What your online identify says about you

[iago]

http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2010/03/googling-employees-why-your-online-reputation-matters.html

70% of employers surveyed in the US say they reject potential employees due to information they find online, whereas 15% of people believe employers even check for that kind of thing. It's a big disconnect and a good reason to:
a) Maintain a good reputation in places you use your real name
b) Don't use your real name where you can avoid it

If I had a personal Facebook/Twitter/etc account, which I don't, I probably wouldn't associate my real name with it. I do use Twitter in a professional sense (shameless plug!), which I DO associate my name with, but I actually want people finding that one if they're searching for me. Same with my blog.

Anyway, it's just something to think about.

[Chavo]

I've been following that advice for years  

The only place my full, real name is publicly visible is on my facebook profile (which I don't even use but has nothing I wouldn't mind a potentially employer seeing), my linkedin profile, and my resume website.  It is pretty amazing how large the disconnect is considering it's something I've heard preached (yet largely ignored) in every job-prep seminar I've ever attended.  I've also done the same kind of checking when reading resumes/reviewing applicants before and after interviews.  However, most of the time the facebook profile just reinforces the impression I get of an interviewee during an interview (though that may only be true for the specific subset of people I've interviewed which consists primarily of college students).

[Blaze]

I've a fairly common name, hurray! 

[Sidoh]

All of the information I have on facebook (including photo albums) are private.  My profile picture is a little... silly, but I don't think it's incriminating or anything like that.  Considering some of the jobs I've had in the past, I'd say I'm in the clear. heh.