It’s very important to take care of the way you present yourself online when it comes to impressing potential employers. It can be easier than you think for employers to carry out research on you online, and some kinds of content can make them think twice about choosing to interview or take you on as an employee. In this guide, we’ll look at why keeping your online reputation clean is so important, what you can do to improve yours and also take a look at whether bad credit can compromise your chances of employment.
Why is it so important to keep a good online presence?
First impressions count. One of the first things many employers do when they are deciding whether to interview or employ someone is to research applicants online. They may choose to look at your social media profiles, your personal website and general online presence to get a first impression of you. If you have a clean, professional online presence, this can greatly increase your chances of employment.
Professionalism and trustworthiness
If you have a clean online reputation, this can make you appear highly professional and trustworthy. An employer is more likely to trust you if you’ve maintained a positive and professional presence online. Negative or unprofessional content can cause employers to see red flags and prevent them from considering you. If your online behaviour doesn’t align well with the company’s values, this may also be an obstacle. Inappropriate posts, unprofessional online behaviour and controversial opinions can all stop you from being recruited for the jobs you want. A clean online reputation can give you an edge over a candidate who hasn’t taken steps to present a professional image on the internet.
Long-term career opportunities
If you already have a clean online reputation, this can cause employers to think you’ll maintain this in the future. If you are accepted into a reputable company and your career grows, your online presence may gain more visibility. Maintaining a good online reputation now can mean appearing less risky to employers.
Beat automation
More and more employers are using AI and other tools to screen candidates. They can use these tools to flag content which could be seen as problematic, such as inappropriate language. Your online content could cause you to be screened out even before you reach the interview stage if it is particularly controversial.
Presenting yourself professionally online can boost your credibility, help you win the trust of employers and appear more desirable to employers.
How to keep your online reputation clean
There are many steps you can take to clean up your online reputation to make yourself more appealing to potential employers. These include auditing your online presence and taking down anything that you think could be harming your employment opportunities. Delete any content that you think could appear unprofessional, inappropriate or controversial. Make sure you do this on every social media platform you appear on, especially in environments where your content could be seen by everyone such as X.
Use privacy settings
Some social media platforms allow you to use privacy settings to limit who can see your content. However, this is not always effective as even people close to you could alert your employer to inappropriate content in future. Make sure any content that could be deemed inappropriate or controversial is either deleted or at least only visible to those you trust the most.
Think before you post
If you are considering posting anything that could be seen as controversial, think carefully about whether it is truly worth publishing. Things that you may regard as harmless could be perceived differently by others. Try to present yourself professionally in every online environment where your content can be seen by an employer. Make sure you use a professional-looking email address too when contacting potential employers.
Set up alerts to monitor your online reputation
Some people use tools like Google Alerts and use online management tools to protect their online reputations. If you find any negative or inaccurate information about yourself online, try to get it removed if you can. You could even use the services of an online reputation management expert if you need outside assistance.
Engage positively
Try to interact with others in a respectful and professional manner. Unprofessional and disrespectful content can have a very negative impact on your online reputation.
Can bad credit harm my employment opportunities too?
We’ve already talked about how a negative online presence can harm your employment chances, but another thing that can cause problems when you’re looking for a job is a bad credit rating.
Some employers carry out credit checks as part of the recruitment process. This is more likely to happen if you’re applying for a job that involves dealing with money or sensitive information. If you have a poor credit history, this could make employers concerned about things like your financial stability and reliability. A bad credit history can make you ineligible for certain positions including banking, finance and government jobs.
Thorough background checks including credit checks are often required when prestigious companies and organisations are hiring. If you have a history of bad credit, bankruptcy, defaults or large outstanding debts, this may make it harder for you to pass security clearances.
Thankfully there are various steps that you can take if you feel a bad credit history is hampering your chances of getting a job. These include paying down your debts, making sure you’re on the Electoral Roll, making all your repayments on time, only applying for credit when you need to and avoiding making too many credit applications in a short period of time. You should also try to maintain a low debt-to-income ratio.
Maintaining a clean online reputation and a good credit score can both be very effective when it comes to impressing potential employers. Keep a close eye on your online presence, present yourself professionally and address any negative information about you online to make yourself more credible in the eyes of employers. If you feel your credit history could be holding you back too, try to do all you can to improve it.
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