This is part three of a four post series on building your online reputation. Jay's other posts are available on maintaining your online reputation through proper name conventions and LinkedIn.
By Jay Buerck
When it comes to your online reputation, you can never occupy too much space. Controlling the conversation about you online can be the difference between an interview and being stuck at the bottom of the resume pile.
It is said that over 59% of hiring managers are persuaded by your online reputation. Why not start today by obtaining and creating a clean Twitter account?
Twitter is an excellent tool to help build up your online reputation and brand while on the job hunt. If you haven’t already, you should go find out if @yourname is still available.
A Twitter account is an effective tool in protecting your online reputation. For a search involving “Your Name”, your Twitter account will almost always be one of the top 10 results in no time.
If @yourname isn’t available, no worries, you can always use some variation of your name. Simply having your real name as owner and in your profile’s bio will help your profile rank well.
When you have claimed your Twitter account, be sure you choose your avatar wisely, follow industry leaders, and keep your tweets professional.
Keep Your Avatar Professional
Choosing your Twitter avatar is extremely important on Twitter while on the job hunt. Just as you wouldn’t show up to a job interview in flip flops and a Hawaiian shirt, you wouldn’t want your avatar to be less than professional thus causing the hiring manager to skip over you.
Your twitter profile could be your first impression so keeping your avatar professional is in your best interest. This doesn’t mean it has to be devoid of personality. Use your best judgment when choosing your picture.
Who You Follow and What You Say
Avoid sharing inappropriate materials or using profanity on this twitter account. If you find it necessary to be controversial you should consider setting up a separate Twitter account without using your real name or setting your account to private.
If you choose to set up a separate account, be sure you do not use your real name when setting this up, otherwise it will begin indexing for your name anyway.
You can still have fun with Twitter and express yourself but operating without a filter can be just as damaging to your online reputation. While social media profiles are a great source of showing the world who you are, if you are on the job hunt, be sure to exercise caution and use them to your advantage.
Jay Buerck is the COO of an Online Reputation Management company and has worked as an online marketing specialist for over 8 years including stints with 3 Inc. 500 Award Companies. You can find more great tips and strategies by following him on Twitter (@jaybuerck).
