3. Digital footprint

You may have heard the term digital footprint before, but do you know what it means? This short introduction from the Internet Society explains what your digital footprint is.

 Four reasons to care about your digital footprint (YouTube, 8m)

Your digital footprint is often there forever, even if you think you have deleted it. There are plenty of examples of celebrities who have deleted ill-advised tweets after a backlash only to have screenshotted versions circulated. This is also true of websites. The Internet Archive Wayback Machine contains snapshots of a huge range of websites from the 1990s to the present so you can see how websites have changed over time.

It is best to assume that anything you post online is going to be permanent and public. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether you would be happy with a future employer or your family members seeing the item you post. Your digital footprint can affect your employability. eRecruitment is becoming more prevalent with employers admitting to looking at a candidate’s online profile before an interview. Your online presence or personal branding could affect the way a potential employer views you.

Email accounts for professional and personal use

It is good practice to have a separate email account specifically for professional use and to make your personal accounts more private. Before setting up a professional email address, there are some things to consider:

• avoid nicknames or anything potentially unprofessional
• use your own domain name or email hosting site
• do not include personal details, such as your date of birth, or year of birth in your email address.

 Read Student perceptions of peer credibility based on email addresses. Have you considered how your current personal email may reflect on your professional image?

Social media and your eProfessional identity

Avoid the following on social media platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok or Facebook:

• posting provocative images, text or video that includes personal information or inappropriate or obscene material
• displaying posts of drug use or drinking
• writing blogs, tweets or posts of a discriminating nature relating to race, gender or gender identity, relationship status, age, impairment or religious beliefs as per Australia’s anti-discrimination law
• showing links or images portraying criminal behaviour
• using false information about qualifications or previous employment.

Be aware of who you are digitally endorsing through ‘likes’ and ‘follows’. Do not like or follow people or organisations that could harm your employability prospects in the future.

Security and Confidentiality

Investigate the security settings available on social media platforms you use, and as appropriate, turn on these settings or “locks” for your accounts. See Your Digital Footprint for information about social media platforms and their privacy settings.

The Social Media module has information on using social media and specific information on improving your online brand.