subject: When Was The Last Time You Googled Yourself? [print this page] When Was The Last Time You Googled Yourself?
Have you Googled yourself lately?
I am sure you have
And what did you find?
No dont tell me. But, you know that only if the results are other than Facebook, Twitter & other social networking sites then you are talking!
In my talks I have emphasized that in the times to come & may be much earlier, your CV will NOT be on an A4-sized paper or a Word file where you list all your past & present activities, qualification, professional experience, extra-curricular activities etc.
You will be Googled'.
And whatever the results say about you, will be considered the truth': Nothing but the truth!
Even today this is true. Companies, big & small, make it a point to check out your bio on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc and check & observe what sort of a person you are and how you carry yourself' in the online world. And are you really worth hiring.
Online world is now no different than the real world. In fact, your online world IS your real world.
Everyone knows what you did last evening. Even if you don't want to tell them, your friends' will. Not by talking about it maybe, but tagging you in videos and pictures etc., telling the whole world what you have been up to.
You have real friends online who you interact with on a daily or even hourly-basis. Every word you ever said on the Internet REMAINS there forever. Yes, it may sound a little too scary, but it is the sad truth.
I recently watched BBC's "The Virtual Revolution" on an Emirates flight, whereDr Aleks Rotoski did a remarkable job of explaining how things work in the online world and what is the cost of free' that we all are paying. Interesting point of view & amust-watch for everyone.
Most of us do not even think before posting stuff & comments on our walls & statuses or even on friends' wall, yet these are the very things that could haunt you, much later in life or maybe Forever?
You must have heard that employees have been fired or refused insurance claims based on their activities online. A little research here & there could reveal what you are or have been up to. Hence, enjoy yourself, but BE CAREFUL.
You dont have to be looking for a job to have better search results for yourself. Imagine you meeting someone interesting at an event or a conference, party, meeting, lunch/dinner. Imagine him/her giving you a business card which only mentions the persons nameAnd beneath it says:
Google Me!
Can you say this for yourself?
And
If someone Googles you, would you be satisfied at what he or she would find?
If you are, hats off to you!
If not, are you working on it'? The best time to work on it is NOW!
