How I Found My Blogging Job

How I Found My Blogging Job 23 One woman’s story of how she became a professional blogger. This a guest post by Kelly Wilson. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines. I recently read an article that detailed how to make $30,000 annually by writing and maintaining a blog. Much of the article included abbreviations â€" like CPC and EPC, among others â€" that I still don’t understand after two years of blogging on my own website. I’m not sure I want to understand what they mean. I got into blogging to write and market my work, not to be a corporate advertising portal. However, I do need to feed my family, and my chosen way to accomplish this necessary goal is to write in order to receive a paycheck. It turns out that you really can make money blogging. So how do you do it? I’ve read many articles about this theoretical possibility, but not many about how to find these blogging jobs. Here are a few ways to turn theory into practice.eval Define Your Areas of Expertise When I quit my teaching job to write for a living, I applied for any writing job that looked at all promising, and even some that didn’t. My favorite experience involves an ad seeking writers to supply movie reviews for a website. I liked to write, and I liked to watch movies, so I thought it was a great opportunity. I submitted the necessary materials for the initial screening and after a couple of days I was invited to participate in the next step of the hiring process. Enthusiastically, I clicked on the link, and up popped, “DO YOU LIKE TO WATCH PORN?” in bright red letters.eval My mouth gaped open as I stared at my computer screen. The simple answer was no, in fact, I didn’t. But I have to admit that for about 30 seconds, I considered whether or not I could just watch it so I could write for money. Then I decided I was crazy, and closed the website. Clearly, I needed a strategy. The easy way to make money blogging is to write for websites in your particular area of expertise. For me, this was easy. I had been an elementary school teacher for nine years, so I started to seek out writing jobs in the education field. Once I narrowed down my area of expertise, my job search was no longer overwhelming. It became easier to find legitimate opportunities, and I could more thoughtfully research and apply for promising positions. Start Stalking After I narrowed down my focus to educational writing, I began hunting down opportunities. I wasn’t stalking in a criminal way, but I was definitely devoted to finding a writing job in my chosen field. I signed up through Yahoo Groups with people in the same area of expertise as well as other freelancers. I looked on Craigslist in the “Writing/Editing” and “Writing Gigs” areas, as well as “Education,” on a regular basis. I subscribed to writing newsletters that publicized professional writing opportunities, and looked specifically for those in the field of education. I also scouted out educational websites. It will take a bit of research, but commit some time to find the websites that apply to your area of expertise and check them daily. Find and read the blogs in the professional areas in which you would like to write, occasionally making comments and linking your own website back to them. Networking, as well as the previously mentioned strategies, will help you get to know other professional writers and get a feel for available opportunities. Before I found my current blogging job, I used all of the previously mentioned resources to apply for jobs that included test-writing, writing copy for educational websites, curriculum development, and transcription for the hearing-impaired. And, of course, educational blogging positions. Try Again… And Again All of these strategies combined will diversify your job search, but here’s the most important piece â€" don’t give up. Apply for every legitimate writing opportunity â€" many of these include blogging jobs. I applied for several jobs before getting past the first level of submitting my resume and writing sample. But consistency refined my search as well as my submitted material. I remember thinking that writing for money was a dream that was never going to come true. It turns out that, happily, I was wrong. My job-hunting strategies helped me find a job blogging professionally for an educational company, and my children continue to be fed. It’s a great balance. About the Author Kelly Wilson is a freelance writer and author of www.wilsonwrites.com. You can visit her at trcabc.com. This article is part of the 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our Gold Sponsor, Jason Alba of JibberJobber. If you want Kelly Wilson to win, share this article with your friends.

