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Of course now I'm really wondering how many, if any, employers or agencies even do look up any info on prospective employees.
Actually a huge percentage of employers Google potential employees, before officially offering a job. Don't underestimate the practice - it's definitely wide spread.
About the only things you can find by googling my name are my Amazon profile and my Facebook profile (which is super private so you can't see anything except the bare bones unless you're my friend). Hell if you search my name in the White Pages, I'm not there.
If you're smart about how you use the internet, the only potential employers who could really dig some dirt up on you would be the CIA or NSA.
My name is so common that they would have to search through about 11 pages of stuff before they got to a little blurb that has my husband and me listed as getting a marriage license in Wichita Falls TX. I don't have a facebook or Myspace account.
I think it's interesting that so many of you don't want to be found, and are proud of being invisible on the web.
Personally I want to be found! When you search for my name all sorts of good stuff pops up, and that's good for me, and good for anyone who is researching me and my history.
I have a friend who has a job that requires her to be completely invisible on the web - and for good reason. But for just about anyone else, your name popping up in a search, as long as it's connected to something positive, won't hurt you - it can only help you.
In fact, if I Google someone, and nothing pops up? That's a little funny to me? Most people, living ordinary lives, are going to show up in a search, for something. If you don't show up at all, that's just a little bit off to me, and makes me wonder how you've been able to avoid it?
You also do not need to use your real name. My FB page is not under my real name. In part, this is for increased privacy (not just career-wise, I don't care to have people I went to high school with that I've never made an effort to re-connect with searching me out either). Also, if I wanted to use FB for professional reasons, I can go and create a page under my real name.
FB for professional reasons ==== linkedin.
Anyway, I don't understand what everyone is so paranoid about either.
When potential employers search for me all they are going to find is my awesome projects/nerdism and greatness so more power to them. Search away! I don't come cheap anyway.
To agree with previous posters though, if you aren't aware of what can be found with google--good or bad, then yea, I agree I'd want to hire/interview people that are more "Internet aware". This doesn't apply just to the Internet.
However, I don't disagree with a previous poster that said they wouldn't work with a doctor that didn't embrace technology (or something along those lines). My dad is in construction and he knows his stuff. He is completely computer illiterate and no desire to learn. He doesn't have to, either. In all honesty, he has no business using a computer (I know a lot of people like this lol). Conversely, I have no business operating construction equipment.
We all have our place.
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