If you are pursuing a job search, or simply concerned about your public professional image, (and everyone should be!) Google yourself to see what comes up. This is not a vanity move but a pro-active self defense strategy to make sure your web presence is polished and ready for public consumption.

It’s a given that employers will Google you if you are in the pipeline for a job with their organization. They are doing their due diligence to learn as much about you as possible before they extend an interview. Even if your resume and experience is stellar, their opinion of you may change if they find inappropriate references about you online.

Your mission is to beat them to the punch and clean up your web act. Facebook is the proverbial culprit since most people use this site for social connections. The reality is that Facebook is fair game so the party photos you showcase will make an impression on all who view your profile. You have control over what you post and you should check regularly to weed out content that others may post that could adversely affect you. Blocking content for non-friends is also a way to control what is visible to the general public.

Your professional image is your brand and you want to make sure that what comes up online is consistent with what you are presenting in your application materials. I have been on many search committees and the web research is part of the regular screening process for all candidates.

Web content can also work in your favor so use this resource wisely and update your profiles on LinkedIn and various other networking sites to showcase yourself at your best. Keeping all of this information current is your responsibility and also makes you recruit-able by employers trolling for talent. Take the time to make Googling yourself work to your advantage.

Alicia Sable Hunt, known to all as Sable, grew up in the Hamptons in the 1980’s during the height of materialism, big money, and a recreational drug culture that was rampant in this affluent east coast community. She benefitted from the very strong grounding of a religious household and ended up in nursing school, an anomaly in her group of friends, most of whom pursued high profile and high paying corporate careers. Sable attributes her passion for helping people to her mother who instilled strong values in her at a young age.

A Nurse in the Kitchen

Always comfortable in her own skin when working with patients, Sable experienced a variety of settings in the medical field from bedside nursing to intensive care, and outpatient clinics. But, she developed a love for oncology care working with cancer patients. With 15+ years under her belt as an oncology nurse, Sable understood the immense struggle of those fighting cancer and the nutritional challenges they uniquely face. Proper nutrition is paramount during cancer treatment but many patients suffer from loss of appetite and taste preventing them from receiving the nourishment they need. Sable feels strongly that patients should be able to thrive while continuing with their daily lives during cancer treatment and recovery. Championing the cause in 2006, she stepped into her kitchen and began baking up a solution, and Sable’s Foods was born. Read Full Story

When Pam Beattie, a stay at home Mom, married for 20 years had a yearning for something more, she focused on her passion for French furniture to launch a new business. Venetian Décor is her boutique upholstery and design house that specializes in creating down duvets, custom filled seat cushions and reproduction French furniture, to name just a few of her offerings. Pam is the ultimate recycler using vintage fur coats to bring a new life to these heirlooms and re-purpose them for something new and unique.

Pam designs custom pieces that act as windows in time and reflect old world craftsmanship, dedication, and attention to detail. Venetian Décor does not promote the trapping and killing of animals but works exclusively with vintage fur coats to ensure that these historic resources are refashioned into useful and appreciated products. Read Full Story

I just read an article by David Cutler who wrote a book called The Savvy Musician. He outlined various competencies for success in musical careers that are applicable in all professional work arenas.

• An Entrepreneurial Mindset. The ability to problem solve, create opportunities, think outside the box, market remarkably, and manage your own projects.
• Leadership and Vision. Individuals who possess a strong sense of vision and the courage to lead with influence are rewarded on many levels.
• Collaboration. Successful professionals value working with others, creating projects that are greater than themselves. Consider joining forces with the not so obvious constituents in your circle of contacts: community members, educators, business leaders, neighbors, etc.
• A Strong Brand. A brand is much more than your name or logo. It is the sum total of how others perceive what you do. What distinguishes you from the pack and how will potential clients or colleagues know that?
• Risk Taking. Most people are terrified of failure, playing it too safe and buying into the myth that anything less than perfection reflects poorly on them. An overly safe approach often results with a failure of the largest order – professional goals. If you crave success, be willing to fail and learn from it.
• Internet Mastery. The web offers unprecedented opportunities: social networking, blogging, podcasting, news releases, viral sensations, etc. It’s simply not enough to do these things – you must do so strategically for the greatest impact.
• Financial Literacy. Prospering financially doesn’t simply mean raking in piles of cash. Success requires a deep understanding of how money works – earning, spending, and saving.
• Research Skills. The most successful professionals do not reinvent the wheel. They take advantage of pre-existing resources. They establish relationships with mentors, embrace creative modeling, and devour resource materials in their field.
• An Understanding and Interest in the World. Only those who are engaged in the challenges, values, and realities of their communities are able to create products and provide services that fill gaps and resonate with others. Successful professionals are relevant.

When you play the career game with these rules in mind you will be well prepared for success.

A native of Australia, Jacqui Rosshandler now calls New York City home and is enjoying a new career as CEO and Co-Founder of Jacquean Products. Trained as a lawyer, Jacqui never felt at home in the structured corporate world and took an entrepreneurial leap on New Year’s Day in 2007 when she summoned the courage to give her new business idea a whirl. Nine months later, she had her new product in hand. Read Full Story

In November I was interviewed by Chicke Fitzgerald on Transition Solutionz blog talk radio.  I discussed identifying your personal brand, playing to your strengths and the power of networking in the job search process. Check out the archived interview online http://www.blogtalkradio.com/resumelive/2009/11/10/transition-solutionz-series

Transition Solutionz has a theory. They believe that being in career transition is not a “lesser state of being”.  In fact, they love the term “on sabbatical”. This show is for those that are unemployed, under-employed, self-employed and needing encouragement and those that may still be employed but looking for a change. It is time to reinvent yourself, to toot your own horn and to learn to focus on what you love and how to leave your legacy. Truly, the money will follow. I applaud Transition Solutionz for their empowered approach to career transition!