Like this:

If you google my name, you will find my google profile at the bottom of the page. Cool, eh? My wife took the picture I used in it when we were in Seattle last spring.

Search committees can use Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines to do on line research. That is a good thing. It is also good for you as a search committee to help people find you! You can post a google profile of your church so those trying to find you can do so more easily.

It is also a good thing for a person looking for a position, whether ministry or otherwise to make themselves easy to find. This is a simple thing to do and may generate contacts or have other positive results.It can also be a great way to help people find you.

If you do this as an individual, think it through. Choose a picture carefully. Do you want your image to look like something just cut out of a school yearbook? Then put in a head shot of you with a suit and tie. BTW, just smiling in the picture does not necessarily make it a casual picture. Maybe you need to look of “all business” for the position you are looking for or the type of contacts you are trying to generate. Or you can show some of your personality. Don’t go cutesy but a casual picture can draw others to you. What ever the picture, just be sure to think through the one you choose.

If you do this as a search committee, think about what picture you might post that will be perhaps the first image someone will have of your church. Do you want it to be of a building, a large group, a ministry happening or what? Think about it because while image is not reality, image is a reality.

And don’t stop with Google! Web based commun- ications offer a variety of opportunities to attach a picture or build a profile. Get yourself out there by finding them an utilizing them. Find me on Skype to see another example.

Bottom line is this: make yourself a little more “findable.” Here is the posting from the daily Harvard Business Briefing that showed me how to do it.

NOVEMBER 4, 2009
Time to Recycle Your Business Cards
Last time you attended a meeting, you may have handed out a few business cards and even collected some as well. Chances are they’re still languishing in the bottom of your briefcase. In our increasingly paperless world, business cards may soon be a thing of the past. If someone wants to find you, it’s far more likely that they will use the internet than a Rolodex. If your name isn’t too common, your Facebook page or LinkedIn profile will likely turn up. But if you’re name is “Greg Smith,” searchers will have a lot of work to do to find the real you. One way to remain contactable is by creating a Google Profile. You can enter basic information about yourself, including contact information, so that when users enter your name into a Google search, your profile shows up at the bottom of the page.

Give it a try: Google the name Jason Chen. At the bottom of the page, you’ll see several Jason’s listed with their company affiliations (from Mattel to Google itself to the University of Illinois) so it’s easy for searchers to see more about the specific Jason they’re looking for.

Sign into your Google account to set up your Google Profile. Add your name, profession, company, places you’ve lived, short bio, and even photos to create a quick at–a–glance contact page. All the information you post to your Google Profile is public and optional. You can even verify your identity via a phone call or credit card with your Google Profile (and it will be listed as “Verified” publicly).

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