The Pro Guide to Sparkling Blog Comments

The Pro Guide to Sparkling Blog Comments 29 How to leave blog comments like a pro and build your personal brand all at once. Respect the blogger My rule of thumb is to consider blog commenters as potential guests in my home. As a commenter, the blogger is inviting you in by giving you the chance to continue a conversation they started, so don't barge in with the sole purpose of selling yourself. Instead, add value and make the blogger (and other readers) wish you'd come around more often. Now let's take a look at the standard blog comment form fields, using the ones here below as an example. Use, Not Abuse, The Comment Form Fields Another rule of thumb is to fill in the form fields in the most obvious way possible. If the blogger wanted your job title or your branding statement, there would be form fields for them.eval Your Name This should be your personal brand name if you have one. Otherwise, settle for your full name, using the same format as it appears on your business card. Do not abbreviate your first or last name, which smacks of trying to remain anonymous, something a brand-builder clearly doesn't want. Do include abbreviated titles or designations, such as ‘Dr.' or ‘Ph.D', especially for credibility purposes. Do not add anything else, such as your job title, unless it's part of your personal brand name. Your Emaileval Although your email address will never appear, the blogger will use it to help decide if your comment is spam. Ideally, they will be so impressed by your comment, they might contact you directly. In other words, if you're interested in potentially continuing the discussion with the blogger, leave a real email address. Another important reason to use your real email address is if the blog shows a user avatar with each comment. Systems like Gravatar need your real email address to display the right avatar. However, if you don't fully trust the blogger and are worried about spam, Tempomail is a free service that lets you create temporary email addresses that redirect to your real inbox until you decide whether the blogger is trustworthy or not. Your Website Simply enter your most brand-building url. This is easy if you have a personal brand-building blog, otherwise use your best social media profile such as your LinkedIn vanity url, your Facebook vanity url or personal branded Facebook page, etc. Twitter ID Some blogs have extra comment fields like JobMob does for your Twitter ID (username). If you don't have one â€" why not? â€" just leave this field empty. Your Message This should be one of the 7 Best Kinds of Blog Comments That Demand Attention. Heather Cyrus, an Eco-Conscious Public Relations Mother, left a comment on the Personal Branding Blog asking about using signature blocks in blog comments, to which I responded: “when leaving personal contact information, only use the designated form fields, which is the way a blogger signals to commenters which information is ok to leave. On JobMob, I allow people to leave their name, website and Twitter id and will remove signature blocks when people leave them. Also, people who leave signature blocks are in effect signaling ‘I don’t know much about blog comments, so I’ll treat them like email messages’.” Blog Comment Time-savers easyComment Firefox add-on â€" makes it easy to automatically fill the comment form fields with one click of the mouse. This guide explains how it works. Commenting systems â€" Disqus and IntenseDebate are examples of commenting systems that let you easily associate all your blog comments with a common user account, such as your Facebook account, so you can easily track your commenting history, replies to your comments and more. Nice as they are, these systems are not as popular as you might think, and the easyComment add-on saves me a lot more time than they do. Are you using any of these blog commenting tools or any others? I originally published a version of this article on the terrific Personal Branding Blog.

LPN Cover Letter Sample - Algrim.co

LPN Cover Letter Sample - Algrim.co Lpn Cover Letter Template Download our cover letter template in Word format. Instant download. No email required. Download Template Related Hiring Resources LPN Job Description: Salary, Duties, Skills

