Integrity Career Transitions asked:


When the going gets tough, the tough get…creative. With over 11 million people in the country now out of work and the unemployment rate up to over 9%, competition in the job market is getting hotter than ever.

Gone are the days when waiting for job advertisements to come up or visiting your local employment agency were enough. Jobseekers these days are having to be proactive in their campaign, and more than ever they are having to make sure that they stand out from the competition – or eliminate it altogether.

So, what is the answer? Does a guy or a gal have to don a clown costume or run amok with a pitchfork to get noticed these days? In short, no. There is an easier, and a more legal way, and it is called branding.

Branding is a marketing term which is all about deliberately and consciously creating an image that ‘customers’ can form an emotional attachment to. It is what gives them that warm, fuzzy feeling when they think about a particular product or service or company, and when it comes to the moment of choice, it is what ‘pre-sells’ one commodity over another. In the same way that BMW conjures up images of sleek style and remarkable performance, branding makes your name synonymous with the job that you want and the skills and qualities that a prospective employer needs.

Make no mistake, you have a brand image already, whether you realize it or not – it just might not be one that you are comfortable with. Put yourself in a prospective employer’s shoes – but do it honestly. What would you think of you? Do you see a guy who always does a good job and does it on time, or someone with a ‘can’t do’ attitude who is lacking in motivation? If it is the latter, then maybe now is the time to re-invent yourself.

Honest self-analysis is one of the keys to successful personal branding, and you can make a start on this by taking a good, hard look at your strengths and weaknesses. List your skills, qualifications and experience. Hone in on your positive personality traits. Consider the areas where there may be weaknesses, things that you can address and improve upon. Keep an image in the back of your mind of the person that you want a prospective employer to see when you walk in through the door, and make yourself that person.

Branding is not about eliminating the fun things, the quirkiness, from your personality. It is about recognizing and capitalizing on your marketable qualities, and about growing those qualities to make you even more desirable within the job market. It is about making a personal promise to a potential employer that will make him feel reassured and confident.

When you have a clearer idea of what it is that you want to project to the outside world, verbalize it. Create your own branding statement – a short, succinct statement that sums up what you are best at and what your unique promise of value to an employer is. This is not merely a job title, but a statement that sums up your skills, your abilities and your uniqueness.

Once you have done this, put your branding statement absolutely everywhere – on your business cards, website, blog, Facebook account and anywhere else you can think of. Make your brand part of every offline and online interaction that you have. Research the market and the industry you want to be in, identify potential employers and network your way into the job you want. With a strong brand that not only promises, but delivers, your reputation will precede you and open the doors to that inner sanctum, the ‘hidden’ market.

Created your brand already? What is your promise of value to a potential employer or your killer branding statement?

Ashok Pandit asked:


One of the most common questions asked online is how do I start blogging for cash. Blogging can be a very rewarding pursuit. Some are attracted to the financial rewards from hearing stories of rag to riches achieved through blogging, while others are in it for the leisurely pleasure of sharing an idea or two with the rest of the world. Successful people make five to six figure incomes from it by using certain methods, creating amazing figures.

Today, the blogger will have many choices how he wishes to monetize his or her blog. You can find direct advertising options as well as affiliate offers. If you are willing to search, there are plenty of ways to make money from a blog. There is one element for success that you need to make successful – the ‘big T’. What is the big T? Well, its ‘traffic’; if your blog site doesn’t have enough traffic, you will not earn any money.

Let’s share some great ways to make money from your blog. PayPerPost and ReviewMe are two good ways to start making money. These programs do not depend on click through rates, traffic or other factors to use them. This is an excellent option for bloggers with a hectic schedule. If you wish, you may write a review for a fee which is an excellent method to make money from blogging.

Imagine getting cash into your pocket by writing favorable reviews about other people’s products! Do take care of these important points before you start. One mistake is to post only when you have a review to make. A lot of sponsored posts often lead traffic away, make your website less attractive, and reduce your reliability; make sure that you accept only the reviews related to the blogs that you’re making.

There are more options available to you if the benefits depend on the reader’s responses and purchases. If you use affiliate links, they are perfect examples of this principle in action. With this option, you should have the ability to incorporate the existing contents of your blogs with the offers that let you earn money. If you blog on credit repair, then use anchor links to link to products that are relevant. Make yourself ready to be dazzled by the result. Try searching programs from these sources – NeverBlueAds, AzoogleAds, Share-a-Sale, and Commission Junction; visit them and find something that is suitable for you.

If you want a less invasive option, this is what’s for you – try introducing content-based marketing on the pages of your website. All the advertisements will be created based on the contents of the page.

You can join into the league of successful people making a regular income through this system. Each time someone visits your blogs, you can earn something; you can turn those ads into money making opportunities. Placing those ads will give your visitors extra information.

So release your fears and jump aboard; find a few money making methods that you find interesting and select the ones that best suit your interests. It takes certain traits to e a successful blogger. Your talent can be turned into a money making opportunity online. Start blogging today and make some good money from your effort.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT AT:- www.blog-and-ping.com www.blogging.infozabout.com