Protect, polish your online presence - Military Careers, Second Careers - Air Force Times

Protect, polish your online presence

Admissions counselors are sometimes shocked at the e-mail addresses applicants submit on college applications. Addresses starting with PartyAnimal or lazegirl have crossed their desks.

Nice message to send. Pardon the pun.

This is the digital age. And that means being smart about how you market yourself online for the next stage of life, whether you’re seeking work or a ticket into college.

Search for your name on Google. Pages of information are available at the click of a mouse, from blog posts to arrest records. The trick is to use the tools available online to boost your reputation, not to ruin it.

Showcasing professional talents or major projects can be beneficial — and may even help land a job.

In Des Moines, Iowa, schools, some students create electronic résumés and portfolios they can keep on a CD or a Web page to show off projects.

High school senior Kyle Vansice believes his portfolio from a computer-aided design and drafting class was a factor when he got a construction internship last summer with Neumann Brothers Inc.

He said the firm had just switched computer programs and “needed people who know how to do this. I gave it to them on a CD,” he said. Kyle plans to return to the internship this summer before going to Iowa State University to study construction engineering.

His teacher, Marcia Elliott, said today’s students need to demonstrate their versatility.

“I’ve had several kids come back and say, my college requires a portfolio of all my work,” Elliot said. “It’s been more the private-sector-type college, but they want to know what kind of student they’re getting.”

Increasingly, colleges are going online for everything — some even waive application fees if students apply online.

Although most admissions counselors don’t have time to run a Google search on every applicant, they do search some applicants on MySpace or Facebook if they want to learn more about them. Employers do the same.

Admissions counselors and employers say they like to see creative layouts and photos, information about what activities applicants enjoy, or stories about their experiences, such as travels or competitions. What they don’t want to find, however, is a tasteless MySpace page or an ugly e-mail address.

Drake University admissions director Laura Linn said she has seen e-mail addresses that range from the inappropriate PartyAnimal to the witty CollegeHopeful200 and BulldogFan.

“It becomes a question of judgment,” Linn said. “Knowing that your e-mail address can be and will be used outside your circle of friends is part of that critical thinking process.”

If applicants want to keep their information guarded, they should place private settings on such sites so only “friends” can view them.

They also should take a look at what they have posted about themselves, and edit if necessary, using common sense, experts say.

They should be aware of how much information is available online, and what will be available once they’re in the real world.

Look smart with Web resources

Experts offer these six tips for marketing yourself online:

• Don’t lie.

Whether on a résumé, application or personal Web site, make sure facts about you are accurate. Don’t try to show off with something that’s not true.

• Be professional.

A funny e-mail address starting with a name like PartyAnimal might be fine for friends, but for college or job applications, use a simple e-mail address with your name or initials.

• Show off, and stay current.

Whether it’s a printed résumé or a Web site about yourself, showcase your skills. But check it over occasionally, especially when you pass it on to people. Edit for what’s appropriate, and remember to add new valuable experiences so viewers get a full picture of your abilities.

• Censor yourself.

If you know a college or potential employer might search you out on MySpace or Google, make sure the content posted by yourself or others is appropriate. If not, delete it. Use common sense — avoid references to drinking, drugs and anything else that may be harmful to your reputation.

• Use common software.

In e-mailed résumés or on Web sites, use software such as Microsoft Word that most people are able to view. Your efforts are only worthwhile if viewers can see them.

• Spell check and proofread.

Many online applications allow you to save and go back to them later, so take your time and check for typos. Then have a friend or family member double-check. There is never an excuse for errors.