I think some of us could use a reminder that we are all really OUT THERE in terms of our virtual footprint. Each week, I post blogs on this site. I send emails to candidates and represent this company in many ways. Anyone who wanted to poke around a bit could find out any number of things about me. The same goes for you. And you. And you. The moral of this story is, if you don’t want it to be generally consumed by the masses and open to misinterpretation, then don’t put it out there.

When I prepare candidates for an interview with your agency, I send them a lot of research and encourage them to do the same. If we know who will be interviewing, we employ a little thing we call “Google” and we go digging. Together, we become well versed on the good press AND the bad press. We learn about your accounts, what has pleased them and what has not pleased them. We want to know why accounts have gone into review, what your financial situation may be. It’s important to know how stable you are on paper and if there are any freak shows on board that we should know about ahead of time.

In this Web 2.0 world, the smart candidates know that you have thoroughly checked out their social network sites and, in many cases have perused everything from their criminal records to their credit scores. Take note, they are doing the same thing. My advice is to know what’s out there about you. What is being written about you on industry blogs? What kind of picture comes together when all the pertinent opinions of you have been tallied? Do some research on your agency and the key players so you know how to be preemptive when it comes time to talk frankly about who you are with potential candidates.