There are many factors that contribute to the overall success of your failure. Your education level, for instance, and your passion both play a role, as does, sometimes, pure luck. One of the more underrated and overlooked aspects of career success is how you’re judged by the people that can help your career to progress.

If they like what they see, then you’ll go far; if they don’t, then you might struggle to reach your full potential.

While the internet has done a lot of good for humanity, it’s important to remember that it can have a negative impact on your professional life. The vast majority of recruiters conduct internet background checks on candidates, and if they find something negative or unprofessional, then they’ll be much less likely to offer that person a job. Whenever you’re thinking about your career, it’s important to think about what the person who makes the decisions cares about. And increasingly, they’re concerned about corporate reputation.

If you’re going to progress, and be sure that the internet doesn’t hold your career back, then you need to control the narrative. That means taking charge of your online persona and ensuring that when people search for your name, they see what you want them to see. This might sound like a simple enough task, but it’s something that many people overlook, and it ultimately ends up hurting their career.

To learn more about personal branding, take a look at the infographic from the University of Maryland below.

University of Maryland University of Maryland