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How to Blog Your Way Into a Job

by Forbes.com on April 15, 2009 at 08:03 PM

If you're out of work and looking for a job, you don't need us to tell you how hard it is to get hired right now -- with the unemployment rate ballooning every week, there have never been so many qualified people competing for so few jobs. So how do you get yourself noticed? This article on Forbes.com suggests starting a blog about your profession or industry.

The concept is simple -- keep track of industry trends and post a few sentences three to four times a week with your own take on what's happening. It makes you look like an expert in your field and is likely to impress potential employers when your resume lands on their hiring managers' desks. It's also incredibly easy to start one -- hop on WordPress.com or Blogger.com and sign up for a free account.

Try to use your own name in your blog's title -- it will prove useful when recruiters Google your name -- and be sure to link to other sites within your blog -- it strengthens your search rankings. In addition, Forbes has a few more guidelines for you to think about before soaring all willy-nilly into the blogosphere. Click 'Next' to check them out. [From: Forbes]
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12 Tips For Taking Great Digital Pix 6

by Forbes.com on March 21, 2009 at 03:03 PM


Work the Histogram
Sometimes images that seem fine on your camera's view screen are not so good once you get them into the computer. If your camera can display a histogram--a chart showing the distribution of tones in your image--then use it. The ideal histogram has the form of a bell-shaped curve. On the left side are the pixels that record dark tones and the right are pixels with light tones. (The far left of the histogram, the 0 point, is for pure black; the far right, at 255, pure white.) A histogram clustered too far to the left is probably underexposed; too far to the right, overexposed. You can adjust light levels in image-editing software, but you're better off using the histogram as your guide and setting the correct exposure in the camera.
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12 Tips For Taking Great Digital Pix 5

by Forbes.com on March 21, 2009 at 03:03 PM


Slow It Down
ISO speed in digital cameras is analogous to film speed. A fast speed may be the only way to shoot in low-light situations or when trying to capture fast movement. As you raise the speed, you increase the chances of introducing noise into your image. Camera sensors and software have gotten better at reducing noise and producing acceptable images at increasingly higher ISO levels, but it is still best to shoot at the lowest speed possible.
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12 Tips For Taking Great Digital Pix 4

by Forbes.com on March 21, 2009 at 03:02 PM


Don't Forget Your Memory
Where your camera uses Secure Digital (SD), Compact Flash (CF) or another memory format, here are three short rules: Faster is better, bigger is better and reformat the memory card after you have copied your images to your computer. Why should you reformat? This procedure does a better job of clearing the memory and reduces the likelihood of a memory card failure.
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12 Tips For Taking Great Digital Pix 3

by Forbes.com on March 21, 2009 at 02:59 PM


Point and Shoot--at First
Some cameras are strictly point-and-shoot--they automatically focus and set the shutter speed and aperture opening for the correct exposure. Sophisticated point-and-shoot cameras and single lens reflex (SLR) digital cameras also have manual settings, which give you more control of the camera. For many situations, however, the built-in automatic controls deliver optimal exposure and are a great way to get started. Later on, try your hand at manual settings or at making tweaks to automatic settings.
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12 Tips For Taking Great Digital Pix 2

by Forbes.com on March 21, 2009 at 02:58 PM


Read the Manual
Camera makers are better at loading up cameras with high-tech features than explaining how to use them. Still, it is worth going through the manual to become familiar with the camera's basic functions. Even better, pick up a commercial guidebook, as many of them do a better job than the OEM manual. Many pros will tell you that they regularly work with only a small number of features on a camera, so don't let the details in any manual overwhelm you.
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Blogging Your Way Into A Job 4

by Forbes.com on March 20, 2009 at 07:17 PM


Keep it Focused

Since you're doing this to further your career, stick to writing about the industry you work in. Link to news or trend stories about your field, and share your opinion or related experiences you've had. Set up a Google news alert to stay posted on happenings in your industry so you can blog about them. If you attend a seminar or trade association conference, write about the best speakers or what you learn there.
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Blogging Your Way Into A Job 3

by Forbes.com on March 20, 2009 at 07:00 PM


Post Often

If you're out of work, update the blog at least three or four times a week. Don't shut it down once you've found a new job, though you may find yourself updating it less frequently. Once or twice a week should do if you're working full-time.
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Blogging Your Way Into A Job 2

by Forbes.com on March 20, 2009 at 06:59 PM


Use Your Own Name

If possible, use your name as the blog's title. It will make you more searchable. If your name has already been taken, add in your middle name, or at least an initial.
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Blogging Your Way Into A Job 6

by Forbes.com on March 20, 2009 at 01:59 PM


Stay Visible

Link to other blogs--it will help you come up higher in searches of your name. Also, post your blog's Web address on your résumé, LinkedIn profile and Facebook page.
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Blogging Your Way Into A Job 5

by Forbes.com on March 20, 2009 at 01:59 PM

Make Sure it Looks Professional Since you're blogging as a way to network and to help land interviews, spell- and grammar-check all your entries. You'll do yourself more harm than good if you let a slew of grammatical errors or misspellings through. And stay away from your personal life (unless it relates to work), religion and politics (unless you work in politics). << Back Next ... Read more »
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10 Films That Would Flunk Science Class

by Forbes.com on March 11, 2009 at 03:40 PM

When watching movies and television programs, we've all wondered whether or not those seemingly outlandish premises have any real foundation in hard science. Well, our friends over at Forbes.com have compiled a list of 10 Hollywood exports that are more fiction than science. Click through to see why the astronomy of 'Titanic' doesn't quite float. Next >> ... Read more »
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10 Films That Would Flunk Science Class 6

by Forbes.com on March 11, 2009 at 12:30 PM

'Star Trek: The Next Generation': Space Is a Vacuum In the first season of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' Captain Picard sees a phaser being shot at him. A phaser -- really, a laser -- can't be seen until it hits something or unless it passes through a substance like a gas or dust. Space is nearly a vacuum. We can't see a laser passing through nothing. << Back Next >> ... Read more »
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10 Films That Would Flunk Science Class 5

by Forbes.com on March 11, 2009 at 12:30 PM

'Deep Impact': It Could Be Much Worse Minutes before the final impact of a killer comet, astronauts blow it up. But blowing up a comet that close to earth wouldn't do any good at all. It might even make matters worse. Just because the pieces would be smaller doesn't mean you would've changed anything. All the kinetic energy of the comet would still be dumped into the Earth's atmosphere ... ... Read more »
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10 Films That Would Flunk Science Class 4

by Forbes.com on March 11, 2009 at 12:30 PM

'Armageddon': It Isn't Half Bad At the beginning of the movie, as an asteroid heads for Earth, we're told that this is what killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, slamming the Earth with the force of 10,000 nuclear weapons. Except that's not the half of it. Scientists believe that ancient impact was closer to 800,000 100-megaton nuclear weapons. << Back Next >> ... Read more »
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