WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.539 Estimated Runtime: ~10 minutes 00:00:01.639 --> 00:00:03.179 Tone: Eye-opening, slightly urgent — like a security briefing for your 00:00:03.279 --> 00:00:04.818 reputation 00:00:04.918 --> 00:00:06.458 Here's something that happens every single time you're being considered for a 00:00:06.558 --> 00:00:08.097 job. Someone Googles you. Every. Single. Time. The recruiter who reviews your 00:00:08.197 --> 00:00:09.737 application — they Google you. The hiring manager who's deciding whether to 00:00:09.837 --> 00:00:11.376 bring you in for a final round — they Google you. The CEO who approves your 00:00:11.476 --> 00:00:13.016 offer — they might Google you. 00:00:13.116 --> 00:00:14.655 And what they find creates an impression that you never get to explain or 00:00:14.755 --> 00:00:16.295 contextualize. Whatever shows up on page one of Google IS your brand, whether 00:00:16.395 --> 00:00:17.934 you curated it or not. 00:00:18.034 --> 00:00:19.574 Today we're doing a full digital presence audit. We're going to see what the 00:00:19.674 --> 00:00:21.214 world sees when they search for you, and then we're going to make sure it tells 00:00:21.314 --> 00:00:22.853 the right story. 00:00:22.953 --> 00:00:24.493 Step one. Open an incognito browser window. Search your full name. Then search 00:00:24.593 --> 00:00:26.132 your name plus your current city. Then your name plus your profession. See what 00:00:26.232 --> 00:00:27.772 comes up. 00:00:27.872 --> 00:00:29.411 For most people, the results fall into three categories. LinkedIn — hopefully 00:00:29.511 --> 00:00:31.051 your optimized profile from the last lesson. Social media — Facebook, Instagram, 00:00:31.151 --> 00:00:32.690 Twitter. And random results — old blog posts, news mentions, directory listings, 00:00:32.790 --> 00:00:34.330 maybe results for other people with the same name. 00:00:34.430 --> 00:00:35.969 Now, evaluate each result through the lens of a hiring manager. Does this 00:00:36.069 --> 00:00:37.609 reinforce my professional brand? Is it neutral? Or does it actively hurt me? 00:00:37.709 --> 00:00:39.248 Anything in that third category needs to be addressed. 00:00:39.348 --> 00:00:40.888 Check Google Images too. Your visual presence matters. If the first image 00:00:40.988 --> 00:00:42.528 associated with your name is a party photo from 2014, that's a problem 00:00:42.628 --> 00:00:44.167 regardless of context. 00:00:44.267 --> 00:00:45.807 Then check each social media platform individually. What's publicly accessible? 00:00:45.907 --> 00:00:47.446 Facebook privacy settings are notoriously complex. Instagram might show things 00:00:47.546 --> 00:00:49.086 you forgot about. Twitter is almost entirely public. Go through each one and 00:00:49.186 --> 00:00:50.725 tighten privacy settings on anything that isn't brand-consistent. 00:00:50.825 --> 00:00:52.365 Now let's go on offense. The best defense against negative or irrelevant search 00:00:52.465 --> 00:00:54.004 results is to create so many positive, professional results that they push 00:00:54.104 --> 00:00:55.644 everything else down. 00:00:55.744 --> 00:00:57.283 The single highest-leverage action you can take is building a personal website. 00:00:57.383 --> 00:00:58.923 And I know what you're thinking — that sounds complicated. It's not. A 00:00:59.023 --> 00:01:00.562 single-page site with your name, photo, bio, resume download, and contact info 00:01:00.662 --> 00:01:02.202 can be built in under an hour using free tools like WordPress, Squarespace, or 00:01:02.302 --> 00:01:03.842 even a simple Google Sites page. 00:01:03.942 --> 00:01:05.481 Why does this matter? Because when someone Googles you, a site with YourName dot 00:01:05.581 --> 00:01:07.121 com shows up near the top. And it tells the story YOU want to tell, not whatever 00:01:07.221 --> 00:01:08.760 the internet has decided to surface. 00:01:08.860 --> 00:01:10.400 Beyond that, consider platforms relevant to your field. If you're in tech, a 00:01:10.500 --> 00:01:12.039 maintained GitHub profile demonstrates your skills better than any resume 00:01:12.139 --> 00:01:13.679 bullet. If you're in design, Behance or Dribbble. If you're in writing or 00:01:13.779 --> 00:01:15.318 content, a Medium publication or personal blog. 00:01:15.418 --> 00:01:16.958 The key is consistency. Use the same professional photo across all platforms. 00:01:17.058 --> 00:01:18.597 Use the same bio — adapted for length but consistent in message. Your through 00:01:18.697 --> 00:01:20.237 line from Lesson One should be visible everywhere someone encounters you online. 00:01:20.337 --> 00:01:21.876 Your digital presence isn't a set-it-and-forget-it project. Set up Google Alerts 00:01:21.976 --> 00:01:23.516 for your name so you're notified whenever new results appear. Review your social 00:01:23.616 --> 00:01:25.156 media settings quarterly — platforms change their privacy policies regularly. 00:01:25.256 --> 00:01:26.795 And be intentional about what you create going forward. Every post, every 00:01:26.895 --> 00:01:28.435 comment, every article is adding to your digital footprint. Ask yourself before 00:01:28.535 --> 00:01:30.074 you publish anything: would I be comfortable if a potential employer saw this? 00:01:30.174 --> 00:01:31.714 Your digital presence is your brand's first impression. Audit it, clean it, 00:01:31.814 --> 00:01:33.353 build it strategically, and maintain it. Next lesson, we'll complete your brand 00:01:33.453 --> 00:01:34.993 toolkit with the one skill everyone needs but few master — the thirty-second 00:01:35.093 --> 00:01:36.632 pitch.