Growing your Network is your Job - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Growing your Network is your Job - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Everyone talks about networking. But who is doing it right? Is there a right way to network? Networking just to Network does NOT make Sense This is the title of an article I wrote for Entrepreneur Magazine. The point of the post  was that when you network you should have a reason and a purpose. Everyone can benefit from a strong network. Networking is not a dirty word. Anyone can benefit from having a solid network of friends, contacts and associates that can be called upon to help. As you should already know  â€¦ There is an implied reciprocity in every successful network. You may not be called upon to provide the same in-kind services as you received. Your level of commitment and reciprocity will vary based on what your particular skills you can bring to the specific situation. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” ~African Proverb Ultimately networking is a way for you to give back and also get a little something in return. I personally see networking as mostly a way to give back. Perhaps that’s naïve, but I have found that giving back brings me a  lot of personal satisfaction. Four Simple Rules of I’ve learned about Networking Grow your Network  â€" While this may seem obvious and a bit redundant I think it’s perfectly fine to let people know that you are growing your network. With a caveat … see #2. Build relationships with your network participants  â€" As you build your network never forget these are personal relationships. As  you are growing your network you should  seek people that reflect your values, can be trusted with your information, and vice-versa. Become known as a Subject Matter Expert (SME)  â€" Everyone is good at something. Whatever it is that you are good at … highlight it, emphasize it, and offer it to your network. Seek people that have other strengths to augment yours and build something bigger. Develop high quality clients and work  â€" As you do your best work you can and should ask for referrals. These referrals form the foundation of your network. Of your future success. Don’t take or give referrals lightly as they are a key indicator of your ability to make a difference. My Ultimate Rule of Thumb on Networking Respect everyone. You never know who you might run into in the future. The network you build today can help you as you grow your career, your business and your life. Is there only one  right way to network? Is there only one way to network? The answer to both questions is no. Network in the ways that work for you. If you decide they aren’t working … change them. This is how to grow your career and your circle of influence. By taking responsibility for your network and realizing it is your job to grow your network will  stand out in your career.

Working With a Recruiter You MUST Read This

Working With a Recruiter You MUST Read This As a recruiter with over 30 years of experience in the industry, I’m always interested in improving the candidate/recruiter relationship. While a lot  of things have changed in recruitment (the rise of social media and content in attracting talent, for example), some things will always remain the same; like  the importance of being forthright with candidates and helping them understand the best way to work with recruiters. It’s important to clear up misconceptions about agency recruiters and how we operate, in order to  develop fruitful, long-term relationships with candidates. Here’s a list of things that candidates absolutely need to know when working with recruiters: Like any profession, some are better, some are worse. Unfortunately, recruiters often  get a bad rap. There’s a cult of people on LinkedIn complaining about recruiters sending them unsuitable opportunities. The truth is that there are bad recruiters, possibly owing to the fact that anyone can call themselves a recruiter without necessarily having knowledge of, or experience in, the jobs they’re recruiting for. These recruiters give us all a bad name. But there are bad practitioners in every industry! That’s why it’s important for candidates to do  homework about  recruiters who contact you, or before reaching out to one. Check their website, ask them questions, and see if they actually understand the field they’re recruiting  in. It’s worth it, because with the right recruiter, you can get tons of leverage and strong results across the entire duration of your career. Which leads us  to the next point Working with a specialist is likely to get you more results. Because anyone can hang up their shingle and start recruiting, there are lots of “generalist” recruiters out there who will agree to fill any job in any industry, seeing the potential money at the end of the line. These recruiters are often very active at reaching out to candidates they don’t know at all, which is no surprise, because they don’t have the investment in building up networks in the same way a specialist would. They’re less able to build long-term relationships because they might be filling an IT job today and a truck driver job tomorrow. If you’re thinking of working with a recruiter, reach out and find a specialist in your field. They’re not only more likely to understand your unique skills and talents, they’re also more likely to find you a job. This especially goes for skill-intensive niches like IT, Supply Chain and various executive positions. You want someone who knows your industry and function well, rather than someone who’s throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. The best recruiters (and candidates) think long-term. What so often leads to frustration, both for recruiters and candidates, is short term thinking when it comes to the recruitment/candidate relationship. Too often, a recruiter contacts a candidate for a specific job, and, if it’s not successful, the candidate never hears from them again. Or a candidate makes an introduction with a recruiter, and, when the recruiter doesn’t have any leads for them at that exact moment, they get frustrated and move on. Candidates can’t expect recruiters (especially specialists) to have a perfect job for them at all times, and recruiters can’t expect candidates to jump at every opportunity. The best recruitment relationships are long-term. My own practice has connections with individuals we’ve worked with for over 10 years, both as candidates, and later clients. It’s important for recruiters (and candidates) to realize that building a long-term relationship is the best way to succeed. You should be open. Sometimes candidates are cagey with certain information, and it always ends up hurting their candidacy. You need to be open with your recruiter about your expectations, whether it’s about salary, location, responsibility, etc. If you already have an existing relationship with another recruiter in the same office, don’t reach out to a different recruiter on the sly hoping to get a better result. Don’t pretend to be fine with a job description, then go to an interview and try to haggle for more responsibility or salary â€" it’s happened quite a few times, and it never works for the candidate. The relationship between a candidate and recruiter is built on trust. The fact that it’s hard to trust someone you just met just underscores the importance of long-term relationships I mentioned above. I hope these tips form a mosaic picture of the best way to work with a recruiter. Unsurprisingly, it’s the same attitude that works best when working with people in general: openness, empathy, and the willingness to build real relationships goes just as far in the world of recruiting as it does in the “real world. About the author: Bronwen Hann is President and Senior Partner of Argentus.com, a boutique recruitment firm that specializes in recruitment for Supply Chain Management and its related functions including Procurement, Logistics, Operations and Planning.

