Whether you are someone searching for a job, or someone who has been in the same career for decades, you are aware of the ups and downs of the job market. Things have been harder for workers, and there are more reasons than just employment rates. Getting and keeping quality employment in the twenty-first century is about more than what you know. Employment now is about how you got there, what is your “value added”, and how do you impact the bottom line. If you’re a seeker or a clinger in the job field, your reputation will be the deciding factor to your success.

For individuals, your reputation picks up where your resume left off. A resume is information, designed to sell you, created by you. The problem is people have gotten used to being sold. Along with this immunity comes global speculation that inside every pitch (in this case your resume) there is a little larceny. More and more employers are turning to the web to research their current and prospective employees. Have you ever considered what they might find about you?

There was a day when businesses had to hire investigators or research firms to find information. This deterred them a bit. In the Internet and search engine age, employers consider themselves an amateur Dick Tracy. Most Americans have a few pieces of information readily available on the Internet. This can include basic demographic information like physical address and phone number. Any News where your name was used may also come up. Have you worked for a company where you were listed on the website? You may not realize you have. Having done work on a document displayed on the corporation’s website may affiliate you with that company, even if you are no longer employed there. Document properties are a tricky thing.

Based off that list, you may feel pretty good. You’ve never been in the news, your address is on your application, and although you have a few documents on another company site, everything is spelled correctly, and they’ve never been in the news for anything sketchy.

However, most don’t think about their social media accounts because they are password protected. Much of social media is indexed by search engines, though. This means that a search for your name may return a picture of you that was tagged on a friend’s page. Posts that others have made referencing you may come up as well. Suddenly, things seem a little out of your grasp.

The bottom line is that everyone could benefit from some work on their reputation. As companies create committees of engineers to look at lean procedures and productivity, everyone should be sure that they look as strong as possible. We will highlight your positives, and help to remove incorrect information so you present your reputation at its best.

Can you really afford to be without reputation management?