Google Yourself Before Applying: What Will Employers See?
How to check what your name online tells employers, tidy posts and privacy settings, and build search results that support your applications.
You are about to apply for an important role. Your resume is checked and your cover letter is ready. But there is one thing many people forget: what shows up when someone types your name into a search box. Some recruiters look at candidates’ online profiles as part of their decision. Spend half an hour finding out what they will see.
Why it matters
Your resume is what you choose to tell. Search results are what others find on their own. When the two match, your credibility grows. When they clash, for example your resume says one employer and your online profile says another, recruiters start to wonder, and some will move on rather than ask.
Step 1: Search the way HR does
Open a private or incognito window so you see what others see, then try several searches:
- Your first and last name in Thai
- Your first and last name in English, as written on your resume
- Your name with your current company or university
- The nickname you use on social media, and the email you apply with
Look at the first page of results and the image tab, and note what you find.
Step 2: Sort results into three groups
Results that help you
An up-to-date LinkedIn profile, published work, articles you wrote, awards, or news of activities you took part in. Keep these and make sure they match your resume.
Neutral results
Old profiles you no longer use, or outdated information. Update them or close accounts you no longer need.
Results that may raise questions
Posts with crude language, harsh criticism of past employers or managers, photos you would not want an interviewer to see. Deal with these in the next step.
Step 3: Deal with what may raise questions
- Delete or hide posts on your own accounts, especially ones that speak negatively about work
- Adjust privacy settings so personal accounts such as Facebook or Instagram are visible to friends only
- Review tagged photos and hide them from your profile if they are not suitable
- If the content is on someone else’s site, politely ask for removal, or use that platform’s reporting channel under its policies
The goal is not to erase yourself. Having a personal life is normal. The goal is to keep things unrelated to work from overshadowing your abilities.
Step 4: Build results that help you
- LinkedIn: use the same name as your resume, a clear photo and a headline that states your field. See how in Optimising Your LinkedIn Profile
- Portfolio: in creative, marketing or data roles, make a simple page of your work and link it in your resume
- Write about what you know: a short monthly post on lessons from work lets people see how you think
Do not forget your application email
Your email address is the first thing HR sees before opening your resume. If it is a school nickname or a joke, create a new address with your real first and last name and use it only for work matters. That way you also will not miss interview invitations buried under promotions.
If you share your name with someone else
If the results belong to someone with the same name, help recruiters tell you apart. Put your LinkedIn or portfolio link directly on your resume and use the same English spelling of your name everywhere.
You cannot control who searches your name, but you can control what they see first.
Be careful
- Do not create fake accounts or reviews to push results. If discovered, you lose more credibility than before
- Do not share more personal information than needed on public profiles, such as your home address or ID number
- Check again every few months, because search results keep changing
How to get started
- Open an incognito window and search your name at least four ways
- Sort the results into helpful, neutral and may raise questions
- Tidy posts and privacy settings on personal accounts
- Update LinkedIn to match your resume, then check your resume with Resume Lab
To build a professional image more deliberately, read Building a Personal Brand on LinkedIn.