Hey, I found you online

Baby pics, emo selfies, old tweets outing the ex. If it makes you cringe, it makes HR departments do too. Here's how to clean up your digital footprint

- Christalle Fernandes

On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog. That modern adage about online anonymity is from 1993, from a New Yorker magazine cartoon, a fact easily discovered online.

Contrary to the anonymity promised in that crack then, to potential employers and clients, your past is just a search away. Your mom posted a pic of you as a toddler, wailing in diapers - they can see it. You got wasted that one time after seeing Justin Bieber in concert - baby, baby, ohhh. They can see it too. You gave the MG Road KFC a two-star review because they were not open at 4am - they see exactly how unfair you can be. Social media managers and brand founders tell you which digital red flags to avoid, and how to clean up your presence online.

First, google yourself.

Millennials used to call it Ego Surfing. Now it's a way to track what's up for judgement. "Try a few variations-add your middle name, past usernames, or even past job titles and cities," says Aastha Duggal, freelance social media manager. "Don't forget to check Google Images and Videos tabs. It will reveal the content that doesn't appear on the main page."

Open the archive.