You've sent a great CV and a solid cover letter. But before you get called in for an interview, there's a good chance someone has already Googled you. What do they find?
1. Social media
The first thing a recruiter does is search your name. Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn are the most common places they check.
What they look for:
- Professionalism: Does your LinkedIn match your CV? Are there timeline gaps?
- Red flags: Offensive comments, aggressive posts, or party photos every weekend?
- Culture fit: What do you share? What interests you? Will you fit the team?
A CareerBuilder survey shows that 70% of employers check social media as part of the recruitment process.
2. Google search and public registries
A simple Google search for "Your Name" can reveal more than you think:
- Tax records: Income and wealth are public in Norway via Sjekkskatt.no
- Company roles: Proff.no shows all board positions and companies you're involved in
- Court decisions: Any judgments can surface
- Media mentions: Everything from positive articles to negative news
For positions of trust (finance, management, public sector), this is especially relevant. Bankruptcies, debt collection and criminal cases are information an employer values knowing.
3. References and network
- Does anyone at the company know you? What do they say?
- Do your references check out? Do they even exist?
- LinkedIn connections: Are you connected to people in the industry?
How to prepare
- Google yourself with quotes. Check the first 3 pages.
- Make social media private or clean up old posts.
- Update LinkedIn so it matches your CV, no gaps.
- Check Proff.no for company roles you may have forgotten.
- Search yourself on 1881 and remove yourself if you want.
The best thing you can do is know what an employer finds, before they find it.
Want a complete overview? A digital footprint analysis shows exactly what an employer (or anyone) can find about you, with concrete tips to clean up.