Steven C. Wyer Says Online Reputation May Hurt College Hopefuls

Online, October 29, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Steven C. Wyer, Managing Director of Reputation Advocate, says that reputation management should begin as early as high school. A recent study conducted by Kaplan Test Prep, found that 35 percent of college officials report that information on social media sites negatively impacted an applicant's chances.

College admissions officers are increasingly turning to the web for information on potential students. Facebook isn't the only target, Wyer points out, with Google Plus, Twitter, YouTube, and even blogs and other web postings providing fodder for college recruiter research.

At Reputation Advocate, Steven C. Wyer assists clients in a variety of professions gain control of their online reputations. This reputation management also extends to recent college graduates who are seeking to enter the workforce. But Wyer maintains that the earlier a future professional begins to cultivate his or her positive online reputation, the better.

According to Steven C. Wyer, one of the biggest culprits of reputation damage for a young adult lies in online photo galleries. If a college applicant's online presence includes photos of potentially illegal activities, consumption of alcohol, or suggestive poses, an admissions officer may react negatively. Even if those photos are private, Steven C. Wyer cautions that a tagged photo on a friend's page may be discoverable.

Prior to beginning an application process, students should do a thorough search for themselves online, Steven C. Wyer advises. If possible, that student should have a friend carefully review online social media profiles to detect anything that might look questionable to an outsider.

That same philosophy should apply after the student is accepted to college, states Steven C. Wyer. Once a college degree is earned, a graduate will progress on to the business world, where he or she will begin building a career. One of the best ways to maintain control of one's online reputation is to build a positive reputation from the start. Steven C. Wyer recommends professionals establish a positive image online through creating presences on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google Plus, and other social media outlets.

For students, however, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the sites to check, Steven C. Wyer states. In Kaplan Test Prep's study, 87% of colleges responding viewed an applicant's Facebook page, while 76% went to Twitter, and 73% to YouTube. As students begin to consider college choices, Steven C. Wyer urges cleaning up these sites first and moving on from there.

Steven C. Wyer is the author of Violated Online (Dunham Books, 2011). Through this helpful guide, Wyer assists readers in learning the tools necessary to protect against online reputation violation.