Do you have a professional website, or do you just leave your professional profile up to random Internet search results or sparse corporate directory listings?

Although we have a terrific centralized corporate directory at IBM, I’ve found it very useful to also have a simple professional profile with a short biography, my contact information, and links to the other services I use on the intranet and on the Internet. Having one site that brings all of these things together makes it easier for me to help people get to know who I am, what I’m passionate about, and where they can find out more about me. I include this URL in my e-mail signature and in my presentations so that people can find me easily.

I use WordPress as a content management system so that I can quickly add links and pages without editing HTML. On my internal site, I use the Blueprint theme for WordPress. It’s clean and easy to read, and it fits with Big Blue’s color scheme. The front page explains who I am, what I do, and what my team does. It also links to places where people can check out my bookmarks, download my latest presentations, and so on.

To set up something like it:

1. Download and install WordPress.
2. Download and unpack the Blueprint theme to your wp-content/themes/ directory.
3. Choose the Blueprint theme from the WordPress administration interface.
4. Create a page called “About”. Fill it in with details about yourself.
5. Set the About page as your site’s front page in the Settings – Reading menu.
6. Create links to your profiles on other services and other related websites.