Digital identity and the workplace
"The best way to predict the future is to create it – and that includes your professional reputation."
Peter Drucker, Drucker Institute
What is a digital identity
In simple terms, your digital identity is the impression you create through all your online activities and profiles. It's both built and continually shaped by how you engage online. This includes posting on social media, professional networking profiling, contributing to discussions, and sharing content. People can learn a lot about you just by looking at your online presence.
Note
It’s important to develop a greater awareness of your own online presence. It's just as critical to understand how information available online can impact your professional identity. Think about the results that come up when someone Googles your name.
Professional digital identity
Your professional identity is a significant part of your overall digital identity. Think of it as your professional brand: a reflection of your skills, values, and work ethic. Managing it well ensures others see you at your best.
For new graduates, your online presence is often the first impression you make. Building a positive digital identity involves being intentional about what you share and how you engage online. Employers, recruiters, colleagues, and clients will look you up. What they find should reinforce your professionalism and expertise.
A well-crafted digital identity can open doors to opportunities and help you stay visible in a competitive job market.
Professional identity and social media
You can use a variety of digital platforms to create and share content with online communities. Social media platforms let you express your opinions, share content, and tell stories to either a select group or a global audience. This means you can shape a professional identity in these spaces as well.
If you already have personal social media accounts, now is the time to curate your online presence with your career in mind. Click on the plus (+) icons below to explore social media platforms commonly used for building a professional digital identity:
Alert
Be mindful of what you share on your personal social media accounts and review your privacy settings. Content posted outside of work context on your social media can potentially be seen by employers, colleagues, and clients. This can impact their perception of your professional identity.
AI and your professional reputation
Organisations often use AI tools, like resume-screening tools or chatbots, which interact with your digital identity. Many companies use AI tools to evaluate online profiles, applications, and even social media presence. It’s important to tailor your online profiles to match the skills and experiences employers are looking for, ensuring that AI tools highlight your potential.
Using AI tools to create your digital documents and resumes is a great starting point. However, you should always review, edit, and adjust content that has been produced by an AI tool. For example, a resume written by ChatGPT often has an AI tone or vibe. Make sure you are putting in the effort to personalise your online presence so you stand out from the crowd.
Caution
All workplaces will have policies on using different platforms, tools and applications. Before using a new digital product, such as ChatGPT, check the company policy. Your workplace might have an internal platform you can use freely, or they may restrict the use of all products.
Google and you
Be mindful of the information about yourself that’s publicly available online.
Search engines like Google personalise results based on your location, search history, and other online activity. What you see when you search your name may be different from what others see. These factors shape how your online presence appears to different people.
Your Task
Do a search for your name in an internet browser. Then another search of your name in a different internet browser.
Take note of the information you find and consider:
- Does the internet browser have an impact on the information you see?
- Is the information up to date?
- Does the information accurately represent the professional image you would like?
Tip
When using an internet browser to search for yourself be sure to clear cookies or search history. Alternatively, don’t use your regular internet browser, such as a browser with saved search history, or a browser you log into (e.g. Google Chrome). Browsers you regularly use retain cookies and data that can influence the results of your search.
Digital identity management
Your digital identity is shaped by the online content you create, including accounts, posts, and comments. Employers and professional networks may review this online content, so it’s important to proactively manage your online presence.
Click on the plus (+) icons below to discover helpful ways for managing your digital identity:
Key advice
Anything online can resurface, even if set to private, so think before you post. Regularly check privacy settings, as platforms update policies that may affect your content’s visibility. If you wouldn’t say or share something in a job interview, avoid posting it.
Your digital footprint or brand should reflect your values and expertise.