Jim Durbin here from StlRecruiting.com, guest authoring here as part of the Recruiting.com BlogSwap....

A couple of weeks ago Harry told you how to get noticed on Monster.  Now let's move into the next step of getting noticed -- your complete online profile.

If you are a job-seeker, or think you will be looking anytime in the next year, the best way to get noticed by top-notch recruiters is to raise your online profile.  This is more than making sure you appear on Google - it's managing your comprehensive online presence.

Here is your Must Do List for getting noticed by the end of the year.

1.  Sign Up For Linked In:  LinkedIn is a social networking service that allows recruiters to search for you by title, school, company and geographic location.  Take the time to create a winning profile, reach out to a few friends, and accept invitations when they are offered.  Also make sure your LinkedIn url is attached to your e-mail signature.  Having a LinkedIn profile is like wearing a Rolex in a hotel bar:  It says you're looking without having to be obvious about it.

2.  Update your Online Directory Info at ZoomInfo and JigSaw.

3.  If you have a blog, post on it frequently with your name and title.  Add descriptors like your current projects, technical expertise, and examples of anything you have done that shows up in the public record.  Add conferences, meetings, user groups, and leadership positions in the community.  Be specific with your expertise - try to imagine what a recruiter might type into a search engine.  Put in contact management software you have used, complex projects you have run, and descriptions of your certifications.  The goal is to be obvious, but not too obvious.

4.  If you don't have a blog, offer to guest post at friends of yours that have high-ranked blogs.  I have Hyperion Essbase and Streamserve recruiters contacting me regularly because of guest posts left by experts over a year ago.

5.  Write articles for trade publications, newspapers, and the local company newsletter.  Recruiters seek out expertise, and someone who is published is going to have a better chance of getting noticed than someone who keeps their expertise confined to the company e-mail.

6.  Sponsor or start a networking event for your speciality in your local area.  The truth about networking groups is the most benefit goes to the people who start the group.  Why not make that you?

These rules are all fine and good, but the most important piece of advice I can give you is to set aside your fear and your pride and start immediately.  You never know when you may need a recruiter to call.  Make yourself as easy to find as possible, and many opportunities could open up to you, not just job offers.  If you're lucky, you may find yourself writing a post here.

Jim Durbin is the Director, Corporate Communication for Durbin Media Group, an interactive marketing firm based in St Louis.  He is an expert on online communities and business blogging, and can be found blogging at StlRecruiting and Brandstorming.

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