What is Internet Identity?
"Internet Identity" is an individual's cyber (internet) presence. Information, good or bad, is now accessible in cyber space by anyone with access to the internet. Today more than ever, you can and should be in control of your internet identity.
Establishing a positive internet identity that will help professionals in their career for years to come is not only a goal, but a necessity. Being aware of your internet identity is part of managing your future: you want to know what you are going to address and be prepared for it.
A recent survey published by ExecuNet, Inc. states that 83% of recruiters are using search engines to investigate prospective employees. It goes further to show that 43% have eliminated a candidate based on what that search turned up. Your internet presence is something with which you should be intimately familiar and of which you have control. If a hiring manager is going to use a search engine to verify information or learn more, what are they going to find? "Digital dirt" comes in all shapes and sizes and can be very damaging to your initial impression. It can be a photo opportunity with a disreputable personality, a biased, political posting on a website, or a blog detailing your personal life or professional grievances. Another possibility is that someone who bears your name may be painting an unfavorable picture with controversial publications or a criminal background.
There is another aspect to the management of your internet identity that you should consider as well. If you aren't aware of what is being seen on the internet, you will probably not be told. David Perry, of Perry-Martel International, has said, "There have been instances where I found unusual things about a candidate and said, 'What were you thinking?" He recalls an instance in which a potential employer found some extreme, anti-George Bush comments posted by one of his candidates. "Those postings cost him a $108,000 a year job, but of course, you can't tell the candidate these things." As Jack Vonder Heide, CEO of Technology Briefing Centers, Inc., states, "Approaching a candidate with dirt opens the door to discrimination suits. The hiring manager is safer using the 'other candidates more closely met the requirements of the position' line."
As you can see, internet identity is a concern for high level executives, mid-level managers, and up-and-coming professionals. People from all walks of life and organizations from all industries must be in control of the information in the public domain. For example, consumers are likely to use the internet to verify the credential and track record of real estate agents before deciding upon one. Before purchasing a car, buyers are likely to check safety reports and research pricing before making a decision - the outcome of those searches may be the deciding factor. Knowing what information is out there is vital to being successful.
If negative acts or experiences dominate your internet presence, you want to bury it deep beneath the exemplary credentials you possess that may have not yet promoted. Your internet identity is the opportunity to show who you are and what you are capable of achieving.