These days, Googling the name of a potential employee or new acquaintance is practically second nature; we’ve all done it. But when was the last time you performed a Google search on your own name? If you’re like many people, you maybe did it once but then haven’t given it a second thought since. This is one of those situations, however, where what you don’t know can hurt you.
The reality is that people are looking you up online and making decisions based on what they find. If the search results—which essentially form your online reputation—accurately reflect you and your personal brand, you’re in good shape. But if those results are negative or nonexistent, this can have a detrimental impact on your professional life.