by Ron Bates

Created on: March 22, 2007   Last Updated: April 17, 2007

Personal Internet presence? Why should I care about a personal Internet presence? I don't want recruiters bugging me.

Unfortunately, this is what most people early in their professional careers think about a personal Internet presence.

Whether you want recruiters bugging you or not, isn't the point about being found on the Internet. The point is the world of business is changing rapidly, and the Internet is driving the change. The Internet is about access to, and the ability to communicate, information (i.e., there is a reason the Internet is called "The Information Highway").

The Internet is the go-to resource more often than ever to find answers to questions that start with: who, what, where, when, why and how.

Being associated with the answers is a good thing in the context of your own professional value proposition. Most certainly, just being associated with the answers isn't good enough anymore. You need to be visibly associated with the answers. In today's business reality, that means being associated with the answers via content that can be found on the Internet.

Again, so you ask, "I still don't get it. Why should I care?"

Answer: Most business professionals at all levels within corporate hierarchies are paid by employers, clients, and customers to contribute towards delivering results. How do we deliver results? We deliver results by solving problems: our employer's, co-worker's, client's and/or customer's problems.

It is becoming less and less common professionals spend their entire career working for one employer. Too many people let their careers happen to them. It is becoming every more important a professional take personal responsibility over their career advancement versus leaving it up to their employer to advance their career based on merit and/or opportunity.

Create an awareness of your ability to contribute to delivering results drives opportunity-within and outside of your current employer. Create a buzz that causes people to say, "I want that individual on my team."

This is important when it comes to your next project assignment with your current employer. Being on the best projects often translates into the best pay, the best raise, and exposure to the next best project at your current employer-let alone exposure to your next employment opportunity.

Consequently, employees need to be responsible for their own value proposition, their own brand image, their own PR. Too many professionals make the statement, "I'm not very good at selling and/or marketing

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