A. You may want to consider it. These days, one of the first things a recruiter or hiring manager does after receiving a promising lead is to search for the person on Google. Creating your own Web site or displaying your work on a larger platform gives you some control over what is found.

Even if you aren’t looking for a job, keeping an online portfolio can be a way to keep track of your accomplishments and industry activities. Be sure to let your boss know about the site and make clear that you are using it to showcase your work as part of your long-term career goals.

Q. What does an online portfolio typically include?

A. It usually includes samples of your best work, including articles, reports, PowerPoint presentations and links to blog entries. Portfolios are especially useful for work that can be presented visually, like photography, illustrations and ad campaigns.

Lisa Vaughn-Olstad, a lead agent at the Boston-based staffing firm Aquent, recommends including an “About Me” page that lists work history, education, affiliations and accolades.

An online portfolio can also illuminate your thought processes. Scott Belsky, chief executive of Behance, an online platform for creative work, says that when managers look to hire or promote someone, they want to see more than just experience. “They are also looking for that person’s process, how they do their work, who they collaborate with, how they test ideas,” Mr. Belsky says.

Some portfolios show an early version of a project, the final version and the iterations in between, he says, or reveal a process by telling the story of how the project was accomplished.

Be sure to check with your company, though, to make sure that none of the information you are displaying is proprietary. And make sure you explain clearly whether you worked on a project individually or as part of a team.

A blog on your portfolio, or a link to your presence on a site like Tumblr, shows visitors what is interesting to you professionally and personally, says Ms. Vaughn-Olstad. “You might be blogging about your work with disabled children or on the membership committee for an advertising club,” she says.

Q. Online portfolios seem a natural fit for creative professionals, but are they useful for those in noncreative fields like accounting, finance or law?

A. Yes, because having a consistent, online record of your accomplishments will make you visible on the Web and stand out to recruiters, says Angela Hills, an executive vice president at Pinstripe, a recruitment company in a suburb of Milwaukee. People with very specific technical skills, like engineers and programmers, can show examples of Web sites they’ve built or projects that used a particular programming language. “Don’t just tell me you have this knowledge; show me how you used it,” Ms. Hills says.

Analysts in finance or health care might use a program like SlideShare to post their presentations or papers. But in highly regulated industries like financial services, it is especially important to be careful about posting company information. Always check with your organization about what you can legally add to your portfolio, Ms. Hills says.

Q. Where on the Web should you place your portfolio?

A. Platforms are available for creative professionals to display their work visually, including Behance, Carbonmade and Dripbook; depending on the platform and package, the cost ranges from free to about $40 a month. 

Platforms like these can be lead generators, too, as they are often searched by people looking to hire, Mr. Belsky says. You can also register a domain name — often for less than $10 a year — and create your own regular Web site. Designing your site can cost thousands of dollars if you use a Web site designer, or less than $50 a month if you use a site building tool.

Q. Are there certain things you shouldn’t include in your portfolio?

A. Don’t put everything you’ve ever done in your portfolio, because that will overwhelm visitors. Choose your finest work, which may not necessarily be your most recent but represents you best professionally, says Avishai Abrahami, chief executive of Wix.com, a Web site building platform.

And think carefully before linking to your social media presence. “If you use Twitter to tweet about industry topics, definitely link to it,” he says. “But if you tweet about your dating, don’t.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas regulators on Friday revoked the medical license of a doctor accused of performing inadequate mental health exams on young patients she then referred to the late Dr. George Tiller for late-term abortions.

The State Board of Healing Arts ratified an administrative judge‘s earlier decision to strip Dr. Ann Kristin Neuhaus of her license. Neuhaus provided second opinions that Tiller needed under Kansas law to perform some late-term abortions at his Wichita clinic. Tiller, one of a few U.S. physicians known to perform abortions in the final weeks of pregnancy, was shot to death in May 2009 by a man professing strong anti-abortion views.

