What is the first thought when you hear the fingerprint? Many things may come to mind, however a fingerprint can be described as “the overall impact, impression, or effect that manifests itself on the Internet; online presence or visibility, such as a person or a business.” By definition, this helps to understand that this is similar to a first impression as a result of a job interview. Knowing this also helps to understand how and why we should have a “good fingerprint.” Then the questions arise “What is a good fingerprint” and “How can this fingerprint be configured”. In the following discussion, we will explore these two questions and see if we can come up with action steps to complete the action.

“How can you configure a fingerprint?” To establish this online presence, you must first understand what the purposes of your existence are. When it comes to creating and reconnecting with old classmates, sites like Facebook and Google+ and Twitter are great sites that allow for lots of social connections. Personally, I was able to connect with family members that I had only met once at a funeral. The great part is, we’ve been in touch since 2009. If your goals are to create networking opportunities for business and your career, then a different set of websites comes to mind. LinkedIn, Startup Nation, and Meet Up are some of the sites that come to mind. Whether you’re looking to stay in touch with family, friends, classmates, or establish a presence that enables networking opportunities that lead to employment, business creation, or other career strategies, creating a digital footprint is a must. Now just adding your name on these sites is not enough. In the second part of this discussion we will discuss how to create a “good fingerprint”.

“Good fingerprint”

Creating a footprint involves more than just creating a profile on one of the above websites. The following steps will provide you with ways you can improve your digital footprint, whether your purpose is to make social or business connections.

· Improve your entire profile with a professional image. This will allow employers and friends to recognize if you are the right person they are looking for. This also creates a great first impression than a photo of your dog.

· Keep private information private: Private information, such as social security numbers or all your personal information, is not necessary. It is strongly recommended that you never share it through social sites, as this is also for the security of your digital profile.

Make sure you’re active – It’s important to check your sites frequently and stay active. This will help your profile views and the request you receive. It also helps keep your profile from being so spammy.

Clean and tidy sites will allow you to add images and sometimes videos. X-rated images and videos are inappropriate should not be on social sites. This includes photos of alcoholic beverages or anything that might be offensive to others. An orderly profile with correct spelling and grammar is also important. Showing these bad qualities on your fingerprint could lead to problems with the image you have created.

· Create a name for your profiles that shows you in a positive light. This is important when employers, colleges and others search for you or find your profile. SillyBilly is not a good name when looking to become a potential employee.

Here are some steps to help you create a “good fingerprint.” In the society we will live in, it is difficult not to have an online life and following these steps will help create a good one. Please continue to prosper and I look forward to hearing your views.

References:

http://www.dictionary.com