What Would You Expect To See?

Your digital footprint could be your Instagram feed or your tweets on Twitter, but most people do not think before they post and this essay shows you reasons why you should. Our whole world is based around the web now, no matter if you are communicating through it via email or if your whole job is to show you life on youtube. People look at these things, jobs now look at your profile instead of calling recommendations or even having in-person interviews, I mean there are over 4.74 billion social media users in the world. Having a positive digital footprint is having a good online reputation that lets you expand your social network and achieve your career goals, this blog will guide you in how to achieve that.

If you don’t believe your digital footprint has an impact on your job then just look at these statistics. According to the article, “The Power of a Positive Digital Footprint for Students”, some companies are “charging up to 50,000 dollars offering online reputation management services”(Jalger). The fact that different employees are paying for someone to watch out for their employee’s online presence shows that it does matter and it could cost you your job if you are doing something bad on a public account. Some things employers are looking for according to “The Power of a Positive Digital Footprint for Students” are, “Creativity, awards or accolades, good communication skills,” and many more(Jalger). Just because your online profile is being looked at definitely does not mean you should be scared to post, “Students need to learn that using their real name online is not always a bad thing, it is part of creating a positive digital footprint that will be seen by others”(Jalger). You could gain a job off having a good digital footprint so I would encourage everyone to try and have one.

Creativity and awards aren’t just what employees can do to make their digital footprint more seen and positive. According to the video(which I will link below) by Cindy Ratzlaff, who is a social media expert there are many secrets to putting you ahead of the rest in the digital footprint world. Cindy’s number one thing she says to do is, “write a blog, write about your internship or your senior research. Write about the things you love about the job you would like to have”(Ratzlaff). Writing a blog gives an employer something to read that you have experienced or what you would like to experience in the future. Cindy also says, ” graduate to linked in. linked in is the online resume site, and it is the very first place a potential employer is going to search for you”(Ratzlaff). Most people are already on their laptops or cell phones every day, why not do something that will help you succeed with your digital footprint as small as creating a resume?

In conclusion, I believe having an online positive digital footprint is extremely important. As I stated early having a good online reputation can help you expand your social network and achieve your future career goals. Having a negative online digital footprint could cause you to lose jobs, relationships and get in trouble with the law. You should not just have a good digital footprint for your safety from getting in trouble with the law, but to keep your full-time job. Social media is becoming one of the fastest growing things in the world today, and by putting yourself out there, you will be creating positive relationships as well for the rest of your life.

“Digital Footprint” by kyteacher is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.