The administrative judge concluded in February that Neuhaus performed inadequate mental health exams in 2003 on 11 patients, aged 10 to 18. The judge said Neuhaus’ records didn’t contain the information necessary to show that she did thorough exams, and the patients’ care was “seriously jeopardized.”

“Her actions clearly show a disregard for her patients’ safety and care, which causes her to be a threat to any future patients she might have,” said Reese Hays, the attorney on the board’s litigation team who presented the case against Neuhaus.

Neuhaus has argued that her exams met accepted standards of care, and some abortion rights supporters questioned whether she could receive a fair hearing from the board, with Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, a strong abortion opponent, in office for almost 18 months. Neuhaus said she’ll ask the state’s courts to overturn the board’s decision.

“It’s all about abortion rights, absolutely,” she said after the board’s decision. “If this wasn’t in the Bible Belt, I think this wouldn’t even be happening.”

Abortion opponents have been a force in the Republican Party in GOP-leaning Kansas for two decades and have solid legislative majorities. Since Brownback took office in January 2011, the state has imposed tighter restrictions on abortion, written special health and safety rules for abortion providers and limited private health insurance coverage for elective abortions.

Neuhaus, who is from Nortonville, a small town about 30 miles north of Lawrence, has an inactive medical license that allows her to provide limited charity care, but she had asked the board to reinstate her to a full, active license. The revocation will formally take effect when the board puts its decision in writing and delivers a copy to Neuhaus, possibly next week.

The board discussed her case in closed sessions for about 30 minutes before reconvening to formally revoke her license as Neuhaus and her attorneys watched. Sitting behind her was Troy Newman, president of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, which pursued a complaint against her.

The case centered on how Neuhaus concluded that each of the 11 patients had serious mental health issues and that an abortion was advisable. The law required Tiller to obtain an independent second opinion that a patient faced significant and permanent harm if the pregnancy continued. Neuhaus provided such assessments for Tiller from 1999 to 2006.

Neuhaus’ reports for him, compiled with a “PsychManager Lite” computer program, were five pages or less and don’t cite details from patients’ statements or data gleaned from her exams.

The administrative judge said that in some cases, the young patients were described as suicidal, but Neuhaus didn’t recommend further treatment. The judge said Neuhaus simply “answered yes/no questions” using the computer program and assigned whatever diagnosis “the computer gave.”

Neuhaus strongly disputes the judge’s characterization of how she used the program and testified during a hearing that she sometimes refused to allow abortions to go forward.

She also testified that she didn’t put more details in her records to protect patients’ privacy. After the hearing, she said she was “unapologetic” for that, noting the Kansas attorney general’s office began investigating abortion providers, including Tiller, starting early in 2003, and in 2006, Fox television’s Bill O’Reilly strongly criticized Tiller and discussed a few of his patients’ cases on his program.

The case stemmed from a 2006 complaint by Cheryl Sullenger, senior policy adviser for Operation Rescue. The anti-abortion group Kansans for Life also had scrutinized Neuhaus for years and raised questions about her activities. Newman said after the hearing that the board’s decision “was justified, and this is only on 11 records, not on the countless others she did the exact same thing for.”

Neuhaus had performed abortions in Wichita and Lawrence but stopped in 2002. When she provided second opinions for Tiller, Kansas law restricted abortions at or after the 22nd week of pregnancy if the fetus was viable. In those cases, pregnancies could be terminated only if the patient faced death or “substantial and irreversible” harm to “a major bodily function,” including mental health. Legislators tightened the law last year so that it no longer includes the mental health exception.

Tiller once faced misdemeanor criminal charges that alleged, in relying on Neuhaus for referrals, that he wasn’t getting the independent second medical opinion required by state law. He was acquitted two months before his murder, but at the time of his death, a separate complaint was pending before the Board of Healing Arts.

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Follow John Hanna on Twitter at www.twitter.com/apjdhanna

Matthew Tarpey, CareerBuilder Writer

The phrase “There’s plenty of fish in the sea” may comfort a recently jilted friend, but it is one of the most intimidating realizations for today’s active job seekers. For years you’ve been pinched on the cheeks and told you’re special, but when it comes time for a job interview, you may find potential employers a bit more difficult to impress than your Grandma.