5 Things You Shouldnt Miss Out On Just Cos Youre Single.

5 Things You Shouldnt Miss Out On Just Cos Youre Single. Life shouldn’t be any less fun, or exciting, or wonderful just because you’re single. Here are five things you shouldn’t miss out on just because you don’t have a partner. Treating Yourself When are single, if you are keen to find a partner, you may spend far too much time thinking about them. Whoever they are, that is! You might not even have met them yet, and you’re already doing things for their benefit. Stop this in its tracks and do things for your own benefit. Give yourself some love, and treat yourself. You deserve it, and you shouldn’t need a man or a woman to remind you of this. So, if you love having your nails done, book that manicure! Think cosmetic surgery will boost your own personal confidence and happiness? Then go for an initial consultation, and consider your options. Company Just because you don’t have a partner to chatter away too, doesn’t mean you can’t do your chattering elsewhere. If you’re a tad lonely, a partner is not the only place you can find this company. Stop texting your best friend and give her a call instead! Actually having a chat with someone is far more fulfilling that typing out words to each other on a screen. Or go one better, and meet up. Actively arrange to see you friends, family and loved ones in person. If you’d like some new friends, be proactive. Join a local society or club and meet people who like the same stuff as you. If you need help with something, log online and find a forum. Traveling Of course, there are many warnings out there about traveling alone. These warnings become even more pertinent if you are a woman traveling alone. While you should heed the warnings, be sure to weed out the horror stories that aren’t based on any facts. People love to dramatize things, and the media can often make things even worse. Don’t base your decision to travel alone to a place on what Sandra in HR says. Don’t base it on the latest horror story in the media. Don’t be put off by one bad or unfortunate incident; you’d never leave the house if you did that! Base it on facts and figures. Bad things happen everywhere, but there are some places that are very safe for female travelers on their own. A lot of being safe is about logic, and instinct, so listen to yours! Just because you are single does not mean that you must wait around for a partner before you can see the world. Be safe, be cautious and be prepared, but get out there. The world is waiting for you, and that wate rfall, forest or mountain doesn’t care if you turn up without a partner. Dining Out It is time for you to shake off the stigma that you can only dine out if you are with someone! Travel to European cities like Italy and Spain and you’ll find dozens of women in each cafe, enjoying a cappuccino and a book alone. They don’t look lonely and sad, do they? They look independent and brilliant! If you dine out alone, you look the same. Being single shouldn’t stop you from dining out whenever and wherever you fancy. If a new Thai restaurant has opened up that you’re desperate to try, go alone! If you are working from home and fancy some lunch, take your laptop along to your local cafe. Being A Mom Sometimes, we are ready to have a baby, but we haven’t found a partner we want to have that baby with. If this has happened to you, take back control. You don’t have to have a partner in order to have a baby. You shouldn’t have to miss out on the privileges and joy of motherhood just because of your relationship status. Adopting is a great option available to you, and there are so many children that need a loving home. If you are a single woman looking to adopt, good for you! It is a brave decision to take, and sadly, not one that everyone will fully support. However, if you feel like you can provide that child with everything he or she will needs, that is what is important. Being prepared for this negativity (sometimes dressed up as kindly concern!) will stand you in good stead. If you feel like you have to defend yourself, go for it. But don’t allow yourself to get wrapped up in arguing with someone who is never going to listen to what you are saying. Image Source; Image Source; Image Source; Image Source; Image Source

