Getting My Name Out There

After the recent job craziness, I'm trying to make a conscious effort to improve my networking. Now, I'm not very good at chit-chat with random strangers ... that's really more of a Mrs. The Jim talent ... but I still need to get a few people in town to actually know who I am.

Many of you probably already know about LinkedIn. Instead of "social" networking, this is a site dedicated strictly to professional networking and contacts. I won't go into the details of the thing (I barely know them myself), but it's something I started using during the job search thing.

Well, one of the elements of the site is that you can upload a picture to go with your name, job history, résumé, etc.. This, I would think, helps you to stand out, as well as making you more memorable.

So, I've been looking through some of my options for a picture. Here's a few:

#1) The Grinning Buffoon:


This was a picture my last employer took to possibly use for marketing materials. Needless to say, they went with a different head shot. I don't know why, but I have an extremely difficult time looking natural when trying to smile for photos. That fact, though, doesn't excuse whatever I'm doing with my eyes.

#2) The Big Shot:


Smoke makes me gag and wheeze like an idiot, and yet I decided it would be a good idea to smoke a Cuban cigar in Mexico during by bachelor party. This shot looks ridiculous in its own right, but it's even better when you consider I couldn't breathe for about 10 minutes after it was taken.

#3) The Seersucker Pimp:


If I was more secure in myself professionally, or if I thought engineering companies had a sense of humor, I'd put this out in a second. Alas, I don't think this will cut it. (Side note: This picture is currently serving as the logo for my painfully mediocre fantasy football team. Yes, I am exactly THAT geeky.)

#4) Soldier of Fortune:


This is a personal favorite of a reader, so I felt obliged to include it. Everyone has an embarrassing photo from their high school days. What sets me apart ... this is one of the LEAST embarrassing pictures of me from that time. Seriously, I actually think that's not that bad, considering some of the other horrors I've unearthed.

#5) The Relief Pitcher:


Really, I could have gone with any of the photos from The Beard Experiment, but this shot has at least one or two fans. I can't imagine anything more damaging professionally than using this picture as my "Business Jim" face.

After looking through my large image collection, it's painfully obvious that I don't really take good pictures. Maybe I should go get a Glamor Shot done. They still do those, right?

Until next time,
The Jim