So how can you set yourself apart from the hordes of starry-eyed, gown-wearing, degree-clutching graduates that you’re competing with? In her book “The Wall Street Journal Guide to Building Your Career,” author Jennifer Merritt offers several career boosters to transform your run-of-the-mill résumé into a job-magnet jackpot.

Industry and professional associations
Many young professionals underestimate the potential payoff of industry and professional associations. Some are convinced they’re outdated and redundant, while others are just afraid of the price tag. However, when used properly, these groups can be helpful in expanding your network, staying on top of industry trends and furthering your education.

Once you’ve signed up, paid your dues and gone through the elaborate hazing process (just kidding), it’s up to you to make the whole thing worthwhile. Get involved by attending meetings and mixers, running for positions and joining committees or sub-groups of young professionals. “But don’t just stick with the youngsters,” Merritt says. “You want to meet people who’ve been there and done that and whose experiences you can learn from.” Don’t be intimidated by high-ranking professionals in fancy suits — chances are they’d love to talk about themselves and their accomplishments.

Volunteerism
You may have participated in some charity events through a high-school sports team or a bake sale your mother threw so you’d have volunteer work on your college résumé, but volunteering can benefit you in more ways than merely making you appear charitable.

While it is true that companies like to hire charitable individuals who can help the company’s image, there’s actually more in it for the company than just saving face. In fact, many companies offer volunteering opportunities to their employees, because a number of studies have shown that giving people time off to volunteer improves worker retention and recruiting.

But you’re not here to hear about how much companies like charitable people. You probably know that. What you want to hear is how volunteering can benefit you by expanding your professional network, offering you leadership experience and giving you the opportunity to enhance skills outside of your everyday repertoire. Plus the people you meet while volunteering will know you as passionate and full of character. That can lead to a referral in the future.

Alumni networks
Most recent grads are of the opinion that alumni networks are their alma mater’s thinly veiled attempt at squeezing more money out of former students who are no longer paying tuition. For some time that was actually true, but due to the economic downturn and the snail-paced recovery, many alumni networks have started offering other services. Many now offer expert seminars, advanced education opportunities, mixers and dedicated alumni career services. That’s a lot better than a yearly magazine and some dinnertime phone calls asking for donations.

Meet-and-greets and seminars hosted by alumni associations are also great opportunities for you to add to your contact list. These can be especially helpful, because people often like to hire and promote other people like them, and sharing an alma mater is a great similarity to have. Plus it’s an easy-yet-effective ice breaker.

Skill-related classes and certifications
Employers generally prefer candidates who have demonstrated their ability and willingness to go above and beyond the bare-minimum requirements. So while having a hot-air ballooning license may not help you land a job in marketing, taking classes and earning certifications that are not only interesting to you, but are also related to your field, could prove advantageous in the long run.

In many professions, optional certifications can help you get promotions and stay on track with your career goals. Additional certifications and classes can indicate a deeper level of understanding of your field and convey a strong commitment to your career path. Investigate what certifications your mentors have or the titles of individuals whose jobs you may want in a couple years.

Of course, furthering your education doesn’t necessarily have to be career related. Taking classes is a great way to stay active and an excellent answer when potential employers ask, “What have you been up to since graduation?” Plus outside-work interests can potentially create strong connections with a boss or supervisor.

Speak up and become an expert
As Merritt puts it, “You don’t need a decade of experience to be considered an expert.” Experience doesn’t necessarily lead to expertise. Of course it contributes, but so do earning certifications, networking with industry players, being a strong communicator and staying up-to-date on industry trends.

As you grow your professional network, it’s likely you’ll meet people who host speaking events that are perfect for a budding expert or an eager first-time public speaker. Proving your knowledge and communication prowess at smaller venues can lead to larger platforms, such as guest blogging or spots on industry panels. Bottom line: If you want to become an expert in your field, go out and become an expert in your field.

