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14 Jan 10 Controlling Your Online Reputation

Your online reputation can be the difference between success and failure when looking for a new job. You might not even be aware of what information is easily available to anyone performing a Google search on your name.  Almost every potential employer will perform a search on your name, to see what pops up.  Too much negativity and you could be crossed off immediately.  So how do you go about improving, or creating a positive online reputation?

Well, being as active as possible is a start.  Having no internet identity can be just as bad as having a negative one.  Employers want to see positive extra curricular activity, and work history.  These are cues to what sort of employee you are, so make sure an interviewer can easily find them.  Be active in professional forums, maintain a personal blog, and keep a professionally oriented social networking page.

Make sure that everything you put out there puts you into a positive light.  Anything you want an employer to see needs to be about creativity, positive, and showcasing commitment and hard work.  Don’t bash old employers and bosses, because that’s a big turn off to anybody interested in you.  In fact, don’t bash anybody, or have anything negative on a page that’s intended to be professional, because it will only show you in a bad light.

But don’t forget, what you put out there is only half the battle.  You need to search your name to see what other people are putting out in relation to your name.  Do a search, see if anything comes up from past employers, or if anything you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see pops up.  Takes steps to correct these, or have them removed from search engines if you’re uncomfortable with the material.  Most of the time places like Google are more than willing to work with you, so long as you’re polite and patient.

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20 Nov 09 Supplement Your Writing Income

Increasing your writing income is something that most writers are looking to do.  Actually, probably all writers are looking to increase their income.  Not many people would complain about being more comfortable financially.  But as a writer that can be tough, especially if you’re having trouble finding work.  The key is managing your opportunities to earn a residual income, in addition to your main writing projects.

A residual income keeps a steady sum of money flowing into your account.  This you can save for a rainy day, or spend as you need to, to keep the career going.  Residual income’s usually don’t earn as much as your mainstay, but they are a good supplement.

Think about the opportunities before you.  If you haven’t created a personal blog, you really should consider doing so.  It’s a good way to speak your mind, get noticed, and sell some ad space to make a little extra money.  Every writer should have a personal blog, and even if you don’t have the full time to invest, at least a simple blogspot.com one would suffice.  Combined with Google’s Adsense program, you can make yourself a nice little cash cow.

Try some seasonal opportunities.  There’s always someone out there looking for writers to write copy for season specific events, or advertisements.  Those are decent jobs that are fairly easy to complete, and they pay pretty well most of the time.  It’s a nice easy job that won’t detract from your main projects, but that keeps you writing, as well as earning.

If you have the sort of degree necessary, you could consider teaching other writers.  Many universities offer opportunities for independent teachers.  As long as you have the credentials, you can get paid for your time.  Plus you get exposed to new styles, and have a chance to communicate with other writers.  Now you’re not only earning some side money, but also helping your own writing to grow.

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05 Nov 09 Finding Ideas To Write About

One of the huge problems being a writer, is finding your ideas.  You have to be able to create an influx of ideas, even when you feel stuck.  Part of having the longevity to have a writing career is knowing how to work past the tough days.  As a writer, not having an idea of what to write about just isn’t an option, so here are a few tips to make sure you always have fresh ones aplenty.

Something that people are usually able to write about at any time, is an issue that bothers them.  Whether a story in the news, or in your personal life, write about something you dislike.  This can be a useful exercise, as it’s easy to let yourself rant.  Once the words start flowing about something, they’ll start flowing about everything.

If you have a personal blog, which all writers should have, try writing about something different.  If you mostly focus on your current daily life, try writing about your past.  Think about the way things were before you are now.  Confront some hardships, or an aspect of your life that you miss.  Anything that moves you, to get those creative parts of your brain moving and working.

Try to challenge yourself.  Write outside of your comfort zone.  Anything that forces you to think outside of your normal box.  That’s a useful activity to help you constantly see scenarios in different ways, so that you’ll always have new ideas.

The more you can force yourself to write about different things, the  more you’ll be able to write.  Part of writing is letting yourself write content that you aren’t confident about.  You don’t always have to submit that work for someone else’s approval, but progress is progress.  At least getting something out will make you feel better, and less stressed for the next time.

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