Writing a Strong Cover Letter With Personality

Writing a Strong Cover Letter With Personality There are mountains of advice articles on how to write really good cover letters. But if you follow every detail of these articles, at some point, your cover letter will look like a typical “best cover letter for job applications.” Writing a strong cover letter with personality is what gets you remembered for that next job. Here is how to give your cover letter personality.The Best Cover Letter May Feel Like a RiskIt may feel like a risk to start writing a strong cover letter with some personality, but in today’s world of online job applications, a cover letter personality that is strong has become necessary. The classic way to write really good cover letters never let the hiring manager know the following:Who you are What you know Why you are valuable How great you are to work withReally good cover letters show some personality to communicate through the device they are reading. This way companies know exactly the type of person they will be interviewing. To start writing a st rong cover letter, you almost have to listen to advice and then make it all your own. Here is how to do it.Use Anecdotes and Powerful Stories About AccomplishmentsA great way for hiring managers to get to know you better is by telling passionate stories or anecdotes about past work experiences in which you made great accomplishments.This gives your cover letter personality and offers the hiring manager a sense of what you care about most and how well you respond to pressure situations. They may also get an idea of your work ethic and integrity.When telling such stories, it is important to leave out information that is irrelevant to the job. It is VERY important to explain what skills were involved in your story, especially when the skills are related to the job description. In the process, you are also showing the hiring manager your ability to write and communicate.Avoid Making Assumptions and Being RudeThis is a problem that has been around since the dawn of communicating through digital means. When all a person has are words on a screen to paint a picture of “You”, it is important these words do not derail your chances of getting an interview.This happens when people write out assumptions of what they believe the complete stranger on the other screen must be thinking. For example:Making jokes. Always attempts at humor. Making statements about popular news or political topics Comments such as, “You must hate having to read this cover letter” Making assumptions such as, “You must be busy”The single reason for avoiding this negative cover letter personality above is that you simply do not know who is reading your cover letter. You do not know what they look like, how they feel, or what they think. Being too familiar is just plain awkward. For more on cover letters, check out the5 cover letter mistakes to avoid.

5 Reasons You Should Research Your Job Prospects CareerMetis.com

5 Reasons You Should Research Your Job Prospects â€" CareerMetis.com Photo Credit â€" Research Job prospectsWith the new year in full fruition, you may be looking for a better job that allows you to grow and mature as an individual. However, although you may feel like you are the one in the spotlight during an interview, there are plenty of benefits to doing your own research about the company you plan on interviewing with ahead of time.By looking into some of the aspects that make this company what it is, you can rest assured that the company is a quality fit for you or prevent yourself from wasting time on a company you know will not help you to improve or won’t respect you in the long run.There are hundreds of things to take into account but some of the most crucial elements to a good company include their culture, their self-reflection, their customer appreciation, their opportunities for advancement, and their wages depending on the job at hand and the market they fall in.1) Do They Have A Quality Company Culture?evalCompany culture may seem li ke something that isn’t all too important when looking for a new job opportunity, however, this can actually show you whether or not they care about their community, their health, the wellbeing of their staff, and the retention of these employees.A company that cares about their community often cares about the people they hire more than a company that chooses to opt-out of community involvement.On top of this, by volunteering with nonprofit organizations or local charities, you can grow as a company and learn to respect your fellow co-workers on a more personal level which creates stronger bonds between co-workers and their bosses alike.In fact, some companies have even made an immense impact in their community and helped countless individuals in the process. For instance, a company in Miami called MV Construction built a Habitat for Humanity home as a group and were able to give it to a local family in need.These kinds of volunteer opportunities can create lasting memories and al low you, as the employee, to feel like you are making a difference both in and out of the office.2) Are They Still Finding Ways To Improve?If the company you are thinking of working for think they already have everything figured out and don’t need to improve in any way, this is probably a good sign that this company is not the kind of place you want to work for. Often, businesses that believe they have it all figured out actually don’t but are completely and totally against listening to changes or improvements.When working for one of these companies, you may find yourself begging them to make improvements that you think would significantly enhance their productivity and getting very little in return.evalCompanies that understand the room for success in their industry typically are easy to spot as these kinds of companies are aware of the fact that metrics drive maintenance and operational success in the workplace.Companies that understand there is always room for improvement pay attention to their performance and track it so they can find ways to increase their productivity, put in place successful maintenance strategies, and turn their weaknesses into strengths one step at a time.When you speak to a company such as this about ways they can improve, they will typically welcome the suggestions and, through this, you and the company will grow together.3) Do They Care About Their Consumers?A key factor in a company’s success is the way they treat the people that buy their products or services. Companies that don’t care about their customers will not take the extra time to improve their products or services and ensure they are giving their consumers the best of the best.evalThe major problem with this is that companies that do not take this time often create angry customers that you and the other employees wind up dealing with on a day-to-day basis and can sometimes even wind up dealing with messy court cases regarding money reimbursement or even injuries sustained from using the products.It’s not easy to admit when you are wrong or when a product you create is not up to par, but the companies that do take the time to ensure product satisfaction or recall products that aren’t safe are the ones that understand the benefits of caring about your customers. In the end, their support can turn even the worst recall or big mistake into a minor setback and a thing of the past.4) Does The Job Help You Move Forward?Finding a new job isn’t always about how great the position you are applying for is. Sometimes, looking into the advancement opportunities of a company can be a wonderful way of ensuring that you are actually growing as a person and being given the chance to move forward in the company towards bigger and better things.The best way to find out if this company has quality advancement opportunities is by looking online to see reviews from past employees and also to check their page for any employee information they may give. Thes e tools can allow you to discern whether applying and working hard for such a company is worth it or not and save you the time and energy that training for a job you actually don’t want takes.5) Does The Job Pay You What You’re Worth?Lastly, knowing your worth is a very important aspect of finding a new job. If the company is looking for a particular job title you’ve never had before, looking up that job’s average wage can help you to determine whether or not the company understands the market and respects its employees enough to pay them what they are actually worth.If a company is underpaying, it may be smart to address the fact you would want a higher wage from the start to reduce your chances of wasting time and energy on a company that is not open to wage negotiation yet underpaying its staff. Knowing this information can help you stay ahead of the game and also appear well-informed even if you aren’t.Finding a job that fits you can seem like a complete and total flip of a coin with so many choices to pick from but, by using these simples “job filters,” you can stop wasting your time with cheapskate businesses and know-it-all bosses alike.After all, the new year is here so why not have a career that embraces the best aspects of you and helps you to enter 2017 as a more successful and more mature individual overall?

