To remind people to google yourselves and manage your online image!!

[MoanaMum]

I am currently recruiting for two high profile posts in our company. I've had some great CVs and applications through, but if candidates think we won't google people and check social media they are a bit naive, and unfortunately it can really change the impression a potential employer is left with. So if you are looking for jobs, take a moment to go through what your FB page looks like from an outsider, your twitter, etc and do google your name!! Just come across one which, well, just wow!!

192.com comes up for my address from 18 years ago. And then as my last name is a town in the UK, it comes up with random people from that town 😐. Photos have nothing to do with me on images.

Hadn’t even mentioned the weather or gerbils or something. Just being real and hamsters.

God, I really need a link now.

This is why I don't do social media, can't abide the thought of people snooping on me to pick out my less flattering moments from the past.

I work in a sector where people approach me all the time for spotlighting. You would not believe what some of them think it’s ok to have as part of their public image. Like I’m going to associate my business with theirs if the public face of it is pro-Brexit ranting on Twitter 😂

I am the only one with my name in the world it seems.

Took me to pg 7 of google hits to find a hit that wasn't about me and even then it's just that my last name is the something else in a different language.

They're all either work related (current and old jobs) or running (I am a keen and competitive runner). Quite a few images, but nothing I'm embarrassed about (aside from them being 20 years old!). No videos and a few news articles (running not work).

I've been employed since I was 21 (now 47) so I think I'm ok!

If you google me then I’m in jail for fraud except it’s not me but someone with same name!

I can be found on the internet - in a telephone directory, under only one address which I moved out of 20 years ago My name is common as a common thing, there are dozens in my borough alone, and nearly all of them aren't me, funnily enough. By the law of averages some of them may have done stuff they shouldn't. To be fair, any prospective employer who is put off by a random bod having the same ludicrously common name as a job applicant is too dumb for me to want to work for them anyway.

OP, I work in banking and I certainly don’t take your approach. I’m recruiting for people with personality who are three dimensional, not “attention to detail is my biggest weakness” robot types

googling me makes me look like a saint. Few articles from charity work I've been involved in, couple of awards and my works website. I don't use my real name on any social media and have my settings really high.

Is it possible to hide yourself? and why would? you Perfectly possible to hide yourself, I hide my social media because I work and volunteer with vulnerable people and I have to be careful to maintain professional boundaries, which is easier if they can't find me online.

@Buildalegohouse no mystery. She wasn't recruiting as in her being a teacher/governor/member of staff, she was a pupil. Lots of them were involved - interview panels, looking after them and showing them round on the day etc. It was a very, very open process, the whole school and all the parents had been told it was happening, and all year groups were involved in the interviews. DD wanted to know what school she would be coming from, and hoped that she would get the job because she had liked her - that was all we were trying to find out. Literally 'will the lovely person have to move house to come and work here'? She actually seemed really nice in the video - I personally would have removed it once the need for it was gone though. It wasn't Love Island or anything, it was respectable!

Just checked my facebook under 'view as' and as anticipated there is nothing on me as I have it fairly locked down.

Generally I don't show up anywhere on the internet (but for several obituaries for namesakes) which I am finding unaccountably sad

Sad not because of the obits for namesakes, but because it appears that I don't exist!

Nothing comes up for Facebook and you have to search using my actual Twitter username rather than my name and I made a spelling mistake in that! If you do find me there are lots and lots of pictures of my cat!

I appear to have no online presence whatsoever, even though I’m on Facebook 🤷🏻‍♀️

Googled my name once

Among the people sharing it are
A US Lawyer
A Murderer (murdered her own DM)
and
A Clothing Designer

I've just googled myself - lots of other people with my (married) name but I don't pop up 😅 Only one mention under my previous name but it's a professional website with nothing other than my name on the page (they really should update their website - I've been married 10 years and not involved with their work for about 7 years!). So far, so good!

I seem to share the name of a celebrities wife so just lots of pictures of her. Great decoy

What happens if you, as recruiters, google a closed to the public Facebook account of somebody ? Often wondered about that one.

Well, I have quite an unusual name but there are a couple of other people out there with the same name. Don't assume it is the same person!

I have a very unique surname because when I got married I double-barrelled my already uncommon name with my husband's (in fact I once put it into a site that tells you how many others share your name and there was noone else). When I type it into google the only info you can find is of my camera club activities (competitions, minutes of meetings and stuff like that) and a few of my early efforts that I thought were great but looking back are terrible photos because they're too dark. I don't mind people/prospective employers finding this info though because it's a hobby that hopefully shows I have interests and successes outside of work. I do have a Facebook and a Flickr page but neither are in my real name and my fb page is as private as I can make it.

My name's not uncommon.Over 100 of us with my first and surname.
Even so all my social media accounts are private and I'm very careful with privacy and security settings eg making sure I'm not searchable. I personally can't stand the thought of people I meet through work being able to google me and look at public facebook or instagram posts about my family and private life. I work for a local authority in an advisory / support function and meet some vulnerable people often people with mental health issues. It's important to me to protect my privacy and that of my family. Plus, the thought of old school & uni acquaintances and ex colleagues being able to casually pry in to my private life also makes me cringe!!!

very old photobucket account

I had totally forgotten all about Photobucket.
Made me remember another one once popular, Faceparty

@Blostma why were you able to know the names of candidates your DD was considering for interview? That is an appalling breach of data protection and if discovered, your DD would be guilty of gross misconduct.

My social media is all under different names. Only thing which comes up via google is an industry award I won.

Made me remember another one once popular, Faceparty

Bebo and MySpace ....