Ninety percent of search firm recruiters make it a regular practice to Google candidates to find anything that can help draw a complete picture of that individual, according to a 2010 survey by the business networking organization ExecuNet. This is up from 75 percent when ExecuNet began researching this activity in 2005.

What’s a job seeker to do?

Obviously, managing your online reputation is now just as important as managing your personal reputation. Follow these steps to understand, assess, and manage your online identity.

Step One: Google Yourself

To understand your current online reputation, Google yourself.  Type your full name in quotes in the www.Google.com search box and press enter; e.g., “Christy Suerth”.

Step Two: Assess the Google Results

To assess your reputation, count the number of times your name comes up and make note of the types of “hits” you get. If the Google link directs people to a Facebook page with a photo of you slugging down a sloppy beer on Super Bowl Sunday, you’ll probably consider it damaging to your online reputation from a career perspective. If the link directs people to your updated and branded LinkedIn profile or a professional website, you can consider it advantageous.

Branding experts Arruda and Dixson, authors of a great book called, “Career Distinction,” identify four possible assessment results:

1. Digitally Dissed – your name generates no Google hits.
2. Digitally Dabbling – your name generates a few professionally relevant Google hits.
3. Digitally Disastrous – your name generates a lot of Google hits and the hits are irrelevant or damaging to your professional reputation.
4. Digitally Distinct – your name generates a lot of Google hits and they inform employers and recruiters of your skills, achievements and strengths.

Step Three: Manage and Enhance Your Online Reputation

Achieving the status of Digitally Distinct requires you to be intentional about pushing positive information onto the Internet and, if possible, suppressing or replacing negative content. Creating a desirable online presence takes months but there are some actions to take today.

1. Triple-check your privacy settings on personal networking sites or consider closing down your accounts. Fact: people have lost jobs and job offers because of the content on their Facebook or MySpace pages.
2. Use www.LinkedIn.com as a professional marketing platform. Make sure your profile is 100% complete and brimming with accomplishments.
3. Start a blog or a professional website with your name as the domain name. Use it to showcase your digital portfolio and knowledge.
4. Add thoughtful and intelligent comments on others’ professional blogs or online publications. Also, be careful about venting online.
5. Tweet at www.Twitter.com on your area of expertise.
6. Volunteer and give. Not only will it make you feel good, organizations often publish lists of volunteers and donors.

I hope this information is helpful to you in proactively managing your career and job search.

Your Neighbor and Career Coach,

Christy Suerth