You never get a second chance to make a good first impression!

Sounds a little cliché, doesn't it?  But it's so true.  Think about it: most often your instincts guide your first judgment of a person upon meeting them.  It is hard to counter those instincts after the impression has been made.

Unfortunately, living in the age of technology, we are often making a first impression on employers without even realizing it.  It seems to be taken for granted that we still maintain a degree of privacy with the exchange of information over the internet.  However, it is becoming increasingly common for an employer's first impression to be made before even meeting a candidate.  Factors we may not even consider can impact an employer's first impression (read about how employers use the internet to formulate an opinion of candidates).

First and foremost, your email address says a lot about you.  It should be included in your resume when applying for job and is often a method for employers to first initiate contact.  Put yourself in an employer's shoes:  would you really be chomping at the bit to contact a candidate with an email address containing "sexy," "hot," "crazy" or other risqué words?  Not likely.  For an employer, what a person will include in a resume or application for employment says a lot about their judgment.  Check out this article about what your e-mail address says to employers.

Most recruiters recommend that you use a simple format of first and last name or even just your last name as your e-mail address to keep things simple.  There are a number of free email services that you can use to create an account to dedicate to your jobsearch efforts.  It will also help you to stay organized if you keep all employment related correspondences under this email address.

Would you go into a job interview and tell the interviewer about your excessive weekend drinking?  Would you share with them the intimate details of your life outside of work?  That is what a lot of candidates are doing when they display that kind of information on social networking websites. Another way that employers are starting to look at candidates is by checking out commonly used social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace.  Sure, you're sharing the details of your weekend and pictures and news in your life with friends on these websites.  But be wary, it is becoming increasingly common for employers to check out these websites to see what personal information candidates are displaying (read this article about how employers are using these websites).  Think that setting your profile as private will keep you safe?  Think again. Some employers can access even those pages that are set to private (read more about how). 

It is best with the all of the resources that employers have at their fingertips to research candidates to exercise caution in the information you choose to make public.  Following these simple tips should keep you safe from information overload:

·         Your email address should reflect you as a professional, not as an individual.

·         Make sure any information you make public is not incriminating.

·         Ensure that all information that is made public demonstrates your strong sense of judgment.

·         Have some juicy news or gossip?  Just pick up the phone and call your friends to let them know about it.

Making sure that the first impression you make is a good one might just help you get the interview.