Cleanse up your online reputation

What can you do if you need to clean up your internet presence for a job search? Plenty. We’ve outlined each important step that every job seeker should take. You’ll learn how to uncover search results, remove negative content and develop a positive online presence.

But make no mistake: It’s not easy to manage your online reputation. In the next sections we’ll break down several strategies to give you a clean slate and a great reputation.

Start Early

If you’ve just entered the employment market, you may be eager to rush out and apply for jobs right away.Slow down. Consider your online reputation first.

Recruiters and hiring managers will consider your online presence. So if your reputation isn’t up to snuff, employers will take one look at your online reputation and run.

Before you pound the pavement, improve your online presence. But remember this: it takes time and effort to clean up a messy reputation. However, you’ll always see a return on your investment.

Potential employers may not initially check applicants’ online reputations, but they may eventually do so before making an offer.

Google Yourself

Employers will turn to Google to assess your online reputation. That’s why it’s so important to know what they’re likely to find. Here are some quick takeaways from our article about how to Google yourself:

Is it attractive to employers, or could it cause a problem?

Take note of any results that match you, both positive and negative.

Be sure to check out the first few pages (30-40 results) in Google.

List your active profiles as well as any dead ones where you haven’t posted in years. It could be embarrassing if a potential employer finds an old gaming profile you started in high school. If you find things that you don’t like, log in and update or delete old accounts.

You should also examine social media profiles to see how they can be viewed publicly. Most have the option to view a public timeline or offer a “view as” option so you can see how others view your profile.

It’s critical to make note of other people who share your name. They can seriously influence your search results and may confuse potential employers. If you share a name with a criminal, porn star, or other unsavory character, you may have trouble landing a job. Make sure you use an up-to-date photo in all of your professional profiles to help employers suss out which ones belong to you. You can also attempt to drown out the imposters with positive results that are relevant to you (more on that later).

Look for Red Flags

First and foremost, you’ll want to put out the fires. While it’s important to develop a positive online reputation, the first thing you need to do is clean up the bad stuff. Employers are on the hunt for reasons to dismiss your application, so don’t give them any.

Red flags can include:

Embarrassing or inappropriate photos

Negative or inappropriate language or strong opinions

Complaints about current or former employers

Poor grammar or spelling

Association with negative characters

References to illegal activity, drinking, or drug use

Legal challenges

Inconsistencies between your resume and online presence

Any indication that a candidate lacks maturity or good judgement

You must take action if your search results have any of those red flags. Do your best to delete what you control, remove things if you can or bury what you can’t clean up.

Don’t Go Nuclear

Some job seekers decide that their online presence will be too difficult to clean up so they take the nuclear option. They delete their social media accounts, change their last names and obliterate their online identity.

While that approach can disassociate your name from negative content, it’s far more likely to make employers suspicious. Most will wonder why you have no presence online – and they may even question if you have something to hide.

But more importantly, it leaves you with a blank slate. That might sound appealing, but it’s actually dangerous. It means there’s nothing to hold back damaging content should something surface. It’s far better to develop a mostly positive reputation with a few blemishes than to have nothing at all.

Further, a good online reputation isn’t just about cleansing the negative. It’s also important to accentuate the positive. If you delete your entire internet presence, you will give up control of your online reputation as well as your ability to connect. Remember that you can positively interact with recruiters, hiring managers, companies, and others in your network.

Remove Negative Results

Once you know what you’re up against, you’ll need to remove search results from Google if you can. That’s a piece of cake to do on websites, blogs or profiles that you control. However, you may meet resistance if you need to remove content from third party websites.

Take charge of your content

If you’re dealing with comments, posts, or photos that you’ve put up yourself, just log in and delete them. It’s best to completely remove content rather than hide it behind privacy settings. You should also clean up your friends and connections, and review your likes, comments, shares and follows.

Lock down your privacy

Review your privacy settings, and make posts and photos available to friends only. You may even consider filtering your friends into different audiences for different posts. But remember that everything can potentially become public.

Ask friends for help

It’s trickier to remove negative results that other people have shared. Ask friends to take down content that looks unprofessional. Mention that you’re applying for jobs so they’ll be more likely to act quickly for you. If they can’t or won’t, remove the tags and delete the content from your wall.

