Essentially, your whole online presence—all of the posts, images, data, and other content you upload, whether on deliberately or not—is your “digital footprint.” People can learn more about you the more information you post online. This might become an issue if, for example, your supervisor comes across offensive posts on social media or your bank account details are stolen. Fortunately, presenting a great online image only requires a few easy steps, so get started right away!
1. Search yourself online to see what comes up.
To properly manage your digital footprint, you must be fully aware of what it is. Try doing a couple different searches for yourself to see what comes up. Make a note of anything that seems dubious or unprofessional and that you would like to change or improve.
Go beyond Google or Yahoo’s first page. Turn through a few pages to truly understand the outcomes that emerge.
Set up a Google alert for your own name if you want to truly monitor your internet visibility. In this manner, you’ll be notified if something online mentions you.
2. Delete anything that doesn’t portray you well.
You may come across some amateurish posts while you look for yourself. This implies that anybody could be able to view them, which could be detrimental to both your personal and professional lives. Put everything away as quickly as you can. They won’t be seen by others such as superiors or possible employers in this way.
Generally speaking, objectionable content consists of swearing, lewd images, alcohol consumption, and nasty remarks. If these appear, remove them, and refrain from posting more in the future.
It’s not always in your control to determine what appears online. For more assistance, get in touch with the search engine displaying the results and request that it be removed. You can report private or personal information that appears on Google, for instance, by going to https://support.google.com/legal/answer/3110420?visit_id=637400173194920762-1498842875&rd=1.For Yahoo, go to https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN4530.html to see a similar procedure.
Keep in mind that something doesn’t disappear completely from the internet just because you remove it from a search engine. You’ll need to get in touch with the site administrator to remove it from the publication site as it will still appear there.
3. Stay professional whenever you post something online.
The best advice is to “Think before you post”. Consider the full impact of your postings and share only content that presents you in a favorable, professional light. In this manner, you won’t have to worry about feeling ashamed if your relatives or possible employers view your posts.
If you’re upset or feeling angry, try not to publish anything. It’s possible that you’re not considering the wider ramifications of your words.
Get a few people’s thoughts before posting anything online if you’re not sure if it’s proper. It’s preferable not to upload it if they claim it’s not professional.
4. Shut down profiles or accounts you don’t use anymore.
Maintaining accounts that you don’t use is pointless. The amount of information available online about you only grows as a result of having all these accounts open. Any accounts you no longer use should be closed or deleted because doing so clutters your internet profile.
Generally speaking, sharing photos or posts on other platforms does not disappear when an account is deleted. You may need to get in touch with the platform where something was shared if you wish to get rid of it.
5. Update the information on your professional online profiles.
Presenting a professional image is one aspect of having a solid digital footprint. This implies that the profiles and accounts you do use ought to be current and accurate. In order to provide correct information to colleagues or prospective employers, go through your accounts and update any outdated information.
For instance, be careful to include your contact details and current employment on your LinkedIn profile. If not, prospective employers might be unable to locate you.
This isn’t usually required, particularly for accounts that aren’t professional. For example, it’s not always necessary for your Twitter followers to know your workplace.