By MELISSA KORN

Career-services offices at business schools have a new job these days: catering to executive M.B.A. students.

Traditionally, companies sent promising up-and-comers to business school, paying for their executive M.B.A. degrees and then installing them in managerial positions. But as companies pull back on sponsorship for education, executive M.B.A. candidates are footing a bigger share of the tuition bill—and are less willing to stick with their employers. The change has created new expectations for career-services offices, and many are jumping to meet the challenge.

A number of schools have hired staff to serve this group, while others are adding workshops and one-on-one coaching to help students, many of whom work full-time while enrolled. Such services are becoming a key piece of the programs’ marketing pitches, schools say.

In an October survey of about 290 member schools by the Executive M.B.A. Council, 27% of executive M.B.A. students received full financial sponsorship from their employers last year, down from 34% in 2007. Thirty-six percent received partial tuition reimbursement last year, up from 34% before the financial crisis, while 37% paid entirely out of pocket, up from 33% in 2007.

University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School offers executive M.B.A. students six workshops on topics such as networking and interview preparation, along with one-on-one career-advising initiatives.

But schools must toe a fine line with these services, since companies that cover tuition might not be keen on financing lessons about the job hunt.

John Worth, Kenan-Flagler’s director of alumni and executive M.B.A. career management, says framing the activities as career-advancement strategies, rather than career-switching ones, helps ease employers’ concerns.

On arrival to the program, 53% of Kenan-Flagler’s executive M.B.A. students graduating in 2013 said in surveys that they expected to leave their current company during school, and 68% predicted an external switch within 12 months of graduating. More than three-quarters said they expected the school to assist their job hunt.

Andrew Greene, a 10-year veteran of reference service LexisNexis, where he managed a team for legal-sector services, enrolled in an executive M.B.A. program at University of California at Los Angeles’s Anderson School of Management knowing that he wanted a career change.

He attended nearly all of the seminars and workshops hosted by the career-services office, including meetings with industry executives. Mr. Greene, whose employer paid 15% of his Anderson tuition, quit three months before graduation; a short time later, he landed a new job as a consultant at Level 11 LLC, which is based in Santa Monica, Calif.

Anderson has increased the number of workshops for executive M.B.A.s, with 26 during the 2011-2012 school year, up from 18 in 2009. Just 12% of the school’s executive M.B.A. students are fully sponsored, down from about 20% in 2004.

One of the most ambitious moves comes from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. That school last month began piloting a personalized coaching service and plans to roll out the Executive M.B.A. Coach to the whole class this fall.

The offering includes monthly group and individual phone sessions with Tanya Ezekiel and Valia Glytsis of ExecutiveMBACoach.com, as well as unlimited résumé reviews and other personal discussions online. Student response was “overwhelming,” says Laurie Sedgwick, senior associate director of the career-management center.

The efforts don’t come cheap: The coaches generally charge $2,000 to $4,000 a person per month for individual advising services. (Cornell, which is covering those costs, will receive a bulk discount when the service is expanded to the entire executive M.B.A. class.)

But the investment is worth it, Ms. Sedgwick says. “It’s a huge brand differentiation.”

Around one-third of Johnson executive M.B.A. students are self-funded, another third receive some reimbursement, and the final third are fully sponsored.

Despite their best ambitions and schools’ expanded support, most executive students’ full-time jobs prevent them from taking summer internships—a virtual requirement for landing a job on Wall Street or in a major consulting firm, schools note.

Some determined students have taken the plunge. Internships at 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures helped Steve Baker, a former Army officer and Anderson executive M.B.A., gain exposure to the entertainment field, only to determine it wasn’t the right fit. Mr. Baker, 35 years old, could afford to take those gigs because the G.I. Bill covered his tuition, making a full-time, well-paying job less of a priority for the moment. He says he is looking for jobs in the defense industry.

Write to Melissa Korn at melissa.korn@wsj.com

A version of this article appeared June 7, 2012, on page B8 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Career Services for the Executive Set.