[Translated from a contribution by Edith Brou]

 

Did you know that you have a digital identity? Well, yes, you do. You don't have to request it from any legal authority (for now, at least). It already exists and it can either elevate you or harm you. How? Because from the day when you connected to the Internet, and filled out a profile by registering your first and last names, posted photos or opened an electronic mailbox, your Identity was self-built without your knowledge. And it gets updated with each of your actions on your keyboard.

You can no longer go unnoticed because you are certainly "referenced", that is, by typing your name and surname, I may find you on the first page of the Google Search results. You therefore benefit from the natural referencing of this search engine (see SEO : Search Engine Optimisation).

 

However, there are tools much more sophisticated that allow you, by simply right clicking the mouse, to know in seconds, all the public and private information you have dropped over the years on ''the Web''.

 

In the worst cases, those we have taken their digital identities lightly (this amounts to misplacing their physical identity card), found themselves in very uncomfortable situations. For instance, it happened to that employee who got fired within a few months because his boss caught him happily smoking a big ''joint'' on his Facebook profile.

 

In the coming years, be aware that, to access some sites, your digital identity will be scrutinized, and for recruiters, it will be a very good way to have access to the profile of a potential candidate within a few seconds.

So now is the time to cultivate your digital identity, and take care of it to avoid a very bad harvest.