I attended a student leadership conference and a blogging conference last week. Personal branding was a hot topic at both, and I heard this question a lot.

Your personal brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. It’s your reputation. Your trademarked traits.

I will indeed google you. The answer to that question, for me, for recruiters, for clients and frankly, for most people is almost always a resounding yes. 

The HR stats prove it. You prove it too, every time you google a restaurant or rate an Uber driver. We use our access to information to check up on things and on people.  

The boundaries between our online presence and actual everyday lives have vanished. What does this mean for your careers, if you want to put your best foot forward? 

That you need to lock down every social media account to private? That you can only share the best of your accomplishments? No bad days, no sad stuff? Not even a blurry shot of a pumpkin-spiced latte?

Consider this instead: If you believe in our definition of career - that it can and should be a reflection of who you are and how you show up in the world - this vanishing is inspiring.

It means that you now have the free and wildly popular opportunity to provide social proof to employers, colleagues, collaborators and clients that don't know you. Proof of who you are and your abilities. Proof of your follow-through. Proof of your creativity. Proof of whatever you want to showcase. 

Our digital lives can and should reflect who we really are in real life. IRL is right here, right now, on this very device. 

What reflection are you showing through this screen to the world? 

OneLifeTools powers professionals with narrative tools that help people get clear about how they want to show up in the world. Learn more about how we do that here or join a free webinar here.