The phrase “Google yourself” has become one of the digital age’s top guilty pleasures. Although many do it, few admit it. Or do they? Recently a survey was performed by Microsoft where they found out only 42% of US consumers have used a search engine to find information about them.
While many in the US may not be Googling themselves, apparently the HR industry has picked up the slack where 79% of hiring personnel admit to review online information about job applicants.
The folks at Google are well aware that their site handles millions of vanity searches every day, and that users aren’t always thrilled about the results that pop up when they Google themselves. So to give people a bit more control over search results, Google recently introduced a feature called “Google profiles,” where users can create a thumbnail of personal information that appears at the bottom of U.S. name-query search pages. Once users create a Google profile, their name, occupation and location (and photo if they choose) appears in a box on the first page of the search results for their name. Next to the thumbnail info, there’s a link to a full Google profile page that in many ways resembles a Facebook page.
While you may not Google yourself, others are. So be aware of what you have displayed and be proactive in your search results by creating a Google profile to show off your good qualities. You don’t want those crazy photos showing up which could cost you that dream job!!
