Oftentimes, when preparing for a job interview or college interview, applicants put together their resumes and are prepared to answer any questions the interviewer may ask.
However, something that often flies under the radar is a deep dive regarding the interviewee’s background, specifically their digital footprint and online history.
Maintaining a clean digital footprint is essential, because although someone may text or post certain things deemed offensive to some people and think nothing of it, this may come back to haunt them in the future.
Whether it is a background check by a company you are applying for a job from, or a family member that is running for political office, the public will often use social media as a convenient and easily accessible first impression.
What one shares online is often viewed as a personal representation of the individual, so it is crucial to maintain a presence online that you view as a positive representation of yourself.
With new popular social media trends rising weekly and circulating the internet, it is crucial to maintain an appropriate social media presence.
From identity theft to a ruined reputation, saying the wrong thing online can destroy not only a select individual, but others around them as well.
Anything said online can be used against you in the future, sometimes even in court. Your texts, posts, comments, likes and other interactions online can even be used against you as evidence in the legal system, so it is advisable to maintain a professional presence online.
By doing so, you can protect the reputations of yourself as well as the people around you.
However, there are ways to maintain a clean social media presence. You can start off by running a Google search of your name. If anything that you would not want a future employer or admissions officer to see appears, delete it. The same goes for any unwanted social media accounts as well.
Whether in person or on social media, it’s good practice in general to always think before you speak or post online, be respectful and kind, and be mindful of your professional and personal reputation.