Soon, however, more daring professionals can also use the services of Unvarnished–a controversial new Web site where users can leave anonymous reviews of a person’s work. Billed as Yelp for people, the site is built on user-generated reviews, and it aims to present an “unvarished” picture of a worker’s strengths or weaknesses. So far, the reviews of the beta version of the site have been scathing. Apart from being named “2010’s worst startup” [Econsultancy], the site has also been described as a “clean, well-lighted place for defamation” [Vator News].

The site, created by Peter Kazanjy, is currently available by invitation-only and was released in its beta form a few days ago. You can either join a waiting list or wait for someone to send you an invite via Facebook, asking for a review. Once you connect, you have to submit a review for your account to be activated; that allows you to “claim” your profile–because if someone has already submitted a review of you, your profile already exists. Once your profile exists you can request reviews of your work. And of course, you can submit as many anonymous reviews as you like.

If someone posts a nasty review of your work, however, the site does not allow you the option of removing the post or deleting your profile, leading some to worry that the anonymous reviews opens the forum up to personal vendettas and amplifies everything that is awful about the web right now: anonymous, drive-by, ad hominem attacks that can’t be erased or edited and that live in search forever [CNET].

There is also no way of judging the value of the reviews left on a user’s profile, which some people argue diminishes the value of the whole site. After all, an endorsement from a top executive at a well-known company is going to be far more compelling than a negative review by a former entry-level co-worker who never worked with you directly. In the absence of any ability to truly assess a reviewers credibility (either through identity or review history), Unvarnished anonymous reviews have little to no inherent value [Econsultancy].

Read the rest of my piece for Discover Magazine, here.

I had confidently stated, that if I were a brand like the ones we ogle at in stores, then I would most certainly be a high value, deeply coveted luxury brand a la Louis Vuitton or a Gucci.

My pal (who has since been discarded) said “Nope! You are more like an H&M. easy, reliable, but a little low on the value chain.”

So, how does one up one’s brand? And how does one market oneself as a high value brand, to be procured and paraded in the workplace?

Check out these ideas by careermag. com.

Increase Your Visibility

The first step towards building your personal brand is to get your name out there. The best way to establish a presence in your field is by attending industry meetings and conferences, participating in panel discussions or volunteering for committees. You never know when your contacts will be able to help you along your job search.

Stay Connected

It is important to stay in touch with old contacts as well as continue to build and maintain your current network on a regular basis. Don’t be someone who reaches out to contacts only when they need something. Foster those relationships, especially the important ones!

Create an Online Presence

Take professional networking to the next level by joining online social networking sites. Consider starting a blog on your area of expertise or creating a website that showcases samples of your work. Make an effort to meet other professionals online by commenting on relevant blogs or connecting with professionals through their social networking profile.

Consider creating an online career portfolio and remember to manage your online reputation to ensure you are always presenting yourself in a positive, professional manner when interacting online.

Establish Key Differentiators

Identify what makes you distinctive from other candidates and make sure to communicate it to potential employers. It is important to be honest about who you are as a professional and understand your strengths and unique value you bring to the table. It’s also important to recognize your weaknesses and develop a plan for personal improvement. By knowing yourself, you can more effectively promote yourself to others.

Be Consistent

Ensure that you have a consistent message when speaking with potential employers, colleagues and other professionals. While you may not realize it, everything that you do or say contributes to your personal brand, including the way you conduct yourself in meetings, in phone conversations, through email communications and how you dress.

Seek Feedback and Evaluate Progress

Once you have established your personal brand, it is important to continue to gauge how others perceive you. Test your market value by gathering constructive feedback from your co-workers, peers, family and friends. By understanding how others view your personal brand, you can learn what steps you need to take to position yourself for success.

Market Yourself

Developing your personal brand is one of the first steps towards effectively marketing yourself to potential employers and elevating your career. Employers appreciate job seekers that take the initiative to get noticed and differentiate themselves from other candidates in their industry.

There! Go forth, my friends – upgrade, upgrade, upgrade! Don’t fly cattle class anymore- the business lounge awaits you.

Don't be The Dude, kick start your career with eleven DIY businessess

Pajamas Ahoy! The best thing about the downturn is that we don’t have to get outa our jammies. For all those of you, who have morphed in “The Dude” from The Big Lebowski, but unlike him are looking for a way to do something constructive with your time – here are 11 businesses you can start in your pjs, courtesy inc.com.

From resume writing services to pet care and an online networking system for virtual assistants, these eleven entrepreneurs have managed to make biggus buckus even as the job wells dry up. Check out the slideshow here.

