Google yourself

A recent report in the Sunday Times has highlighted a new trend for potential employers in there hiring process, using a search engine to find out information about there potential new employees.

"Mary-Anne sent a perfect CV, properly spell-checked, with her application for a cracking new job as a programmer at a leading computer systems firm. She had the skills, she had the grades, she had the experience from another blue-chip firm.

But when Mary-Anne'’s application arrived, according to a recruitment consultant working with her prospective employer, they ran her name through Google. Up popped something she had not mentioned on her CV. She'd been a contestant in two topless modeling competitions." Sunday Times (2006)

The reason she was refused an inteview was the company had so many applicants with similar strengths the selection process was difficult, so any thing that was a potential complicating factor was used to reduce the list to a select few.

Even if nothing turns up on Google it can have an adverse effect on your potential job application

“'There are people who come up with nothing on Google and I think that’s a bit weird,' said one headhunter with a top London firm". Sunday Times (2006)

This again shows the importance of having an on-line presence, if it is the difference between getting a job an not, your blog etc may become more important and should be more carefully thought about when you go to upload that picture of your self drunk at a family party

Google is a library of everything published by the individual on-line and if you have done something in life that may lead to later embarrassment no doubt Google will find it. So if Google can find it potential employers can to, so what to do next, Google yourself and see what you find.