If I googled your name right now, what would I discover?

If you don't know the answer then it's time to find out. Start by considering if you've ever posted the following on a website...

• Drunken birthday-bash photos?

• Pictures of your newborn baby?

• A slightly inappropriate joke?

• Comments about a work problem, meeting or a client?

If you're not carefully managing your online reputation then personal data like the above can easily end up public knowledge. And by ‘public knowledge’ I mean anyone, including prospective employees who may be researching you online after (or before) your job interview!

Still don't think this is serious? Take a look through this article of 17 examples of people who were fired due to their content on Facebook.

Here's five ways to manage your online reputation.

1. Start with a googling your own name. If you haven't done this before then you might be surprised at how many links you have. Click on each link to see where the original source is. Also make sure you check the image search results, this is where you might find a slew of Facebook related photos. Check each link objectivity and then if needed see if you can edit or remove it. If you control the content (such as a Facebook picture) then it may be a simple case of deleting it entirely.

2. Check your Facebook privacy settings. Privacy settings are changing all the time on Facebook and many people are astonished at how much is visible to the general public. If you do want to find out how to lock down your Facebook then start with this great article on Mashable. It goes through the many areas of privacy that you'll need to tick/untick to keep you private information safe. Unfortunately Facebook are constantly changing these settings so it’s worth revisiting from time to time.

3. Respect peoples privacy. If you work with clients as part of your role then ensure you respect their privacy at all times. Remember just changing the name of someone you dealt with isn't acceptable. If you own your own business and are seeking testimonials (which is a great idea) then make sure you always have permission before you post anything.

4. Listen more. Managing your reputation online is not a one-off task. To really stay on top of things I suggest setting up some regular alerts so you can monitor what is being said about you or your business. An easy (and free) option is Google Alerts. Simply head over here and enter in the phrases that you wish to track, my tip would be to start with your name and your business name. Google will then deliver alerts to your inbox daily or weekly depending on the settings you choose.

5. Be proactive. A great way of being proactive about your online reputation is to post useful, informative content. This is one of the only things online that you can control! Content you publish yourself might include your professional website, a blog or even a Twitter account.

What are your thoughts? Have you seen any terrible examples of this?