What The Internet Says About You

When was the last time you Googled yourself? What does the Internet say about you? What is your “digital footprint?” If your answer to any of those questions was “I don't know,” you might want to take a minute and Google yourself. You'll be surprised about what you find: a comment posted on someone's profile, a tweet sent out in the middle of the night, or, as in my case, the results of my first track & field meeting during my senior year of high school (spoiler alert: I did not do well). Everything we do online (and sometimes offline) leaves a “digital footprint.” All that information is readily available for anyone looking, and it doesn't ever go away.

A recent survey published by Careerbuilder showed that over 70% of employers are looking at this digital footprint before deciding to hire someone or not. Employers are combing through the most popular social media sites, and also using search engines like Google and Yahoo to find out those things that nobody would bring up during a job interview.

But, according to Wake Forest University Business School Professor, Michelle Horton, not all hope is lost.

“If you are doing community service, if you are out in the community doing great things, if you are in clubs and organizations, and you are demonstrating your leadership skills and capabilities and they are seeing that then can actually enhance and contribute to getting an offer.”

It is often said that you cannot judge a book by its cover. When it comes to the Internet, however, it seems like we are all constantly being observed and judged by what we choose to put out there. Our digital covers.