By Susan P. Joyce

Yes, you DO have a "Google Resume," whether you know it or not. And whether or not you are paying attention to it. I'm not talking about your Google Plus profile or a resume you submit to Google for a job there.

Famous author Richard N. Bolles, who writes the classic best seller "What Color Is Your Parachute?" stated in 2009,

"Google is the new resume."

As usual, Dick Bolles was absolutely right, then, and he's even more right NOW. (If you haven't read his book, you should, particularly if you are having trouble deciding on your next job. The 2016 edition has a chapter devoted to Google Resumes.)

What Is a Google Resume?

Your Google Resume is what Google shows the world in a search for your name. Typically, the people doing the searching are recruiters.

Think of all the times you use Google to search for information when you are trying to find something or learn more about something, particularly when you are considering spending money or time. Employers and recruiters do the same thing, but they are researching to find qualified job candidates or learn more about job applicants.

Because of those searches, each of us has a Google Resume, today. And, if it's a good resume, showing how professional and skilled we are, that new job can find us.

Usually in a hurry, recruiters seldom look past the first two pages of search results. Often, they don't look below the top half of the first page. That's usually a good thing.

Pay close attention to what is on the first page of Google search results in a search for your name. Do pay attention to what is on the second page, and later pages, because entries can move up or down and from page to page fairly rapidly depending on how popular an entry seems to be.