What caused you to finally make a big decision

What caused you to finally make a big decision About once a week I take my kids to eat at the Swarthmore College cafeteria. Id say that after playing video games, this is their favorite thing to do. The boys marvel at the range of kid-friendly food choices. I marvel at the panoply of dietary trends the school caters to. Once there was a woman there doing a study about becoming vegan. She had a meat-is-bad spiel and showed people a picture of playful pigs in a field of sunflowers. The boys know pigs dont like to eat sunflowers and theres no way a farmer had them grazing in a field with food they dont like; the pigs would have destroyed the field digging for something better to eat. The boys equated being vegan with being stupid.  I argued a little, because open minds can see two sides of anything, but its hard to defend pigs in sunflowers. I told the kids that Israel has the highest percentage of vegans because then you dont have to think about rules of eating kosher. That was more convincing and the boys tried eating vegan for a day but quit in favor of a post-dinner pizza. Then I was watching a YouTube channel called Joel and Lia. I found it because Im fascinated by British accents. They do accents, but not that well. They do a great job of picking topics Americans are interested in hearing British people talk about. I clicked on What British People Love about America (open floor plans, for one) and then Questions for Americans from British people. The questions Joel and Lia asked are really good: Why do you still use credit cards? We dont here, and were using the technology you invented. The slowest lines in London are the ones where an American is trying to use a credit card. Why dont you outlaw guns? We understand you have rights, or whatever, but surely theres a way to decrease the gun violence. We cant believe you can carry a gun everywhere. Why is there a big gap in public toilets? You can see a person in the gap between the door and the wall of the toilet. Why is that? There is no gap in the UK toilets. Why do you eat so much meat? Vegetarianism and veganism are very big in the UK, especially in London. Everyone has seen movies from Netflix like What the Health and C0wspiracy. Havent you seen those movies in the US? There were a few more things on the list, but Joel and Lia did a good job of listing things that were obviously absurd about the US. So the vegan thing caught my eye. I never thought of it as surprising that we are not vegan, but Ive also not heard of those Netflix movies. So I watched them. And seriously, my mind was blown. What the Health refers to a famous document from the tobacco industry that people refer to now as Doubt is Our Product. Here the tobacco industry takes the position that they cant directly counter the research that says tobacco is bad for people, because there is no research that says tobacco is good for people. But people want to smoke, so what the tobacco industry can do is make people doubt the data that says smoking is bad. If people do not have to face the truth about the research, if they can doubt it and look the other way, then theyll keep smoking. What the Health shows the same thing is going on now with meat and dairy. We have lots of research that says meat causes cancer. The meat industry deals with this problem by providing all the funding for the American Heart Association. So the Heart Association engages in promoting meat as a viable food and creating doubt in the minds of people who hear that eating meat causes heart attacks. The American Diabetes Association has an official policy of not talking about preventing diabetes, but only talking about living with it. This is because the meat industry funds this organization. The Susan G. Komen foundation raises money to cure breast cancer. The foundation never talks about preventing breast cancer because the dairy industry funds the organization. Among all these organizations, the silence on food choices to prevent illness makes people doubt their ability to control their medical destinyâ€"the same thing the tobacco industry was trying to do. Also, just like the tobacco industry, the meat and dairy industries fund tons of research that encourages us to doubt the research from unbiased third-parties. If you have any doubts about the research behind the movie, here is all their data on one page. And  here is Time magazine fact-checking the movie. The other movie, Cowspiracy, shows how our government takes a similar approach to protecting our environment. For example, we talk about saving water hundreds of different ways, but nothing compares to the amount of water it takes to get a hamburger. The government would never tell us that, though, because the meat industry is too influential in our government. I remember when I read research about education. I was shocked that everyone has already concluded that taking kids out of school is better for their education. I was shocked that I didnt already know that. And I was hesitant to even write about the data because it was so easily available, I thought maybe I was just the last to know. Thats how I feel about eating meat. Also, I didnt want to homeschool. It looked like it would be a pain and expensive, and I didnt want to have to tell everyone that Im only doing it because its so delusional not to do it. Because then Id be implying that they were delusional. And people would be annoyed with me. I have the same feeling here. I dont want to be vegan. Its a pain and its no fun and ruins all the ideas I had about what is a nice way to feed a family. But the research is all there. It would be ridiculous for me to know the truth and not act on it. I remember when I called the school to say we are not coming back. I didnt really believe it. Thats what I feel like now, telling you we are going to be vegan. It seems too hard and I hate that I found the truth. I have to admit that on some level its enjoyable to be sold doubt as a product. Now that I see these two moments in my life, I can see that every time I have put off making a big decision, its been because I have a hunch that something is true, but there is a little lingering doubt. If I can pinpoint what my doubt is, then I can probably look more closely at that doubt in order to make a decision much faster. I dont think I realized how much doubt overpowers my ability to change until I saw it in this context.

