What Does Your Online Portfolio Say About You?

The Internet generation is hearing a new tip from career counselors: check out your online presence. First, rethink everything that you have control over, such as your MySpace or Facebook page or a blog you write and decide whether you should leave in those drunk photos and rants about your boyfriend. Next, check your name on the MySpace and Facebook sites to see whether other people have posted information about you. Last, google yourself, and that means do a search not just on Google but on other major search engines as well, like Yahoo, Ask and Dogpile. And don’t forget YouTube.

While you can remove damaging material from your own sites and ask your friends to please remove any offending information about you as well, you may not be able to do much about the rest of your online image. For example, if a Google search reveals something you once posted on a message board or you comment on a public blog, you’ll probably have to live with it. You may find it useful to be proactive and mention anything really glaring to the salon owner interviewing you. Before you do, though, have a reasonable, and truthful, explanation ready.

Even if your name is not that common, you may discover that there are lots of “you” out there. If one person with your name seems to stand out and does not have a positive Google image - for example, if an arrest was involved - you may want to mention that in an interview or cover letter as well.

One way to combat any negative presence is to begin building a positive one. Start a blog, or contribute to an easily searched blog, that focuses on industry-related topics like hair, skin care and fashion, or on a noncontroversial passion you may have such as healthy eating, exercise or gardening. Eventually these newer posts may show up higher on the search engines than the ones you’d rather forget.

You may also need to professionalize your email address. A simple address with your first and last name will look better than ihatebeautyschool@yahoo.com. If you already have something positive about being a cosmetologist, that’s probably fine and could be a plus depending on the salon owner’s sense of humor.