On-line blogs, 'hilarious' photos of you on Flickr, and dubious videos on YouTube may be great for entertaining friends, but how would you feel if you knew your prospective employer was looking at them? Would they clinch that job for you, or would they send your application form straight into the bin?

Increasingly employers are turning to  Google and other search engines to get the real low down on their  applicants and the results can make much more interesting reading than the carefully crafted CVs they receive. More than a third of these employers have rejected candidates based on the information they uncover. (Source ExecuNet survey.)

If you don't want this to happen to you, you need to start creating a positive digital profile right now and, if necessary, clean up the one you already have!

What not to do :

• Don't post overly negative and offensive comments on blogs. Your contributions to social forums speak volumes about your personality and how you might interact with bosses and other colleagues. 
• Don't be dishonest. Does the information on your CV match up with evidence to be found on-line? 

What you should be doing: 

• Regularly carry out internet searches on your own name and email address. Whatever you find, employers will also find so make sure it is appropriate.
• If someone else has posted derogatory or defamatory information about you, can you get it removed? If necessary, seek advice and, if all else fails, be prepared to explain it away at interview!
  
• Start work on creating your own positive digital profile. Have you got an e-portfolio, PDP (personal development plan), or any pages that publicise your academic achievements, professional interests, career highs and aspirations?
• The university framework for PDP is called studentprofile, which includes a range of resources to help students build up a record of their personal and professional development throughout their time at university. This can provide a useful starting point for a  web based profile to show to employers. You may find a studentprofile button in the left hand menu of  your school/course area on studentcentral. If not, you can still make use of the generic resources and advice available on studentcentral. (Staff wanting to know more about  studentprofile can also refer to the Centre for Learning and Teaching website .
• You should also make use of the tools on Community@Brighton to help develop your profile. The advantage of C@B over other blogs and social networking sites like Facebook is that you can set very precise access levels for every item you put there (whether that's personal information, a file or a blog posting). You can mark something completely private until you are ready to publish it more widely, or  enable it to be seen by just one other person, such as a tutor or friend, or by members of groups you belong to, or other logged-in users at the University, or else the whole world. Community also enables you to put together different presentations for different audiences, drawing on material you've already posted.
• Remember that Careers Counsellors are available for advice on content. Contact the Careers Centre on
• Consider other ways you can promote yourself. bright-futures.org.uk is a recruitment website where students can add their on-line profile to be viewed by potential employers.

Things to keep in mind:

• Used wisely, the web can do wonders for your career and life chances. 
• Anyone and everyone can gain access to the web today, that includes employers, police, parents and future in-laws! 
• Is your MySpace page with tales of conquests, binges and raucous nights out really that funny?

Jill Shacklock, Information Services
Pauline Ridley, Centre for Learning and Teaching 

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