A service called UserNameCheck.com is proving that Google is only one tool employers and individuals can use to track you down online.
Do you have inappropriate photos on your Livejournal page, but you aren’t worried because they don’t show up in the first 10 pages of Google results? They might still be found by employers. Here’s how:
If I can find your username for even one of the web services you use (LinkedIn, Digg, DailyMotion, Vimeo, WordPress, YouTube, MySpace, Flickr, Friendster etc.), then I can enter that username into UserNameCheck.com to see other places where that username exists online. It would quickly tell me that your username exists on LiveJournal. Then, a quick Google search of LiveJournal plus your username will bring me directly to those photos you thought were buried.
As the web becomes more and more populated, people are getting better and better at finding what they’re searching for.
Moral of the story: Make sure that every single web service profile you have is clean, compelling and contains on-brand content that strengthens your position in the job market.
- Author: Pete Kistler
