Dear SafetyXChange Members:

Google and other Internet search engines have changed job seeking like they've changed everything else. What hath Google wrought? And how can you, as safety professionals, take advantage of Google to enhance your job search and career prospects? Here are three quick tips.

1. Give Yourself a Regular Google

Understand that Google has become a tool for background checking. Most recruiters and companies use Google to check out job candidates. That makes it an absolute must to Google yourself regularly to determine what the people checking you out are seeing. Be sure to check the "images," "news" and "newsgroup" directories.

2. Build Your Own Website

Build a simple website that displays your résumé, articles, press mentions, awards, etc. Not only will the site serve as an electronic portfolio of your experience and success, but it will also get noticed by Googling recruiters. Building a personal website is almost an imperative if your "narcissurfing" yields unflattering results. Carving out your own niche in cyberspace will divert attention from the bad things and ensure that Googlers come away with something positive about you.

3. Start Your Own Blog

Create a blog - short for web log. This will enable you to gain control over the results that emerge when someone searches on your name. Each blog entry is "signed" by the name of the author each time it's updated. Blogs are typically updated at least once a day. And because search engines rank results by recency and frequency, the blog will land at the top of the search pages.

Conclusion

My holiday gift to you is a short column. In the cyber age, it's go, go, go. Still, I think these nuggets will help you adjust to the brave new world of Google and enrich your career prospects.

Wishing you career success and holiday cheer,

Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet
www.execunet.com

REFLECTIONS FROM LAURYN
The Laws of Lifetime Growth

By Lauryn Franzoni

I never start my sentences with "always." Well, almost never. Here are 10 exceptions - the laws of lifetime growth. I offer them up as my Christmas card to SafetyXChange members. I'd love to claim credit for the notions, but they come from The Strategic Coach, Inc. (strategiccoach.com).

1. Always make your future bigger than your past.

2. Always make your learning greater than your experience.

3. Always make your contribution bigger than your reward.

4. Always make your performance greater than your applause.

5. Always make your gratitude greater than your success.

6. Always make your enjoyment greater than your effort.

7. Always make your cooperation greater than your status.

8. Always make your confidence greater than your comfort.

9. Always make your purpose greater than your money.

10. Always make your questions bigger than your answers.

SAFETYXCHANGE CONTEST
The Best Bonus I Ever Got

Note: Last week, we did the bad bonuses. Now let's do the good ones. Remember, the notes come from members, the subheads from us.

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FIRST PRIZE
Ticket to Ride

I was working on a team project chaired by a Vice President. I was really productive so he paid for me to go on several business trips related to the project. I live in Baltimore and was able to visit St. Louis, Las Vegas and New York.

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SECOND PRIZE
It's a Wonderful Break

My best bonus ever came while I was working on Christmas Eve. My parents and my wife surprised me by bringing my dinner to me at work that evening.

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THIRD PRIZE
The Check Republic

The company I work at now gives bonus checks and bringing home $800.00 is wonderful!! Some of the employees bring home close to $3,000.00 depending on years of service. Our company has been in business since 1972 and we have some of the original employees.

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HONORABLE MENTION

Cynic Claus Is Coming to Town

My best bonus was also my worst. It was a Christmas bonus of $4,800, which was equivalent to almost 10% of my salary at the time. It was the best bonus, $-wise and %-wise I'd ever had. However, it was also the worst. Why? Because I knew it was a self-serving, dangerous-to-the-company idea set to by the CEO. Self-serving because if he didn't give his employees this kind of bonus, the Board of Directors wouldn't have allowed him the kind of bonus he wanted. Dangerous because our company did not have the kind of steady sales record that would be able to support or sustain this, and, indeed, the following years were spent on financial thin-ice. We're past that time now (and several CEOs later - I think we're on our 6th CEO since then, and it was only 7 years ago).

Anyway, that's my best and worst all in one!

SCROOGE'S SPOT THE SAFETY HAZARD

I'm gonna getch ya

The Hannukah Edition

Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay. . ."

Can you spot the safety hazard?

Answer
Certain clays contain chemicals that can cause allergic reactions and the emission of noxious vapors.

NOTE: You can buy some  pretty cool holiday posters from the website of our parent company, Bongarde Media, at http://www.safetyposter.com.

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