.

‘Heard that one before? 

Think about it.

We Google EVERYTHING indiscriminately, and come on…admit it…you’ve Googled yourself just to see what turns up.  In fact you should — regularly.

Why?  Because your brand, your reputation, your integrity, and your image on the internet could be the most telling statement about your life from this point on.

Remember the old saying:  “The only words you can take back are the ones never spoken?”  Well, the internet is that way now with images, words, impressions, videos, and references to you. 

My wife and I have tried to impress on our kids that every single image and video they post on FaceBook is gone to the ages, the moment they upload it.   And yes, even “unfriended” people can manage to see your profiile with the right hack. 

Why do you think employers feel they’ve found such a bonanza with the online social networking sites?  They don’t need your resume — you know…that document you’ve carefully crafted to make you look good from HS graduation ”to present”.  If they want to know what you are REALLY like, they Google you.

Hence, Google is your resume.  Guard it.  Protect it.  Guide it.  Heck, you can even manipulate it to your advantage.  Uh-huh, it works both ways.

Thursday morning, I spent an hour with a group of UNLV college students in a class called:  “Introduction to Interactive Media Design”.  The professor had invited me to speak to these mostly Junior and Senior Journalism students about real-world application of social networking sites.  How does a working journalist apply New Media to traditional media?  Do they mix?  Can they work together?  Should they?

Here’s a short clip.

I enjoyed being there for an hour, ’cause many of the same concepts I shared with the UNLV students, I’ll be expected to articulate to my co-workers in the KLAS-TV newsroom next week.  My boss has tapped me to help my news colleagues understand how all these social networking sites can have ANY possible relevance to news gathering.  I think it does, but I digress to my night job.

Voice Acting as a business is largely conducted online.  Hence, the “GOOGLE IS YOUR RESUME” concept applies. Your website, your profile on pay-to-play sites, your participation in forums, LinkedIn, YouTube, shared e-mails, Voice-Over Universe.  All that contributes to your online, hence your real-world personna, because until they visit your home town, that’s all people have to go by.

So…again:  Guard it.  Protect it.  Guide it.  Heck, you can even manipulate it to your advantage.  Uh-huh, it works both ways, and I’ll get into THAT in my next blog.

CourVO