Establishing a good reputation takes time and a great deal of effort. And in this world where technology and social media have become a part of our daily lives, the reputation you build online also has a lot to say about you, especially when you are looking for a job. It is no longer a surprise at how recruiters would look you up on Google to find out more things about you. According to a survey by ExecuNet, 77 out of 100 recruiters are doing a research about their applicants online and some of them have eliminated job seekers based on the information they found.

According to another surveys, some of the things that raises a red flag on the recruiters are: information on drug or alcohol use (41 percent managers said so), inappropriate photos (40 percent), poor communication skills reflected through online interactions (29 percent), bad-mouthing employees or the employer (28 percent), unprofessional screen names (22 percent) and sharing confidential information about past employers (19 percent).

If you wish to find a decent job, you should not be posting these things but if you already have, and if you have done it a long time ago, it's about time to do some cleaning up.

Start by signing out of your Google accounts and try to search for your name using different search engines. Be mindful of the first few results that will show, and take note of the things that should not be shown.

As soon as you are able to identify the unwanted results, make sure to take your time to remove them. If there are other things posted that weren't under your control, find a way for that content to be taken down, there certainly are processes for you to submit that request.

While you can manage to take out the negative information about you online, you also need make a positive impression. But that doesn't mean that you have be dishonest about who you are, you just need utilize your social media as a tool to build a good reputation by posting about your skills, accomplishments, achievements and other things that will create a positive influence on the recruiters.

Just bear in mind that these recruiters haven't met you yet, so it might be worth it if you make an effort to be likeable by making sure you have cleaned up your online presence and not letting anything to get in your way to your dream job.

Tags Job hunting, Job, Social media, Tips