Other random comments:

Person in slide no. 2 has the snazziest PJs ever.

Slide 5 : Furry paws alert – Lady has furry slippers which have caught my attention – mental meme – procure over Xmas

Slide 6: Ahem! Guy on the right, better boxers please.

Slide 8: Jesus meets Tina Fey meets The Dude. Nice.

Yes, You are hired! Now, can you do headstands?

Yes, the economy! Still tanking, still reeling under the economic crisis, still sucking! So if you are out there still looking for a job, The Wall Street Journal has some ideas on how not to suck at an interview.

Tips include the famous

- Don’t arrive late

-Don’t dress sloppily

-Don’t act over familiar

-No typos in resume

-Don’t talk about salary or benefits off the bat

-Don’t be fidgety, keep a pen and notepad handy, and always take a copy of your resume with you

- A follow up thank-you email is enough, no need for cards and balloons.

But more than these tips, I found this survey- of 500 HR managers of the Society for Human Resource Management- insightful.

• 30% of hiring managers will decide whether to hire you within 15 minutes (Aha! So need to babble about thinking out of the box, or being a team player, post 15 minute mark, methinks!)
• 40% of hiring managers say a cellphone ringing in the middle of an interview is a “deal breaker” (Duh!)
• 70% prefer job candidates to have unpaid internship experience directly related to their companies’ work versus paid employment in an unrelated field (Yes, so please slave away at an unpaid internship, denying yourself the chance to make any real money, to keep your head above water, in a sinking city; so that when you meet said HR manager, you can show them how serious you are about finding a job in the field you are applying for.)
• 39% say “chemistry” with a job applicant accounts for half of their hiring decision

While we have been carping about the financial crisis, nerds of all hues and heights have gotten together to bust out their creative juices.

According to Wired, New York City’s tech scene has got a huge leg up due to Wall Street’s harakiri.

According to Wired, New York City’s tech scene has got a huge leg up due to Wall Street’s harakiri. Investors that used to dole out millions to larger institutions are more than happy to toss a few pennies (read: a couple of hundred thou) to scrappy start-ups.

Investors that used to dole out millions to larger institutions are more than happy to toss a few pennies (read: a couple of hundred thou) to scrappy start-ups.

The start-up themselves also find themselves in the unique position of being able to hire that hot-shot engineer, who has been laid off, or a marketing specialist who now spends his time walking his dogs and willing to work for less.

So, if you are a tech start-up, finance (check), hiring new talent for cheap (check) – ready for launch? (check , check and check!)

And if you thought you need to be on West Coast to make tech crackle, think again, New York may well be emerging as the new tech hub.

Some of the buzzy new tech ventures include:

EkoVenture, that signed up 450 of the estimated 40,000 eco-tourism operators around the world to create a network of eco-friendly destinations, where eco-tourists can travel to.

IvyExec that lists jobs for “top-tier professionals. The founder, Elena Bajic, tells Wired that employers are inundated with “hundreds or thousands of applicants for jobs they post online,” so some are gravitating toward this smaller network, the majority of whom she says have an MBA from a top-20 school.

For the full list of  start-ups, go to Wired

Google yourself regularly to map and tweak your online image

When my best friend was visiting, I got her a t-shirt that read “Sometimes when I am alone, I google myself.” In the early days of the search engine, that seemed like a really funny joke.

But these days, googling yourself  is not a mere vanity, it’s almost essential, especially if you’re looking for a job.

Most employers will agree that once the stork delivers your resume into their hands, the first thing they do is check your online presence. So, Bam! Google!

And if the only thing that pops up in their search are racy pictures from your Spring break or incriminating, nasty posts about your co-workers, then that could potentially be a red light for your employers.

So, here is a list of Top Online Turnoffs I came across in Richmond magazine.

Profanity: If you wouldn’t say it in front of your grandmother or on national television, don’t post it online. It may actually end up in front of your grandmother or on national television, or — just as bad ­­— a recruiter.

Inconsistency: When you put online resumes and bios on LinkedIn, Facebook or your blog, make sure they match what you have in print. If you tweak anything, tweak it consistently.

All Play and No Work: Fool around all you want on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites. But be sure to mix in some online business — join some industry organizations, actively participate and tweet positive things about your work.

The magazine says it doesn’t help to be totally paranoid and log off Facebook forever. In fact, some recruiters get dissapointed when they look for you online and can’t find your Facebook page. “

“Recruiters want to see pictures of you interacting with others,” says one recruiter in the piece, “they want to see that you are a team player.”

So get going, Google yourself and mend that online image.