Money Monday: Your Digital Reputation

In this day and age where recruiters for jobs look at your MySpace pages and your VP is on Facebook, you have to make sure you're digital rep is as well taken care of as your regular work reputation if you want to be respected in the real world. This respect could be the difference between a raise or being laid off.

I found this article on MSN.com that might be useful. However I have more advice. (Duh.)

My #1 suggestion: Look at your privacy settings on Facebook.

Not kidding...

I'll wait...

I'm sure you have facebook open on another tab anyway...


Ok good.

Some things you need to look at and my suggestions of who you should access to:
(Anything with a "*" means it's subjective based on the content you put in that medium and therefore gets a "but ONLY if it's appropriate for this group to see" tag.)

What everyone can see:

1. Your name
2. Your friends (Everyone can see this...you never want to cut off networking opportunity)
3. Your school and occupation information
4. Your networks
5. Your hometown
6. Activities*

What your friends of friends can see:

1. Same as above
2. Your blog*
3. Email address
4. Your relationship status
5. Your religion and political views
6. Class list
7. Activities

What only your "friends," the ones you make limited profile...like your coworkers, parents, and friends' parents, can see:

1. Same as above
2. Cell phone number
3. Your blog*
4. Interests* (Beer and dancing on bars...maybe not so much...)

What only your friends can see:

1. Your pictures (You never know who the friends of your friends are...)
2. Your wall (Same as above...)
3. All your random applications (You don't want your coworkers thinking you have too much time on your hands...)
4. Your blog that has your rantings about your life
5. Your notes
6. Your events
7. AIM screen name
8. All that other stuff Facebook has

One more thing: Remember that your profile is a representation of YOU and therefore YOU are responsible for it. Don't feel bad about deleting inappropriate comments on your wall or untagging pictures of yourself that don't display the kind of person you want people to see you as. You never know when Mom, Dad, or the CEO of your company might decide they are going to be "hip" and get on Facebook (like my mom did last weekend...) and you don't want them to see double fisting cheap beer, dancing on a bar, and showing your Britney.