5 Important Reasons to Invest in Lifelong Learning

5 Important Reasons to Invest in Lifelong Learning Most people associate learning with formal education of one kind or another, from training classes to university studies. But even if you’ve earned a college degree, it doesn’t mean you can stop learning.The fact is, there’s more information available today than ever before, and you need to stay updated â€" continued learning over the course of your life brings both personal and professional improvement. Here are 5 compelling reasons to invest in lifelong learning.1.INCREASED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLSETevalToday, technology is changing so fast that formal education curriculums can quickly become outdated. With continuous learning, however, you can always add new components to your knowledge and widen your skillet.You may want to advance in your career, play the piano, excel at your hobby, or do your own auto repairs. Wherever your interests lie, you can commit to learning in many different ways. For example, you can sign up for a course at your local foreign language school, attend industry conferences, or master a skill at a workshop. The internet is also a great source of information!There are online tutorials, interactive softwares, webinars, instructional videos, and many more online resources. For example, MOOC’s You could also acquire skills that empower you to start your own business. You gain complete independence and control of your own future. Through continuous advancement, you can both earn more money and get more satisfaction from your work. If you’re unhappy with your vocation and want to advance in your career or launch your own business, the simple answer is: develop your skills!Startup Stock Photos3. BROADER HORIZONSMalcolm Forbes once observed that the purpose of education is to “replace an empty mind with an open one.” The more you learn, the better your understanding of the world is. It widens your outlook and keeps your mind receptive to new information and experiences.Being more open and appreciative of other cultures and lifestyl es also leads to less prejudice and ethnocentric thinking. By learning a foreign language, for instance, you naturally develop curiosity about the associated culture and people. Greater understanding and receptivity to new ideas also helps you communicate effectively across different cultures and become more engaged with other perspectives. As we mentioned, advanced communication skills are a desirable aspect in any career position, especially those with bilingual clientele or foreign partners.4. GREATER CONFIDENCE, BETTER HEALTHevalLearning improves self-confidence by letting your feel more valued and respected through your accumulated knowledge. In your job, you’re more able to solve problems, integrate new ideas, and expand your capabilities.Professionally, the ability to do more increases personal confidence and creates a more positive view of life. Personally, you feel you have more to contribute socially through you growing ability to converse more deeply on a wider range of topics. Gaining self-esteem helps you to feel less stressed and be more content. A greater level of openness and relaxation promotes better physical health as well as mental well-being. As a bonus, learning as a life habit also exercises your brain: as you age, you are better able to avoid the effects of disorders like Alzheimer’s or dementia.5. MORE FUNOne common misapprehension is that learning is a chore, but learning experiences can be both fun and rewarding. You’re liable to get much more enjoyment, and have even better results, if you pursue subjects that genuinely interest you. You can develop a greater drive to learn if you see it as an opportunity rather than an obligation.Learning for the pleasure of it both lets you have more enjoyment of life while receiving all the benefits of education.In the end, more contentment and confidence means more fun in life. For you to remain satisfied and experience more happiness, your work and personal lives should be well-balanced. Simply put, being too serious and narrow-minded means having less fun. Learning becomes more difficult if you feel anxious about it, so try to see it as a fun experience.FINAL THOUGHTSIn summary, continued learning doesn’t have to be a major commitment, but it offers many benefits. By constantly adding to your skills and knowledge, you increase your potential both personally and professionally.Learning can not only change your outlook on life, but it can also boost your self-esteem, reduce stress, and improve mental and physical health. If a subject interests you, don’t worry over the time and money â€" learning more brings more advantages.