Politely request removal

Blogs or websites may rank higher on search engines and cause more damage to your reputation. Negative articles and bad reviews can really come back to haunt you and can have potential employers running for the hills. To make matters worse, some website owners will not change or take down content willingly. Tread lightly, be polite, and explain how the content is could hurt your employability. Do not get caught up in demands, and definitely don’t threaten to sue.

Get legal help if necessary

If a gentle approach doesn’t work, you may need to call in some help. Some content is illegal by law. For example, Google may remove sensitive personal information or copyrighted content. Online defamation may be worth pursuing legally, but be careful. You may in fact call attention to the content that you want to clean up.

If you can’t delete embarrassing content completely, don’t worry. You still have options. Even if negative search results persist, it’s entirely possible to bury them with positive content. In most cases, the best course of action is to push down negative search results where nobody will find them.

Push down results with positive content

Let’s face it: it’s usually not possible to delete negative results. However, you can still clean up your online reputation. How? Build a positive brand to push down negative search results on Google. You’ll not only develop a great first impression for recruiters, but you’ll also hold back future negative press. Here are some techniques you can use to do just that.

Be a real person online

It sounds silly, but the best way to establish a positive online reputation is to be active, and be yourself. Use your real name, fill out your social profiles with legitimate information, and use a professional head shot that shows your face.

Get your own domain name

A personal website domain usually costs about $15 per year or less to register. You’ll show that you’re serious about developing a professional brand, and you’ll improve your internet presence.

Link to your positive results

If you found positive results on Google, make sure you link to them. Targets to consider include your portfolio, positive news stories, videos, and more. Link to them on your website, blog, LinkedIn, and anywhere else you find relevant. You’ll show employers (and Google) that these results are important to you.

Create a well informed blog

You don’t have to write weekly essays, but you should develop a blog that shows off your expertise. A blog is an excellent platform to offer commentary on topics that you care about. You’ll show employers that you’re informed, vocal and that you care about what’s happening within your industry.

Establish a social media presence

\If you’re not already on professional and social networks online, now is the time to start. Sign up for LinkedIn, Facebook, Cameron Clokie Twitter, and other social media sites where you can build your personal brand, connect with others, and share links that reflect positively on you.

Be professional online

Show employers that you’re a mature, intelligent candidate. Use proper grammar, be respectful of others, and avoid getting into arguments.

Become active in your community

Volunteer and reach out in your local community, connect with industry influencers, and be publicly active online. Just be sure that your activity is positive and doesn’t throw up any red flags. Back up your activities with photos, posts and other online evidence of your involvement. Connect with influential organizations and associations as well as influencers in your community, and participate in industry conversations on social media and in active networks.

Showcase your skills and interests

Make videos on YouTube, post photos on Flickr, link to accomplishments and interests on Pinterest. Use social accounts to point to what you do best and make sure that employers can find them.

Use LinkedIn effectively

Don’t just sign up and connect with a few people, really use LinkedIn. Share links to your work, join communities, reach out to new contacts. Don’t forget to ask for recommendations as well: these act as virtual references that hiring managers and recruiters love to check out.

Support your resume

Employers are often looking to make sure that what you’ve shared on your resume lines up with your online life, so it helps to leave evidence that you are really doing what you say you’re doing. Add jobs to LinkedIn and Facebook, post photos, links to events, recommendations, and any other indications that your life on your resume accurately reflects your life online.

It may seem like a lot of work to build a great online reputation, and it is. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start small, and take one step at a time to clean up negative or neutral results and replace them with a positive results.

Build a Strong Online Presence

So you’ve filtered out negative results and promoted positive content. But keep in mind that you’re still not done. You’ll need to continue to invest time and effort to keep your internet presence clean. That’s why so many people hire online reputation management services to do the work for them. Don’t throw away your hard work by neglecting your online reputation once you’re happy with it.

How to Choose an ORM CompanyRead the Article

Here are a few more tips to maintain a squeaky clean online reputation.

Watch what you share on social media You should only need to clean up your reputation once. After that, put a filter on your posts to prevent future issues. Think about how your boss, grandmother, or children would feel about what you plan to share.

In the pre-Nintendo 1980s and 1990s era, gaming was home-PC centric with keyboards as the main controlling mechanism. Once Nintendo, Sega, and SONY created their own gaming consoles, keyboards took a backseat to small controllers. Now, though, keyboards are back with a vengeance as the main controlling mechanism for the gaming world. And they’re cool looking, too! Never before has a QWERTY keyboard been so neat to look at, with most gaming keyboards sporting flashy lights and state-of-the-art ergonomic designs. However, with all flashy looks, there is a sinister, grosser side to gaming keyboards, which is that keyboards are home to some of the nastiest bacteria around. How dirty is a computer keyboard? Well, the answer to that begins with understanding how dirty is a toilet.

