In college, students hear the typical advice for career search: build your resume, take internships and network with people in your field of interest.
But one piece of advice is becoming more common than ever: manage what you say online because once it is out there, it is out there for good. That is what is known as your digital footprint.
When you go to interview for a job someday, what kind of an image will they see?
One of the main impressions they will have is based off your digital footprint.
According to American Press Institute, “Almost four in 10 [millennials] who have privacy concerns worry about potential employers or schools forming an unfair impression of them based on their online footprint.”
You should be able to have a fun night and take pictures, but beware of over-sharing.
This deals with how much we are willing to share about ourselves online, however.
From the words we write and the images we share, they are out there for the world to see. Though in the moment, venting through never-ending tweets or posting photos of you from that party last night may seem like no big deal, it might turn out to not be so good in the long run.
If you have to ask yourself if you should really be posting it in the first place, you might not want to hit that share button.
You could end up regretting something you shared if it resurfaces in the future.
According to Pew Research, “86 percent of internet users have tried to use the internet in ways to minimize the visibility of their digital footprints.” This includes clearing their cookies or browser history, masking their identity or completely editing or deleting something.
But there is no such thing on the Internet that can make your digital footprints completely disappear. However, there is a difference between creating a fake online image just to look good and actually showing your genuine self.
Show off your personality online and feel free to share whatever you want.
Build a digital legacy that you can be proud of.
There is no need to share every last detail of your life online, but you can still create positive digital footprints by monitoring what you are sharing over the Internet. Just be yourself.
