Digital Footprint: Controlling the brand around your identity and career (part 1)

Digital literacy has been defined as “using digital technology, communications tools, and/or networks to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in order to function in a knowledge society” (ETS, 2007), they called it ICT literacy. Some others defined digital literacy in terms of those capabilities required to live, learn and work in a digital, knowledge or information society. This post is aimed at briefly discussing one of the elements of digital literacy, which is very important for one’s career prospects even though it is neglected by many. Jisc (2014) identified 7 elements of digital literacy as follows: media literacy; communications and collaboration; career and identity management; ICT literacy; learning skills; digital scholarship and information literacy.

The focus here is on career and identity management. This is because many people inadvertently and significantly harm their job prospects through the content they post online - one’s online presence matters to employers. Times have changed and so did the world, we are living in a world where what you do online could make or break your career. Even what we post as private content may become public as big company after big company fall victim of hacking. Think of what happened when Ashley Madison’s presumed safe and secure ‘Adultery Website’ was hacked – millions of cheating married men and women became exposed with serious consequences for many.

One should therefore manage his digital identity (online presence) both on social and professional networks properly, particularly Facebook and LinkedIn. Neglecting a healthy online presence is increasingly becoming an unacceptable career risk, but it is important that your personal and professional information are consistent across all platforms and devoid of anything that could vitiate your chances of being hired by an employer privy to such information.

According to the annual CareerBuilder social media recruitment survey, 35% of employers are less likely to interview applicants they can’t find online, and majority of employers (52% in 2015, 43% in 2014 and 39% in 2013) now use social networks to screen candidates. The 2015 CareerBuilder – Harris polls of more than 2000 US HR managers across various industries revealed that, “Researching candidates via social media and other online sources has transformed from an emerging trend to a staple of online recruitment… In a competitive job market, recruiters are looking for all the information they can find that might help them make decisions.” The full report of the survey can be accessed online via http://www.careerbuilder.co.uk/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=5%2F14%2F2015&id=pr893&ed=12%2F31%2F2015

The survey further revealed employers’ turn-offs in the following order: provocative or inappropriate photographs (46%); information about candidate drinking or using drugs (40%); candidate bad-mouthed previous company or fellow employee (34%); Poor communication skills (30%) and discriminatory comments related to race, religion, gender, etc. (29%). The report may not exactly reflect what is currently happening in Nigeria, but it is a matter of time, perhaps within a few years Nigerian employers will import what is increasingly becoming conventional practice in US and European job market.

BBC survey suggests that only about 40% of youth (probably in UK) knows that the personal information they shared online stays online forever. The figures could be worse in developing countries. The implication is that many people, oblivious of the permanent nature of their online content will continue to post carelessly and occasionally committing what may be akin to ‘career suicide’.

In the subsequent posts, cases of career disastrous online content/activities will be highlighted, curriculum implications, online brand building, online safety and entrepreneurial angle will be discussed. Please keep checking every week and feel free leave a comment on my posts. Thank you for reading.