INSTANT MBA: Take Control Of Your Reputation

Courtesy of Michael Zammuto

Today's advice comes from our interview with Michael Zammuto, COO of ReputationChanger:

"There is a famous quote that says 'It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and minutes to destroy it … and I find that to be completely accurate in the internet age. So the first thing I recommend people do is that they think about how they are portrayed through search engines as an important professional asset that they should nurture and manage. And the second thing is: make a real commitment to how you are going to be presented in the internet."

Zammuto is in the business of helping companies and individuals polish their reputation and he says that making your brand look presentable online is a must these days. Now that we can upload pictures and share information so easily on the web, anything that makes you look unprofessional online, could destroy your entire career. Zammuto says the first step is to make the commitment to stay professional. Once you've cleaned up your online profile, you need to make a habit of controlling what others are saying about you.

"You can't simultaneously have a very professional view of yourself and have, let's call it, a wild and crazy side attributed to your person, and not expect that people are going to see both of them. After you've decided what your online persona is going to be, the third thing is to make sure that you implement that consistently. If you're trying to be seen professionally online, don't post things that you wouldn't want your boss and certainly your business contacts to see. Decide how you want to be represented. Google yourself frequently. And once you do that, you really start to take control of it."

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