Modesty in the face of online narcissism or job-seeking self-sabotage?

According to new research conducted by TopCV, the largest CV-writing service in the world, the ‘selfie era’ may not be as self-absorbed as we thought – but it could be costing them job opportunities.

TopCV asked 2,885 professionals how often they search for their own name online and found the responses surprisingly modest.

Overall, 57 per cent of respondents said that they never Google their own names online, while only 6 per cent admitted to doing so every day. Although the results varied slightly according to years of employment, more than half of respondents in all categories selected the “never” option when asked the question ‘How often do you Google your name?’

The full results are below:

TopCV’s career advice expert Amanda Augustine points out that while Googling oneself may be viewed as a guilty pleasure, it can play a significant role in helping job seekers identify and shape their ‘personal brand’ online.

“If job seekers aren’t aware of how they come across online, they are neglecting a necessary component to their employability. It’s essential that they pay as much attention to this as they would to their CV or interview performance.

“Perhaps some photos or tweets that you posted a few years ago are appearing on the first page? Or maybe someone with the same name has been up to no good? Not self-Googling and knowing this information could mean self-sabotage before you even step into an interview. While I wouldn’t recommend obsessing over it daily, I always advise that all career-focused professionals, as well as job seekers, Google themselves monthly to actively monitor and manage their online presence.

“Everyone remembers Ed Balls Day – the day (April 28^th) that has continued to be celebrated after Balls accidentally tweeted his own name, instead of using the search function. While embarrassing, we shouldn’t judge Ed for taking an interest in what people were saying about him!”