Everyone who has been on the internet has an online footprint. Any time you look up something, post on social media, or even read something online your online footprint gets bigger. An online footprint is what a person has been looking up, posting, or accounts they have online. This can be good and bad for people who have a big online footprint. It has become routine for companies to “research” potential employees prior to hiring or interviewing them so an online footprint is very important.
For some people, an online footprint can be a good thing. People can create accounts and posts that show how professional they are in the workplace. Posting professional achievements can be impactful if companies research you when considering you for a job. Social media platforms can be used to market yourself to potential clients or employers. Adding charities or hobbies may also positively impact your image if it’s viewed that you are a caring and interesting person.
An online footprint also has its disadvantages. Online footprints can never be removed. Once you look up something or even post about something it stays on your footprint forever. Even with deleting your post or browser history it can still be looked up and found. Social media accounts can also be a disadvantage for your footprint. When posting on a social media account you need to make sure that what you are posting is appropriate since everyone will be able to see what you posted and what you are tagged in. People should be cautious with posting political preferences or strong opinions. Companies or future clients will judge you based on what they see and may decide not to hire you if they disagree with your views or if your posts make it appear that you are irresponsible.
My online presence is mostly made up of social media accounts. I currently have three Instagram accounts, one being my personal and the other two being my car and my grandfather's car. My Facebook, and Linked In account as well as images from my time on a wakeboard team come up. From the tags of me that come up, someone would see that I am a student at HPU and I am very interested in sports cars, trucks, jeeps, boats, and jet skis. My posts also show that I was a high school wrestler and competed in wakeboarding competitions with the SouthTown Riders. It also shows that I spend time with my family as I am tagged by family members in some of my posts. I think it paints a picture of a responsible young person who has an athletic background and a hobby involving engines and has maintained a good relationship with my family. It also shows that enjoy lake activities and that I would make a good team player as I was a member of a wrestling team and a wakeboard team throughout middle and most of high school. I always try to keep my accounts professional and not post anything political or controversial. I understand that this can keep me from getting a job and that others form opinions about me based on what they see. At this point, I don’t think there is anything I would want to remove. My parents always stressed the importance of what I post online and that my online image can help or hurt me.
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