Job Hunting 101: Google Yourself

Have you Googled yourself lately? If you haven’t, go ahead and open another window and type in your name. I just Googled myself, as well. You want to know what comes up? A photographer (not me), my website for my business, my LinkedIn profile, then some links to a guitarist who also shares my name. Not bad really. If someone was looking for Lee Burgess in the legal field, he/she could find me. But more important than that, there is nothing there that I don’t want others to see.

So what came up on your list? Was there something that you weren’t pleased with? Or could someone not find anything at all about you?

You might be wondering what can be done to clean up your online presence. Don’t worry; we are here to help.

Step 1: Read this post by Alison on The Girl’s Guide to Law School. It gives you a step-by-step guide to cleaning up your online profile.

Step 2: Put together a LinkedIn profile. Need help? Go visit your career services office. I am pretty sure you will get help putting it together with no trouble.

Step 3: Don’t forget about Google+. Setting up a Google+ profile can also help you control what comes up in a Google search. To be honest, I don’t want to have to keep up with another social media platform, but it doesn’t take much to set up a page and check in periodically.

Step 4: If you have an interest in writing, you should look for opportunities to be a guest blogger on a reputable blog. This blogging can also help your Google search results and perhaps even give employers something interesting to read when they Google you! (If you have an interest in guest blogging for the Law School Toolbox or Bar Exam Toolbox, feel free to e-mail us to ask!)

Step 5: Check consistently. It is probably a good idea to Google yourself on a regular basis. As with checking your credit score or paying bills, it is just one of those things you need to keep on top of. It takes only a few minutes and sometimes it can even be entertaining.

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Here’s all of Job Hunting 101: