Everything you do online gets recorded. It’s true; every time you visit a website, you’re going to leave a little footprint there. And over time, this record can build up, especially if you’re an active participant in the online world yourself. On some occasions, a lack of a digital footprint may even serve you negatively too!
Clearly it’s a fine balance. But one thing remains true: one day, your digital footprint could prove dangerous to your career prospects. Why? For a few reasons; check them out below.
Social Media Activity Can Come Back to Haunt You
Those drunken posts you made as an 18 year old? Those questionable memes you posted during a phase in your early 20s? If these posts are still around, and you posted them under an account linked to your own name and photo, they could harm your chances of getting a job one day.
Even the comments you’ve made on sites like X, or the comments you left on a political Facebook image, could be the nail in the coffin if you’re up against someone for a high priority position.
Indeed, if your image outside of the office is not representative of the work you do inside it, you could lose out on that dream job you’ve been pining for. And while it can be unfortunate that hiring managers dig into personal lives during consideration periods, it’s also an unfortunate reality that it can affect the way a corporate persona sees you.
Your Data Could Fall Victim to Malicious Parties
Leaving your data all over the web could lead to it falling into malicious hands. If you’re not careful about the prints you leave behind, you might not even be aware of what someone could get a hold of.
It’s why learning how to go incognito on Iphone, and using incognito mode as often as possible, is very good for your online safety. This way no cookies are saved, no track you across each site you browse. You can also use extensions such as ad blockers to ensure more complicated tracking tools have no power over your online presence.
A Lack of Online Presence Can Also Be Dangerous
It might seem a little extreme, but on the other side of this debate, the danger of losing out on a job still lurks. After all, if you don’t use the web enough to have a professional image on it, a hiring manager might not see you as a legitimate candidate at all.
There’s no data available about you, and if they haven’t seen you in person in an interview yet, they might not even end up calling you at all. That’s why a digital footprint is useful – you’ve just got to be careful about what’s being tracked and how much is being tracked.
Your career has a chance to flourish. However, you need to ensure your online activity doesn’t get in the way. Be present and professional, but keep private things private!
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