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Online Nicknames Google better than Real?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the never-really-thought-about-that dept.

An anonymous reader writes "I was recently laid off, and during several of the interviews looking for a new job as a mid level IT manager, I was asked "So, I can just Google your name and find some of your work?" The answer is "yes", but searching for my name doesn't really bring up many results compared to searching for my online nickname which I have been using for about a decade. I am very tempted just to put that nickname on my resume. Is the professional, albeit technical, world ready for this step? Where should I put it? At the top or somewhere in the body?" And the other problem- how hard will it be to get a job when your nickname is something ridiculous. Boy I wish I would have thought of that in 95 ;)

12 of 308 comments (clear)

  1. At least porn doesn't pop up when you google by antifoidulus · · Score: 5, Funny

    your name. I happen to have the last name that is the same as the stage name of a popular porn actress, and my first and middle name happen to coincide with the first and last name of a male porn star she frequently stars with. So 90%+ of the stuff that comes up when you search for my name on google is porn......

    --
    Monstar L
  2. Anonymous Reader? by kfaroo · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know CmdrTaco, this reminds me of the time I had to go to the doctor to seek advice about a "friend" who got crabs.

  3. Yeah but what if... by w3c.org · · Score: 5, Funny

    your nickname is, say, quite common ?

    1. Re:Yeah but what if... by Mr.+No+Skills · · Score: 5, Funny

      Or, uncommon, but clearly bad for landing a new job?

      --
      Sleep is for the Weak
    2. Re:Yeah but what if... by 3waygeek · · Score: 5, Funny

      You're obviously applying for the wrong jobs -- with your handle, you'd be a shoe-in for upper management.

  4. I didn't find much by niceone · · Score: 5, Funny

    http://www.google.com/search?name=f&hl=en&q=An+anonymous+reader

    --
    ccalam - acoustic versions of new songs.
  5. Google turned me down by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 5, Funny

    I interviewed with Google once, but for some reason they turned me down...

    --
    This guy's the limit!
  6. Early usenet is a killer by weave · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Back in the early 90s usenet was "safe" because everyone knew that it got expired after a week or two. We all used our real names and email addresses too. Then someone found some old backup tapes 10 years later and handed them over to Google.

    A friend of mine was quite a good troll back then, but now it haunts him due to his unique name. He's written Google and gotten them to delete his posts, but they won't delete other people's posts that quote him, so he's a bit screwed. I advised him to start posting lots of technical stuff to hopefully flood out the bad crap, and then write off the rest as youthful indiscretion.

    Another friend who is now in his 40s got busted and convicted for dealing drugs when he was a teenager and spent a few years in jail. He's absolutely reformed now and eventually got a pardon from the governor of the state he was convicted in. He has no trouble getting a tech job these days -- except for banks. He doesn't even bother applying there.

    Also, doing drugs won't stop you from being President these days, saying the wrong thing 20 years ago will.

    Moral of the story, do drugs, don't talk shit on the net.

    (Gawd, this tongue-in-cheek post is going to come back to haunt me someday I bet...)

    1. Re:Early usenet is a killer by Chapter80 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Also, doing drugs won't stop you from being President these days, saying the wrong thing 20 years ago will.
      Yeah, and funny thing, Slashdot-savvy college kids are willingly handing over their college term papers to services that archive them FOREVER, and without protest. You guys should be expressing outrage at this, like those high school kids in McLean Virginia who go to trial in January!
  7. Worked great for me! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    Because of my internet picture, I now have a six figure job at a medical school. I work in the proctology department as live model for the students.

    Sincerely,

    The Goatse guy

  8. Re:Only let them see what you want by fredklein · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thing is we didn't need someone with 6 years of experience,

    Then's what was the problem? You lied about what experience you needed , he lied about what experience he had.

  9. Re: MultiLayered Personas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Someone, quick, mod him down, in order to fuck with his "net credibility"!