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Improving Your Online Self-Presentation

Taken as a whole, the research and theory about online self-presentation suggests three practices for improving your online self-presentation. First, keep in mind that online communication is dominated by visual information such as text, photos, and videos. Make wise choices in the words and images you select to present yourself to others. For example, many women managers know they’re more likely than their male peers to be judged solely on appearance, so they post photos of themselves that convey professionalism (Miller & Arnold, 2001).

Second, always remember the important role that warranting value plays in shaping others’ impressions of you. The simple rule is what others say about you online is more important than what you say about your self. Consequently, be wary of allowing messages and wall postings on your personal Web pages that contradict the self you want to present, or that cast you in a negative light—even if you think such messages and postings are cute, funny, or provocative. If you want to track what others are posting about you away from your personal pages, set up a Google Alert or regularly search for your name and other identifying keywords. This will allow you to see what information, including photos, others are posting about you online. When friends, family members, coworkers, or romantic partners post information about you that disagrees with how you wish to be seen, you can (politely) ask them to delete it.

Finally, subject your online self-presentation to what I call the interview test: ask yourself, “Would I feel comfortable sharing all elements of this presentation—photos, personal profiles, videos, blogs—in a job interview?” If your answer is no, modify your current online self-presentation immediately. In a survey of 1,200 human resources professionals and recruiters, 78 percent reported using search engines to screen candidates while 63 percent reported perusing social networking sites (Balderrama, 2010).

It’s not just potential future employers who will investigate you—it’s your current one as well, as Seattle resident Peter Whitney discovered. Whitney never thought anyone at work would read his blog. “It was for my friends and family,” he said. “Why or how would anyone at work stumble across it?” (Wallack, 2005). Whitney used his blog to share personal thoughts, feelings, and frustrations about everyday life with those he considered close to him. As it turns out, his coworkers and managers also were reading his entries, and the information on the site got him fired. In one online rant, Whitney complained about being pressured to contribute money toward buying a birthday gift card for a manager he didn’t consider a friend. Shortly after, that same manager confronted him. “She said that her feelings had been hurt by my comments,” noted Whitney. He subsequently was fired. “I was shocked,” he noted later. “I thought it would just merit a warning, not get me terminated.”