Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Google Yourself


Google yourself. It may sound odd, maybe a bit narcissistic. But don't you want to know what others will find out about you if they type your name into the most popular search engine in the world?

This is even more important, I think, if you believe that you have something to hide. Case in point: A guy who gave me his business card a couple of months ago. He called and texted regularly for several days after we met, and we were making plans for a first date. Then one day as I cleaned out my purse, I came across his business card again. So I decided to Google him.

What came up first wasn't your typical search result -- you know, perhaps a LinkedIn or Facebook page, maybe a blog.

No, what I saw first on the search results page was a link to his -- wait for it -- wedding website (!). Mind you, he told me he was single when we met.

So I texted him since he'd just sent me a text message a few minutes prior to when I made that discovery.


Me: "Are you married?" (I figured I'd give him another chance to give me the correct answer.)

Him: "Why do you ask?"

Me: "Why do I ask? Because there's a wedding website that says you got married on Oct. 15, 2007."

Him: "Oh. I'm separated. Let's talk about this later."

Needless to say, I never heard from him again.

The moral of the story? Always Google yourself so you don't get caught off guard like this guy.

4 comments:

  1. I love it!! I google myself every now and then, just to see what comes up. Never anything too interesting. But because I work in HR and hire people for a living, I always google job candidates. Its a really powerful tool, great advice!!

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  2. Thank you! Googling yourself is essential in today's world, for many reasons!

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  3. So funny! Great blog you've got here :).

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