Estimated Runtime: ~10 minutes
Tone: Eye-opening, slightly urgent — like a security briefing for your
reputation
Here's something that happens every single time you're being considered for a
job. Someone Googles you. Every. Single. Time. The recruiter who reviews your
application — they Google you. The hiring manager who's deciding whether to
bring you in for a final round — they Google you. The CEO who approves your
offer — they might Google you.
And what they find creates an impression that you never get to explain or
contextualize. Whatever shows up on page one of Google IS your brand, whether
you curated it or not.
Today we're doing a full digital presence audit. We're going to see what the
world sees when they search for you, and then we're going to make sure it tells
the right story.
Step one. Open an incognito browser window. Search your full name. Then search
your name plus your current city. Then your name plus your profession. See what
comes up.
For most people, the results fall into three categories. LinkedIn — hopefully
your optimized profile from the last lesson. Social media — Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter. And random results — old blog posts, news mentions, directory listings,
maybe results for other people with the same name.
Now, evaluate each result through the lens of a hiring manager. Does this
reinforce my professional brand? Is it neutral? Or does it actively hurt me?
Anything in that third category needs to be addressed.
Check Google Images too. Your visual presence matters. If the first image
associated with your name is a party photo from 2014, that's a problem
regardless of context.
Then check each social media platform individually. What's publicly accessible?
Facebook privacy settings are notoriously complex. Instagram might show things
you forgot about. Twitter is almost entirely public. Go through each one and
tighten privacy settings on anything that isn't brand-consistent.
Now let's go on offense. The best defense against negative or irrelevant search
results is to create so many positive, professional results that they push
everything else down.
The single highest-leverage action you can take is building a personal website.
And I know what you're thinking — that sounds complicated. It's not. A
single-page site with your name, photo, bio, resume download, and contact info
can be built in under an hour using free tools like WordPress, Squarespace, or
even a simple Google Sites page.
Why does this matter? Because when someone Googles you, a site with YourName dot
com shows up near the top. And it tells the story YOU want to tell, not whatever
the internet has decided to surface.
Beyond that, consider platforms relevant to your field. If you're in tech, a
maintained GitHub profile demonstrates your skills better than any resume
bullet. If you're in design, Behance or Dribbble. If you're in writing or
content, a Medium publication or personal blog.
The key is consistency. Use the same professional photo across all platforms.
Use the same bio — adapted for length but consistent in message. Your through
line from Lesson One should be visible everywhere someone encounters you online.
Your digital presence isn't a set-it-and-forget-it project. Set up Google Alerts
for your name so you're notified whenever new results appear. Review your social
media settings quarterly — platforms change their privacy policies regularly.
And be intentional about what you create going forward. Every post, every
comment, every article is adding to your digital footprint. Ask yourself before
you publish anything: would I be comfortable if a potential employer saw this?
Your digital presence is your brand's first impression. Audit it, clean it,
build it strategically, and maintain it. Next lesson, we'll complete your brand
toolkit with the one skill everyone needs but few master — the thirty-second
pitch.