How to Manage Your Online Persona?

You’ve updated your resume, but have you googled yourself lately? Currently, many employers get to know their potential employees by going through their various social media accounts. They look at Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram profiles of candidates to determine their personality, to know their likes and dislikes, and any alarming content they might have posted. Just like you research them they research you before the interview. This is called following the digital shadow. At the end of the research, they gather more information about you than what they gain during the interview.

What is a Digital Shadow?

Digital shadow is the trail of information that exists about you online, either intentionally or unintentionally. It includes social media posts, public comments, blog articles, Reddit or Quora threads, tagged photos, and usernames linked to forums. AI tools and recruiter software may scan beyond LinkedIn and review your entire online activity. To find out what others know about you online Google yourself in incognito mode to get an accurate public perception. 

What Employers are Actually Looking at

Recruiters assess your online behavior to assess professionalism, cultural fit, and red flags. While following your digital shadow employers may come across outdated LinkedIn profiles that don’t match your current resume. There may be public tweets or memes that you may have shared which are offensive or controversial, Instagram content that reveals unprofessional conduct, an inactive portfolio or personal websites that harm your career rather than help and the comments you have posted on Facebook and YouTube in the past. 70% of employers say that they have rejected candidates due to something found about them online (Source: CareerBuilder).

Conduct a Digital Footprint Audit

Follow these steps for the digital footprint audit:

1. Google your name with your location
2. Review any social media account that you have (Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter/X)
3. Tidy the bio sections and profile photos across all your platforms
4. Remove or hide controversial posts or comments you have made
5. Update your privacy settings
6. Check previous blogs, YouTube channels, or forums you’ve contributed to.

Build a Positive Online Brand

Keep your LinkedIn profile updated and active. Make sure that your bio is consistent across platforms. You must have similar, professional profile pictures. The bio should have the same tone and strength. Try to share thoughtful content in your niche as much as possible. You can follow this when writing articles, posts and making video shorts. Link your social media accounts with your online portfolio. To have a credible profile, create your own website or start writing personal blogs.

Future Proofing your Digital Identity 

Your digital persona grows with your career. Therefore, set reminders to update your profiles and websites on a quarterly basis. Use professional platforms like Behance, Medium, and Dribble. Don’t forget that anything that you posted online and deleted can be screenshotted and archived. It’s important to think of your online presence as a living, breathing entity. You can use Google alerts to track mentions of your name to avoid any embarrassing moments later in life.

It’s important to emphasise that your online presence or digital persona can be your strength and your weakness. Therefore, when going on a job hunt it can either become your greatest asset or your biggest liability. In the long run with advancements in technology, it will be advantageous when you conduct proactive auditing, when you are conscious about what you post online and make sure that you tell the same story on various platforms.

Your digital presence speaks before you do. Visit CareerFirst.lk to get more insights and advice on careers. You can also get your dream job opportunity by applying for various vacancies offered by private, public, and international institutions by visiting our website. You can also browse the courses available to get certifications.

Don't give them the privilege of knowing everything about you.

Just because it's not posted on social media, doesn't mean it's not happening.

Quietly progress- Unknown 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is an online persona?

Your online persona is the version of yourself that is presented through your digital presence. They are social media profiles, comments, posts, blogs, and more. It reflects how others perceive you online, including potential employers.

2. What is a digital shadow?

A digital shadow is the trail of data you leave online, either intentionally or unintentionally. This includes social media activity, tagged photos, forum usernames, comments, and any content connected to your name.

3. Why should I consider my digital shadow when applying for jobs?

Recruiters often review candidates’ online profiles to assess professionalism, cultural fit, and red flags. Your digital presence can impact hiring decisions even before an interview takes place.

4. What platforms do employers check during online screening?

Employers typically review platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube, and even forums like Reddit and Quora.

5. How can I find out what others see about me online?

Search your name in incognito mode on Google, including your location, to see what a stranger or employer might find. This gives you an unbiased view of your public digital footprint.

6. What are some red flags employers look for online?

• Inconsistent or outdated LinkedIn profiles
• Offensive or controversial posts
• Unprofessional images or comments
• Inactive or poorly maintained portfolios
• Mismatched details between resume and online presence