Digital footprint checks: how one engineering leader raised his score after a layoff

After a layoff, an engineering leader worried he might not find another job, and his mentor, Marian, used a digital footprint check to assess how a stranger would see his online presence. The check scores profiles against a typical 2026 baseline, and his rose from 0.9x to 1.17x, moving from "Nearly there" to "Worth a second look". His own check found some positive material, including past interviews and a mentoring role, which he added to his LinkedIn profile. The mentor also flagged that his last public appearance was in 2025 and suggested speaking engagements, plus improvements to his GitHub and direct contact with decision makers at meetups. The article argues that recruiters and AI screening tools increasingly judge candidates on their online presence, not just their CVs, and it describes a manual way to run the same check.