College Students: Potential Employers are Looking You Up Online

Patrick Ambron is the CEO and co-founder of BrandYourself.com, the first DIY platform that makes it simple for anyone to take control of their own search results. Patrick is recognized as a leading expert in online reputation management and Search Engine Optimization. In 2011, his company was named New York’s # 1 Emerging Technology Business, making his team the youngest company ever to win the $200K prize. He was recognized by the White House as one of the Empact 100 Top CEO’s under 30, named Young Entrepreneur of the year by the SBA, and most recently, named to Inc Magazine’s top 35 under 35. Patrick has led BrandYourself to secure over $5 million in venture capital and grow to over 60 full time employees. They were recently named the the overall StartUp winner at SXSW. His ideas on online reputation and business have been featured on Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, HuffingtonPost, FastCompany, Mashable, TechCrunch,New York Post, WSJ, the NYTimes, PandoDaily, US News & World, and many others. Patrick is recognized as a thought leader in the new media landscape and co-developed the new media curriculum at the #1 School of Information studies in the U.S. at Syracuse University.

Whether you’re applying to a summer internship or a full-time position, what shows up online when hiring managers Google your name (and they will!) can make or break your chances of landing the job. Building out a positive online presence now will help you get a leg up in your field and suppress anything unwanted about you on the web. To do so:

1. Build a personal website. Platforms like WordPress & Squarespace make it simple to create a personal website. Include a strong “About Me” page that highlights both your academic & professional accomplishments, interests, and any other relevant info.

2. Create 10-12 professional social media profiles. Do a little research on the top profiles in your desired industry and get active on those.

3. Optimize your sites so they will rank well in search results. To ensure your website and profiles show up when someone Googles you, fill out each site with as much unique info as possible and include your name in a number of key places (like the domain name/URL, username, bio, etc.).

4. Create content relevant to your field. Showcasing your knowledge in your desired field can go a long way towards putting you ahead of other candidates. Try blogging and creating rich media (SlideShares, videos, images) about industry-related topics.

BrandYourself.com can help! BrandYourself offers a free Do-It-Yourself tool as well as custom services to help build, monitor, and protect your online reputation. View open positions now.

Are you an undergraduate, graduate student, or MBA candidate interested in paid part-time jobs, full-time jobs or internships in the exciting world of Start Ups? Meet employers and explore opportunities at the NYU Spring 2016 Start Up Job Expo on March 31st, 4:00PM-6:30PM at The Wasserman Center. RSVP on CareerNet to learn more!