BENIGN TO FIVE
What a preposterous question. Of course you have. Of course I have. Of course they have. Of course everyone with a computer and an internet connection has.
And employers are doing the same thing - Googling your name after shortlisting you for a job you've applied for. How do we take advantage of this knowledge?
Writing your own Wikipedia entry is unethical, inappropriate, obnoxious and against Wikipedia guidelines. Here's how you do it.
Wikipedia doesn't like unfounded claims or citation-free assertions. If you don't have any reference material to work with, if you haven't done multiple interviews with major news outlets (poor effort), you'll need to get someone to write and publish your biography. Easy.
Next, layout. A good guide is other people's Wikipedia pages. I recommend Otto von Bismarck, Barbara Cartland and Ayrton Senna. You'll find index headings that are pretty well universally applicable. Here are some of the most useful: 1. Early life 2. Education 3. European sojourn 4. Rise to power 5. Assassination attempt 6. Decorations and honours 7. Body of work 8. Political views 9. Claims of corruption and embezzlement 10. Personal life.
Now, the writing. Don't let modesty stand in the way of brutal honesty. Include phrases like "brightest star in the [your area] firmament" and "Australia's best-known [your vocation]".
I'd direct you to mine but apparently Wikipedia had to take it down because the number of visitors was clogging the internet.
Jonathan Rivett survived an assassination attempt and now blogs at haught.com.au
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Yes — the article points out that everyone Googles their own name and employers do the same after shortlisting candidates. Regularly searching your name helps you see what potential employers or clients will find and gives you a chance to manage your online presence.
Yes. The article notes employers often Google your name after shortlisting you for a job, so being aware of and shaping your online footprint can matter for hiring decisions.
No. The article clearly states writing your own Wikipedia entry is unethical, inappropriate and against Wikipedia guidelines, so creating a self-authored page is discouraged.
Wikipedia doesn't like unfounded claims or citation-free assertions. According to the article, you need verifiable reference material — for example major media interviews or published sources — to support a biography.
The article suggests getting someone else to write and publish your biography. Having a third-party published biography creates the reference material Wikipedia looks for without you directly authoring the entry.
The article recommends modelling your layout on established pages and lists useful headings such as: 1. Early life, 2. Education, 3. European sojourn, 4. Rise to power, 5. Assassination attempt, 6. Decorations and honours, 7. Body of work, 8. Political views, 9. Claims of corruption and embezzlement, and 10. Personal life.
The article advises not to let modesty stand in the way of bold phrasing, even suggesting grandiose lines like 'brightest star in the [your area] firmament' or 'Australia's best-known [your vocation]'. Keep in mind the article treats this as tongue-in-cheek advice rather than a strict rule.
Yes — the article recommends using other people's Wikipedia pages as a guide and specifically mentions Otto von Bismarck, Barbara Cartland and Ayrton Senna as useful examples to study.
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