Do You Make These 3 Big Email Mistakes

Do You Make These 3 Big Email Mistakes How many emails do you receive in a week? And how many of those are notable for being particularly bad â€" or even cringe-worthy? Over my 24-year corporate career and now in the entrepreneurial world, I’ve received a fair number of emails. I’m afraid to count, but I’m guessing it’s over 1 million. And these have included a multitude of no-no’s, mistakes, and perhaps even sins. The thing is, every time you send an email, you’re communicating part of your personal brand. So, at a minimum, it pays to make sure your emails are not undermining you. Emails Errors Can Become Career Limiting Moves There are the obvious “Career Limiting Moves” that we all want to avoid. For example, I had to fire a junior analyst who breached the firm’s Code of Conduct by forwarding an email from a friend at another investment bank that contained confidential information. She did it without thinking, as the email also contained a joke, which was what she was seeking to share. Or writing an email that you expect to remain confidential but ends up on the front page of the newspaper (or its online equivalent), pressing “send” on that angry ranting email that you later regret, or getting into a heated debate over email and, worse yet, replying to all when you do. The Less Obvious Errors Can Undermine You Too But it’s those more subtle errors that can creep up on you and quietly limit your career. Often, it’s those things you do (or don’t do) on a daily basis, especially when it’s part of your daily routine, that you don’t realize are tripping you up. And email happens to be one of those things that we take for granted and do without thinking. I’m sharing this because these mistakes are extremely easy to commit yet can make you look bad. And I don’t want you to be blissfully unaware in scoring what’s called an “own goal” in soccer (a.k.a. football outside the US). Unfortunately, I’ve made these mistakes myself, and know just how easy it is to fall into these miss-able traps. Three Big Email Mistakes That Quietly Limit Your Career When it comes to emails, here are the three types of worst offenders in my book. The Rambler The easy thing is to write what comes to mind, without organizing your thoughts into a coherent storyline. That’s how some people write emails â€" in a stream of consciousness as it comes to them. Basically, it’s the lazy person’s approach. Or, worse yet, it gives the impression of a disorganized mind, and someone who isn’t a strategic thinker. And none of these are helpful to your career ambitions. Instead of making your reader untangle the various strands to make sense of it all, take a step back and figure out which items are most important, and lay out your case in a logical fashion. You’ll make a better impression, and increase the odds that your reader will “get” your point or request, and act on it. The Monolith Another mortal sin in emails is to say too much. These are information-packed emails that require lots of scrolling. And they’re often formatted as one big chunk of text â€" super long paragraphs, no extra rows in between, and no bullet points. They’re hard to look at and not at all inviting to read. For me, these kinds of emails tend to come out when I’m deep into the details and emotionally attached to the work. Surely, people need all the gory details to comprehend the situation? Wrong. Instead, when there’s much to convey, get in the habit of writing an executive summary of 3-5 lines, perhaps with bullet points. And make sure to have the “ask” clearly labeled. Then, leave the rest for a “background” or “context” section below your signature for those who want to know more. Be sure to break up the section into chunks, using sub-headings or bullets to make your points easy to grasp. That way, you show you’re a strategic communicator who’s also on top of the detail. The Unprofessional I’m always surprised when people neglect to communicate with the level of professionalism and seniority that they aspire to. For example, I’ve received emails from early and mid career people who want to earn promotion to bigger roles, yet their emails are strewn with text language (“how r u?”), emoticons, and spelling or grammatical errors. What am I supposed to think? If this is how they communicate with me, then what makes me think they will shape up when they connect with other senior people? I can tell you that I am not going to use up any personal capital introducing them to people I know. There’s just too much risk. So, take that extra few minutes to check things over (and no, spell check is not enough â€" it won’t catch mistakes in grammar and word usage). As you read your own email, ask yourself whether you would be happy to send it to the head of your organization or a potential client. You never know when one of your email recipients may be in a position to recommend you for that big opportunity. So put your best foot forward, even in those daily emails. Make it easy for the reader Email can play an important role when it comes to being an effective communicator and managing your personal brand. What’s tricky is that it has more downside than you think. So even though you’re busy, it’s well worth the effort to make sure your emails are supporting your brand, and not working against you. That means doing more of the work so your reader has to do less. And if you need to create more time to do this, try writing fewer emails, but make the ones you do write easy for people to look at, read, and absorb. The payoff comes when your professionalism leads people to conclude you’re worth supporting. I’d love to know what you think, so leave a comment below.