Alarming amounts of fecal bacteria

Yes, that’s right. Numerous scientific studies have been conducted that confirm the presence of alarming amounts of fecal matter on keyboards. Why? Well, because most people don’t wash their hands enough (or at all) after using the WC. Sad but true. In fact, it has been concluded that the seat of a typical toilet is cleaner than the keys of a typical QWERTY keyboard. Think about that next time you’re typing an email.

This gross information shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of us, though, should it? I mean, how many of us browse on our smartphones while using the loo? The answer is probably close to 100%. Because smartphones aren’t regularly disinfected, fecal matter (though microscopic) continues to live on the surface of our phones, which we touch throughout the day, and therefore transfer fecal matter bacteria to other surfaces, including keyboards . . . which also don’t get cleaned very often (if at all).

How to clean a gaming keyboard

Now, if you’ve reached this point of the blog post and you’re freaking out about the nasty poop germs that reside on your keyboard, that’s a good thing. However, a better thing is to do something about it. Might I suggest using an eco-friendly, tech-friendly disinfectant like Melaleuca Sol-U-Guard to get rid of the WC grossness? Stay away from harmful cleaners that use bleach, because you are going to have your bare skin (fingertips) touching the keyboard.

Conclusion

Even though gaming requires very little movement, it’s amazing how much crap (literally) the gaming experience exposes you to, not to mention the other health risks associated with sitting for so long. However, with just a bit of prevention (hand-washing) and a little disinfecting, you can ensure a safe, clean environment for your gaming life.

If you lived through the 1980s, then you lived through the advent of Nintendo and the introduction of the Mario brothers into the budding world for gamers. But who are these brothers, anyway? And why are they plumbers? Why not some other career? Who are the Super Mario Brothers?

To answer the question, Who are the Super Mario Brothers, let’s do so line by line.

(1) Their names are Mario and Luigi

Mario and Luigi are Italian plumbers and are fraternal twins, which means they’re twins, but look different from each other. Luigi is tall and slender. Mario is short and pudgy.

(2) They are plumbers

According to the video game designer, Shigeru Miyamoto, the plumbing profession was chosen for Mario and Luigi to give the characters a construction trade, similar in thinking as to why Donkey Kong was designed to take place on a construction site. Initially, Mario and Luigi were going to be carpenters, but then designers settled on making them plumbers, because much of the game occurs underground.

(3) They live in New York City

According to the Miyamoto, Mario and Luigi are New York City plumbers of Italian decent.

(4) Luigi is the younger brother

(5) Mario and Luigi’s last name is . . . Mario

Yup, it’s Mario Mario and Luigio Mario, at least according to Miyamoto.

(6) Mario’s first occupation was carpenter

Mario’s first appearance in the video game world was on Donkey Kong, where he is depicted as a carpenter.

(7) Mario and Luigi have had several girlfriends

Mario’s first girlfriend was the damsel in distress, Pauline, from Donkey Kong. He later went after Princess Peach from Super Mario Bros. He also had a fling with Princess Daisy in Super Mario Land, but Princess Daisy is more committed to Luigi.

Conclusion

Although Mario and Luigi began as simple characters in a video game, they have evolved into worldwide pop culture icons.

Finally, the world is starting to figure out that learning through video games doesn’t have to be lame! Why is it that so many people think that good video game entertainment and a good learning experience are mutually exclusive to each other? Perhaps, it began in elementary school when the only “video game” approved by teachers was OREGON TRAIL. (Yup, I just gave away my generation).

A recent NPR piece illuminated the truth that gamers can have a great educational experience even if the game wasn’t “specifically designed” to be an educational game.

If you think about it, it makes sense. Take books, for example. Not all books are written to give you an “educational experience.” However, most parents would be very happy if their child is picked up a book on just about ANYTHING. The process of reading is enough of an educational experience.

The same is true with gaming.

Aside from the fact that many games have a historical context to them (which is, of course, educational), just the process of trying to “do your best” to win, is a good exercise and educational experience. It teaches patience, perseverance, and dedication. It can also help teach goal-keeping, when trying to conquer elements of a game.