Common sense at Semco - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Common sense at Semco - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog CIO insight has a truly excellent interview with Ricardo Semler, the CEO of Semco. Heres my favourite bit from the interview: When you want somebody hired, lets say its for a leadership position of some kind, you go to the system and you advertise that you think someone is needed. Then on a given day say, Wednesday at 4 oclock, meeting room 11 you say were going to discuss this, whoevers interested. Because of the fundamental tenet that we dont want anyone involved in anything that they really dont want to do, all of our meetings are on a voluntary basis, meaning that the meetings are known, and then whoever is interested can and will show up, and should also leave the moment they become uninterested. It is a bit unnerving to watch these things, because people come in, plunk their things down, and then 15 minutes later somebody else says Bye bye, see you. But the fact is that whoever is left there has a stake in the decision being made, and the decision is final in the sense that its going to be implemented after the meeting. All meetings are voluntary. How cool is that? Read the interview, its great! Also, for those of us who know Open Space Technology: Thats the law of two feet right there! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Crazy questions you could be asked at an interview -

Crazy questions you could be asked at an interview - If you were to get rid of one state in the U.S., which would it be and why? What would you say if an interviewer asked you such an off-the-wall question? Forrester Research asked this of a candidate for a research associate position; its No. 1 on Glassdoor.coms list of Top 25 Oddball Interview Questions for 2013. Glassdoor compiled these questions from the tens of thousands of interview questions job candidates shared on their site over the past year via their Interview Reviews feature. The weird questions are in no particular order, but were chosen by a team of Glassdoor data scientists who analyzed submitted questions. According to Glassdoor, to date, they have collected more than 235,000 interview reviews and 300,000 interview questions from around the world. Interview Reviews include details from actual job candidates about the entire hiring process, including the interview format, how the interview was achieved, the average interview length and overall ratings on the overall interview experience. If the thought of facing oddball questions in an interview makes you want to pack it all in and give up your job search, dont despair. One of the best things about questions like this is that there is no right answer. Employers who pose this type of inquiry are usually trying to assess your thought process. Sometimes, they can pick up important feedback that really helps distinguish you from the crowd. For example, No. 5 on the list (asked of a Dell consumer sales candidate), What song best describes your work ethic? elicited some interesting replies on Glassdoors person on the street interviews. One man said, Nine to Five, because I work nine to five. In this 24-hour economy, thats not as good an answer as one womans comment, Under Pressure, by Queen, because I work really well under pressure. (For more advice, see how to ace even the strangest interview questions.) Below is a complete list of Glassdoors 25 oddball interview questions: If you were to get rid of one state in the U.S., which would it be and why? Asked at Forrester Research, of a research associate candidate. How many cows are in Canada? Asked at Google of a local data quality evaluator candidate. How many quarters would you need to reach the height of the Empire State building? Asked at JetBlue of a pricing/revenue management analyst candidate. A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here? Asked at Clark Construction Group of an office engineer candidate. What song best describes your work ethic? Asked at Dell of a consumer sales candidate. Jeff Bezos walks into your office and says you can have a million dollars to launch your best entrepreneurial idea. What is it? Asked at Amazon of product development candidate. What do you think about when you are alone in your car? Asked at Gallup of associate analyst candidate. How would you rate your memory? Asked at Marriott of a front desk associate candidate. Name 3 previous Nobel Prize Winners. Asked at BenefitsCONNECT, Office Manager candidate. Can you say: Peter Pepper Picked a Pickled Pepper and cross-sell a washing machine at the same time? Asked of a MasterCard call center candidate. If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us? Asked of a Trader Joes crew candidate. How would people communicate in a perfect world? Asked at Novell of a software engineer candidate. How do you make a tuna sandwich? Asked at Astron Consulting of an office manager candidate. My wife and I are going on vacation, where would you recommend? Asked at PricewaterhouseCoopers of an advisory associate candidate. You are a head chef at a restaurant and your team has been selected to be on Iron Chef. How do you prepare your team for the competition and how do you leverage the competition for your restaurant? Asked at Accenture of a business analyst candidate. Estimate how many windows are in New York. Asked at Bain Company of an associate consultant candidate. Whats your favorite song? Perform it for us now. Asked at LivingSocial of an Adventures City manager candidate. Calculate the angle of two clock pointers when time is 11:50. â€" Asked at Bank of America of a software developer candidate. Have you ever stolen a pen from work? Asked at Jiffy Software of a software architect candidate. Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Asked at Urban Outfitter of a sales associate candidate. What kitchen utensil would you be? Asked at Bandwidth.com of a marketer candidate. If you had turned you cell phone to silent, and it rang really loudly despite it being on silent, what would you tell me? Asked at Kimberly-Clark of a biomedical engineer candidate. On a scale from 1 to 10, rate me as an interviewer. Asked at Kraft Foods of a general laborer candidate. If you could be anyone else, who would it be? Asked at Salesforce.com of a sales representative candidate. How would you direct someone else on how to cook an omelet? Asked at Petco of an analyst candidate. See how to answer tough or weird interview questions.   What is the weirdest interview question youve ever been asked? Share in the comments section!