Computer-Mediated Careers

Managing Online Exposures & Composing Professional Identities

By Abram Anders

Computer-Mediated Careers

• 45% of employers research potential job candidates online

• Social and networking activities increasingly take place on the internet

• Information about us is readily available• Additional information is published and

reported everyday

The Benefit: Take Control

• Whether we like it or not, we all have computer-mediated careers.

• We can take control of these “digital exposures” by taking an active role in the composition of our online identities.The internet can be a tool for creating and advertising the best and brightest versions of “Who we already are!”

The Problem: Digital Exposures

• Anyone can publish a piece of information referencing your name

• It is difficult to control, appeal, or remove information posted on the internet

• Internet search results form an effectively permanent and easily accessible public record of your life

The LAST thing your should do is stick your head in the sand …

You won’t have a good view, and no else will get a good view of you.

Look ahead, think ahead, and prepare:•Start EARLY•Be PRO-ACTIVE•Take CONTROL of your online Identity

The Solution: Self-Advertise

• Use the internet to Advertise and Distribute information about your strengths, experiences, activities, and background.

• Focus ATTENTION on the positives by “owning” the high-traffic real-estate of 1st page search results.

• Showcase many different perspectives and sources of information about you!

Get ATTENTION•SHOW many different sides of Yourself•Be PROUD of the image you Present•ATTRACT potential Employers and professional Contacts

Get Specific: Be Proactive

• Google results = open source “e-resume”– Maximize Positives: Pro-actively Publish!– Minimize Negatives: Clean-up, remove, revise

• E-portfolios and E-profiles = “e-cover letter”– Take Control: provide a positive frame/context for

your online identity– Get Attention: create a consistent brand, provide

up to date information

Further Action: Use Tips/Tools

• Create a google profile• Submit personal sites to google search• Use developer tools like google analytics• Publicize, cross-link, add meta-data• Make the most of web and social services– Use privacy settings and filters– Stream feeds to your personal site

Enjoy the view from top•Get to the top of the search results •Get a TOP JOB

Get Results: Summary

• The Benefit: Take Control• The Problem: Digital Exposures• The Solution: Self-Advertise• Get Specific: Be Proactive• Further Action: Use Tips/Tools

References and Resources

• Careerbuilder.com: Employer Survey Results• Archive.org: Internet WayBackMachine• NPR.org: The Virtue of Hitting ‘Delete’ …• Google.com: Managing Reputation & Search Results• PenelopeTrunk.com: Cleaning up online/offline identity• Texas Instruments: Ethics Test / Employee Guidelines• Google.com: Google Profile• Google.com: Submit Your Site• Google.com: Google Analytics

Credits• Image 1: “Ostrich”

http://www.chrisrue.com/funcave/graphics/ostrich.jpg• Image 2: “Peacock”

http://www.animalpicturegallery.net/animal-picture-peacock-Laurence-Shan.jpg

• Image 3: “Trump Towers View” http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/04/0404_viewsfromtop/source/1.htm

Computer-Mediated Careers

by Abram Anders is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.