There is so much in this world to learn. There’s learning that happens in the classroom and learning that happens outside of the classroom. Frankly, we are CONSTANTLY learning. I contend, that the best learning happens when we actively seek out ways to better ourselves. If the “lesson” is teaching us to be better humans, then ditch the lesson altogether. It’s a wellness paradigm that has served me well and is reflected perfectly in this yoga blog I follow.

So, while the world is shut-down in pandemic mode, perhaps parents should chill out a little more when their kids want to play a video game.

They just might learn something.

You know you’re absolutely dedicated to something when you forget to eat, forgoing food in order to keep doing that “something”, uninterrupted, for as long as possible.

I love gaming as much as the rest of you. However, as much as I love gaming, it will NEVER replace my first love, which is food 🙂

Taking a break for food isn’t just important because you get necessary sustenance, but your body. needs. a. break. from. gaming! (at least, once in a while).

We’ve all read the tragic headlines, but in case you’ve lived in a cave for the past few years, here are a few just to remind you:

Tragic teen gamer dies after ‘playing computer for 22 days in a row’

Teen video game addict dies after marathon session: report

10 Gamers Who Tragically Died Playing Videogames

Gaming, like all addictive activities, is difficult to reign in and control. If we’re not careful, we become so controlled by our gaming habit that it wreaks havoc on our relationships and our wellness.

According to the psychology website, psychguides.com, “video game addiction is a very real problem for many people.”

One sure sign that your addiction is out-of-control is when you fail to eat. If you’ve reached this point, then STOP right now (well, at least finish reading this article and then STOP right now), turn off the computer, stand up, and go for a walk outside. Help your body reset.

Confession time: When I finally accepted that my gaming addiction was out of control, I started attending a yoga studio once a week that I discovered from a local blogger friend who runs the site readysetwellness.com. Yoga has added some much to my life! Yes, it sounds cheesy, but it is true. I am still a gamer as much as ever, but I’ve achieved a balance and sense of self-control that was lacking for YEARS.

Musculoskeletal Issues

When Nintendo dominated the gaming scene of the 1980s and 1990s, the term “Nintendonitis” was coined.  The term describes tendon injuries in the wrists of gamers.  Today, the term has been updated and is called “gamer’s thumb” which is a close cousin to “Blackberry Thumb”.  The best solution is preventative measures which include stretching exercises for fingers before and after gaming sessions.  Gamers might also consider looking for more ergonomically-friendly keyboards and other control devices.

Seizures

In recent years, warning labels have begun to appear for video games and movies that contain high-intensity light effects.  These intense light effects have been documented to trigger epileptic seizures in some children.  The risk is mainly a concern for people who are already predisposed to epilepsy.  The best way for gamers to steer clear of this danger is to maintain a distance of 8-to-10 feet from the screen and wear sunglasses.

Vision Problems

The human eye wasn’t designed for long-term, all-day focus on computer screens.  Yet, this is exactly what gaming does to millions of devoted gamers every day.  Long-term focusing on screens can cause eye strain.  To help mitigate this, gamers should use the 20/20/20 rule: For every 20 minutes of gaming, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.  This will recalibrate your eyes and give them a break.

Obesity

The more you sit, the fatter you get.  This isn’t just a gaming issue, it’s a symptom that our increasingly sedentary society suffers.  Gamers are particularly vulnerable because many of them are sitting all day for work or school and then, upon returning home, will plop into their captain’s chair to launch another four hours of gaming until bedtime, stopping only to eat (while still sitting). 

In addition to its sedentary positioning, gaming also contributes to obesity because the more we sit the more we eat.  So, next time you get situated for a gaming session, keep the chips to a minimum and be sure to stand and stretch every half hour!

Lack of Vitamin D

There’s some truth to the stereotype of gamers being “basement dwellers”. This is simply because gamers typically prefer (and need) a space away from the central activity of the home.  By hiding away in the basement, bedrooms, or anywhere else in the house . . . for hours on end . . . gamers simply don’t get enough sunlight which means they don’t get enough Vitamin D.  Aside from simply heading outdoors more often to get sunlight, alternatives include using supplement Vitamin D.  Some supplements to go after include one of the Melaleuca products Vitality Vitamin D3 or Now-Foods Supplement. Each will give you the necessary Vitamin D boost without heading outdoors.

No game is worth more than your health, so have fun, but be well.