• Take time to think about who you are and what you
want to convey on a professional level. Then back
that up through the photos you post, your language
and tone and the networks you build.
• If those posting on your site portray an image
different than what you stand for, they will erode
your credibility.
• Be deliberate about who you friend. Put your more
professional foot forward.
• Casual, in-the-moment posts are fantastic, but first
put yourself in the shoes of the reader who might
want to hire you.
LIA HUBER, food writer, recipe developer and founder and CEO of Nourish Network and My Nourish Mentor, Healdsburg, Calif. Take a look: www.liahuber.com; nourishnetwork.com; mynourishmentor.com
• Once you post something, it’s public. You have to
be able to live with what you put out there.
• Potential employers will Google your name. Make
sure the story and image you post is exactly how
you want to come across for all to see. (Wear
your chef’s uniform.)
• If you post a question hoping for a chef to
respond, be sincere and demonstrate that you’ve
done your homework and have invested in the
topic you are asking about.
• Be respectful of others in your posts, even when
you disagree with them; you don’t want to make
them look bad online.
TRAVIS SMITH, chef/director, Francis Tuttle Technology Center, Oklahoma City Take a look: www.wearechefs.com/group/ escoffierstudygroup; www.wearechefs. com/group/globalcuisinesstudygroup
• Things you post can get you in trouble. Think
before you hit “send.”
• Realize that you will turn some people off if you
post your opinion on such divisive issues as
politics and religion.
• You can’t afford to post anything negative
about anyone when you’re in the public eye.
• Just because you think later and delete
something regrettable you’ve already posted,
doesn’t mean people will forget that you said it.
KATHLEEN FLINN, Seattle-based award-winning writer and author of The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry (Penguin Group, Inc., 2007) Take a look: www.kathleenflinn.com
• If you believe you have a great idea for something
you want to do online, get advice and a second
opinion from experienced professionals. They can
tell you how to improve on your idea.
• Get someone to edit any substantial copy you want
to post online so that it doesn’t reflect you poorly.
• Don’t copy or mirror other sites. Be yourself and
use your own artistic expression.
• Try to be educational and interesting with
your writing.
SCOTT STOKES, fifth-semester student at Seattle Culinary Academy, Seattle, and founder of northwestchefs.com Take a look: www.northwestchefs.com
“Additionally, take time to surf, read and sign up to
become a fan of the people, companies and products
you’re interested in so you can get updates and
e-newsletters to stay on top of the things that interest
you,” says John La Tour, chef/owner of The Coffee Table,
Wesley Chapel, N.C. “Read, read, read—looking for and
formulating what you’re interested in. Do some mining.
There’s a wealth of information. You’ll find it.”
