behavior


• 19% - candidate shared confidential information from previous employers

With numbers like these, it's not surprising that employers see Google as a way to be forewarned about potential candidates.

Here's how you can work with job seekers to help them identify and deal with any digital dirt that may show up about them online.

Start with a Google Search
First things first. Have your customer conduct an "ego search"--a search on their name. The search should put the name in quotes, like this:

Customers should also do searches of their names that include:

• Alternate forms of the name--"Joseph" and "Joe" or "John" and "Jon"
• Their middle name--"Joseph Michael Smith"
• Their middle initial--"Joseph M. Smith"
• The names of any former employers ("Joe Smith" and "ABC Company")

The job seeker should look at the first few pages of results to see what a potential employer might find in a search. If the information is positive, then the job seeker may be in good shape, although it's still a good idea for him/her to review the tips below to make sure nothing could turn up through some other means.

 If a customer finds negative information, then it's definitely time to move to the next phase--cleaning up his/her online reputation.

Clean Up the Digital Dirt

A Google search can turn up a lot of negative information. In this instance, a job seeker discovered that anonymous former co-workers were trashing his skills as a manager in an online forum. Here, a well-qualified female psychiatrist was tripped up by photos on her Facebook page of her removing her shirt at a party--on more than one occasion.

In some cases the problem is something the job seeker created (as in the case of the psychiatrist). In other situations, it's what's being said by others about the job seeker that causes a problem.Regardless, job seekers need to find ways to deal with the damage. Here some tips to share with them:

Bury negative information with positive references. Google search engine results are based on number of links coming in to a site and more weight is typically given to social sites, like blogs. One of the best ways to counter a negative online reputation is for a job seeker to set up his own blog and other social networking profiles and begin aggressively posting positive, professional information to start crowding out negative information.This takes time, however, so it's preferable to get as much negative information off-line as possible.

Clean up your MySpace and Facebook profiles. Are there pictures and/or information that won't look good for you in the job search? Get rid of them. Anything that shows you drunk and disorderly or in any other situation that a potential employer might not want to see should be taken offline. Now.

If you're using MySpace, change to a clean and simply layout and remove all "bling," especially audio files that play automatically when your page loads.

Keep all but your closest friends and family on "limited profile" for Facebook. This will limit what they can see in your account. Also check out these 10  Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know.

Monitor your profile. If a Facebook friend "tags" your name to an inappropriate photo, video, etc. be sure to remove the tag right away so it doesn't show up on your profile.

For a much more comprehensive guide to cleaning up your online reputation, download this ExecuNet Career Guide--Dealing with your Digital Dirt (PDF).