Tips For Writing an Objective For a Resume

Tips For Writing an Objective For a ResumeWriting an objective for a resume can be difficult if you have no experience, no experience in your field and are new to writing resumes. However, with some tips and resources, you can easily do so and create a resume that is all your own.Your resume has to convince the reader of you are capable of doing the job and in most cases, this could be difficult. This is why hiring managers will not hire someone with a resume that is less than perfect. The reality is that even the best resume will never make the company take you seriously unless you have the experience, knowledge and expertise needed to do the job.Some resume writers will put the facts on the page and leave it at that. It is not so, but if you are honest with yourself you can admit that you could do better and show why you should be hired over the others in the stack. The key is to offer specifics and reasons for you to believe they are the best for the position. A resume is only as good as the information given on it, so before you begin writing make sure you know exactly what you are writing about.The format you use for your resume is very important. Although it does not have to be academic or essay format but most hiring managers prefer it this way because of how convincing it is. Writing a resume has to show that you have relevant skills that are needed for the job. In this case, you need to focus on the job you are applying for and what skills would allow you to do it well. Focus on what you have done or studied in your work and add on those that apply to the position.While you are writing your resume, do not overlook the role of networking. These days, people can get their resumes in front of the right person quickly. They can also network and find others who are knowledgeable about the company. You can write your resume in such a way that you provide that information to them, allowing them to market to a variety of sources. This will ensure your resume g ets seen and remembered by the right person.After you finish the resume, give it to someone who will take it and read it carefully to make sure it is correct. Make sure it is brief and that you include all the information you want to. The purpose of writing the resume is to impress upon the reader that you are a professional and would do the job well.Writing a resume is not hard, if you follow these simple tips, you can have the resume that everyone will want to see. There are plenty of resources out there to help you write a better resume and you can learn from them.