CLEVELAND -- The jobless rate for Ohio is 7.4 percent. That's a point higher than the national average. So if you're looking for a job right now, the competition is tough and the market is tight. With so many candidates you need to make sure you stand above the rest and that means cleaning up your reputation online.

The comments and images are everywhere and sometimes not the most flattering pictures wind up on the Web. Teresa Maher, a job search expert, reminds us that, "Potential employers are "googling" people and looking at social networking sites and employers are even looking at current employees on board to see what they are doing. It would be really naive for someone to think they are not savvy. If they are on the Web sites the employers are too."

So how do you "wash your digital identity?"

Even if you don't have a profile on social networking sites, Maher says it's time to make sure your e-mail address is appropriate. That means get rid of any cutesy name and use your actual first and last name.

If you blog, remove your opinions that could hurt your chances with a potential employer. Ask your friends to remove your photos from their sites.

Complain to sites like You-Tube if there is a video you don't approve of. And "Google" yourself.

Try your name in other search engines too. If someone with the same name as you comes up, let the interviewer know it's not you.

And if you really need some help with your "digital dirt" there are a growing number of sites that offer services to clean up your online reputation.

www.reputationdefender.com
www.defendmyname.com www.naymz.com

Typically, these sites charge by the hour and it can become costly sometimes reaching thousands of dollars. It's important to understand the services are not guaranteed.