CALENDAR

Editor 's note: submit events, meetings, workshops and conferences at least one month in advance to cibm@news-gazette.com for inclusion in Mark Your Calendar.

Untitled < Aug Sep Oct >

September 7
Business Success Human Resource Seminars - Seminar 1: Recruiting and hiring right the first time 8:30 a.m.
Chamber Large Conference Room 1817 S. Neil St., Suite 201, Champaign These seminars are designed specifically for chamber members who are seeking quality, practical and affordable education on managing and grow their companies. Interested individuals can choose the sessions that are right for them -- or they can plan to attend all the sessions. Cost for chamber members is $32 per session or $145 for the entire series. Interested individuals can contact Norma Wesley at (217) 531-4679 or NormaW@champaigncounty.org.

September 9
Chamber breakfast 7:30 a.m.
Hawthorn Suites 101 Trade Centre Drive, Champaign Public affairs analyst Thom Serafin will discuss the November elections and their impact on Illinois.

September 9
Chamber ambassadors meeting 4 p.m.
Chamber Large Conference Room 1817 S. Neil St. Suite 201, Champaign For more information and to get involved, contact Paul Caravelli at PaulC@champaigncounty.org.

September 9
Project management certificate 6 to 9 p.m.
Class continues every Thursday through Dec. 16 Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign This program assists in taking the PMP Certification Exam sponsored by the Project Management Institute. For additional exam requirements, visit the PMI website: www.pmi.org/CareerDevelopment/Pages/AboutPMIsCredentials.aspx Participants will be assigned a project to work on by the instructor. Upon successful completion, students receive a certificate of completion from Parkland College. Deadline to register is Sept. 2. Class fee is $1,895, including book. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

September 13
Community Spanish: A survival guide for English speakers 6 to 9 p.m.
Class continues Mondays until Oct. 11 Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign Deadline to register is Sept. 7. Class fee is $225, including book and CD. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

September 13
Introduction to home inspection (Pre-licensing)
Class begins online on Sept. 13. Online sessions continue through Nov. 5. Classroom sessions are Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9, 30, Nov. 13 Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign E-mail access and an Internet connection are required. Deadline to register is Sept. 6. Class fee is $1,275, including book. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

September 14
Business continuity management certification 9 a.m. to noon
Class continues Tuesdays and Thursdays through Nov. 18 Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign Complete an online certification exam from the National Institute of Business Continuity Management as well as the requirements for the Professional Development Series offered by the Emergency Management Institute. Deadline to register is Sept. 7. Class fee is $1,995. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

September 14
Food service sanitation certification 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Class continues Tuesdays through Oct. 5. Test is Oct. 12. Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign In addition to becoming state certified, candidates who successfully complete this course are eligible for the ServSafe food safety certification examination for an additional fee. Deadline to register is Sept. 7. Class fee is $105, not including book. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

September 16
Agribusiness Council 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.
Carle Development Foundation 911 E. University Ave., Urbana Contact Andrew Proctor, public policy manager, at andrewp@champaigncounty.org.

September 16
Correcting performance problems 8 a.m. to noon
Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign Deadline to register is Sept. 9. Class fee is $125, including workbook. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

September 16
Business After Hours 5 to 7 p.m.
Benefit Planning Consultants 2110 Clearlake Blvd. Suite 200, Champaign Proceeds from the $5 per person donation at the door will help fund Chamber programs. The donation for non-members and guests is $8.

September 21
Business Success Human Resource Seminars - Seminar 2: Getting your new employee to quickly be productive and connected to your company 8:30 a.m.
Chamber Large Conference Room 1817 S. Neil St., Suite 201, Champaign Cost for Chamber members is $32 per session or $145 for the entire series. Interested individuals can contact Norma Wesley at (217) 531-4679 or NormaW@champaigncounty.org.

September 24
Building Operator Certification - Level 1 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Class continues Thursdays and Fridays: Oct. 8, 22, Nov. 4, 5, 19, Dec. 3, 17 Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign All sessions are taught by MEEA instructors and require some out-of-class projects. Deadline to register is Sept. 17. Class fee is $1,250, including BOC certification exams and books. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

WORK PLACE September 2010

How to maintain your personal brand and online image

By Cindy Somers
CIBM Contributor

In today's digital world, workers should take a cue from companies that understand the importance of branding. The Web explosion has made it more important than ever to manage your online personal brand.

Everyone seems to be online today; the median age on Twitter is 37. Blogs, social networking and online career searches are bigger than ever, and they're here to stay. While there is a wide array of ways to promote yourself and your career, each one can be a double-edged sword -- what is designed to promote can sometimes actually damage.

Manage your privacy

If you have a personal Facebook, BUZZ or MySpace account, be sure to manage your privacy. These sites can be great for personal use or professional networking, but it's important to know exactly who has access to your information. If you have friends on social sites, know when and how you're mentioned or tagged in photos. If anything that doesn't reflect well on you is posted by a friend, ask them to remove it immediately. Additionally, remember that you may want to leave some personal information fields blank if you are interviewing (e.g., political views, birth date, relationship status).

Think before you post

If you use Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In or MySpace to post your "status" and allow potential networking contacts (including friends) to see your profile, remember that you may be able to control who sees your updates by putting privacy limitations on that posting. Even a negative status update or posting too many touchy political news articles could dampen your professional reputation.

Blog smart

It's a great idea to start a blog and update it with interesting and relevant career information. You can post stories about networking events or the latest and greatest from your last trade show visit, or comment on news and events in your industry. This can be a great way to promote yourself and show off your commitment to your career.

Use LinkedIn the smart way

LinkedIn can be a good way to apply for jobs, post your resume, network with existing contacts and find new connections. It also allows you to post a public profile that's searchable via engines such as Google, which helps you gain more exposure. It can help you research people before you interview with them and help your job searches be more relevant.

Google yourself regularly

It's important to regularly check up on your online self. Even if you think you know what you'll find, you may be surprised at what comes up. If someone shares your name, but you don't want to be confused with them, consider bringing it up in your interview. For example, "By the way, if you happen to Google me, there's a convicted felon in Iowa by the same name!"

Promoting yourself and managing your online image is easy as long as you stay on top of your profiles, manage your privacy and keep an eye on your good name.

Cindy Somers is an owner of Spherion Staffing Services in Champaign. She can be reached at (217) 359-4488 or at cindysomers@spherion.com.