How To Land Your Dream Job Through Your Blog

Blogs have created new opportunities for professionals and freelancers to grab potential job openings of their choice. This excellent social media platform serves as an alternative to portfolio or resume giving credible proof of your expertise in a subject. As companies are looking to alternative mediums to hire new workforce, blogs are within the scope of their search for finding potential candidates. Here's how you can use your blog to get hired by the best in the industry.

Blog To Your Strength

Sounds obvious, but often ignored by newbies looking to find something easy to blog about. Employers look for individuals having good command on their subject having concrete examples of their work. A successful blog is the best platform to show that. The key to build an authority blog is choosing the right niche that shows your skills, knowledge and command on a subject in an effective way.

Share your best tips and case studies - Build an archive of quality posts consisting of irresistible tips and tutorials. A potential employer is bound to scan your blogs archive to assess the depth of your proficiency and competence and where you stand among your peers. Case studies are the most credible source of information that authoritatively demonstrates your knowledge.

Highlight your best work - Building an archive of quality content alone will not help until you don't provide a convenient way to reach it. Litter your sidebar with links to the best posts and revamp your archives page to keep your potential employer glued to the screen until he has not finished reading almost all of the best posts in your archive.

An ideal situation is when your potential employer is overwhelmed by the content published on your blog and you are in the driving seat negotiating the terms and conditions.

Announce Your Availability/Services

Sometimes, people don't approach you due to lack of information about your willingness to take a job. This ambiguity can lead to missed opportunities that may be knocking at your door without any effort from your end. The solution is quite simple. Read on...

Create a dedicated portfolio/services page - A blogger owning an authority blog leverages its credibility by offering expert advice and services. This not only opens the door for indirect income but also clearly defines your SKILL SET. Create a separate page tabulating all the services offered by you including your willingness to join a full-time opening. I would advice you to resist declaring rates for each of your services. Offer free quotes to potential clients to help negotiate the best deal. In case, a potential employer decides to hire you, you can exercise greater control while quoting the expected compensation.

Get Recommendations From Clients/Peers

Leveraging existing client base - The best way to exhibit your skills is getting testimonials from your clients. Never miss a chance to get one from your existing satisfied customers and prominently highlight them on your services page. You can even create a dedicated testimonials page, in case you are fortunate enough to get dozens of them.

Get push from peers - Almost always you'll be asked for credentials before getting confirmed. Your peers are the best candidates for providing positive feedback about you. Generously link to your peer's quality content and build a strong relationship for mutual benefit. Make sure to once ask your fellow blogger before giving his name in credentials list.

Scan Blogger Job Boards

Nowadays, you can find several job boards for bloggers with countless opportunities in different domains. ProBlogger Job Board, CrunchBoard Job Board and GigaOm Jobs are some of the popular job boards for professionals who blog. All of these job boards are associated with famous blogs and offer vast array of openings from different fields for almost every skilled and semi-skilled professional.

Some of the these boards maintain both employers and job seekers database and provide registration facilities, while others offer RSS feed for prompt notifications of new job postings.

Network, Network And Network

And last but not the least is the human chain (online/offline) that is developed through your blog. As your blog grows, so does the community around it. Sometimes, your follower or fan can unknowingly introduce you to a potential employer with all the positive feedback. Create profiles on Business Exchange and LinkedIn including details about your blog with a link to a custom landing page. Be active on social media sites and connect with as many people as you can. Creating a large network increases the probability of getting the right kind of opportunity you are looking for.

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Written by Rajeev Edmonds | | View Comments

How To Secure Your Wordpress Installation

Security has always been a major issue on self-hosted Wordpress blogs. Hackers look for vulnerable web sites whose security can easily be breached to exercise their evil intentions. With every new version, the core engine of Wordpress is getting more and more secure. Still some extra steps are needed to harden its security to the maximum. There's no silver bullet that can guarantee complete protection from hackers, but we can make sure they get a tough time while attempting any intrusion.

There are three sub-systems that needs your attention to secure it from potential threats viz., blogging CMS, back end database and web server. Normally we have complete control on blogging CMS and database, while web server administration is normally maintained by hosting service provider unless you own a VPS (virtual private server) or have your own dedicated server. Remember, your Wordpress installation is only as secure as your web server. If there is any weak link in the server, all the security measures discussed below will go in vain.

Securing Wordpress Directory Tree

The basic strategy to make your installation secure is to restrict public access to sensitive files and directories. Whenever any CMS is installed, the directory tree is assigned certain access permissions that may vary according to the their importance, functionality and usage to help protect them from unauthorized access. Following is the step-by-step method to protect your Wordpress files and directories.

Assigning directory permissions - Start with assigning correct permissions to your Wordpress installation tree. Here are some of the basic rules to follow.

1. No file or directory should have a permission of 777.
2. No file should have a permission of 666, except those theme files that are edited via built-in theme editor through Wordpress dashboard.
3. Ideally, all files should have permission of 644. Similarly, all directories should have permission of 755.
4. Some servers require permission of 'wp-content/uploads' folder to be 777.

Disabling public browsing of directory tree - Add the following code to .htaccess file to prevent any kind of direct browsing activity. This ensures no one can view the contents of directory by simply typing directory paths in their browsers.

Options All -Indexes

Although the same effect can be achieved by placing blank index.html files in every directory, but it is the most inefficient and least preferred method to disable directory browsing.

Securing wp-admin, wp-content, wp-includes and wp-config directories - Apart from disabling direct browsing of directory tree, some extra steps should be taken to restrict access to important directories.

Add the following lines to .htaccess to protect wp-config.php from unauthorized access. As the name implies, this file contains important Wordpress configuration settings needed to connect to your blog's database. It includes MySQL username and password.

<files wp-config.php>
Order deny,allow
deny from all
</files>

Adding following lines to .htaccess will protect wp-admin.php from unauthorized access. This will ensure your admin dashboard is protected from intruders.

AuthUserFile /dev/null
AuthGroupFile /dev/null
AuthName "Access Control"
AuthType Basic
<LIMIT GET>
order deny,allow
deny from all
allow from xx.xx.xx.xx
allow from xx.xx.xx.xx
</LIMIT>

Here xx.xx.xx.xx are the static IP addresses used by you or other administrators/contributors of the blog. In case you get a dynamic IP address each time you connect to Internet, this method will not work at all. In that case, you can use AskApache Password Protect plugin to protect wp-admin, wp-includes and wp-content without any need to edit .htaccess yourself. This excellent plugin acts as a firewall and adds an extra layer of security protecting your sensitive files from automated spam bots and hackers.

Securing Database

Hackers often target Wordpress database to insert countless spam links within the posts. Whenever you install Wordpress, by default every table gets a prefix of wp_ regardless of the table type. Intruders use this information to launch certain type of SQL injection attacks on the database. For better security, you must change this default prefix to something unpredictable. There are 3 methods to change this prefix.

Changing table prefix at the time of installation- This is one of the easiest method to provide a random table prefix to your Wordpress database tables.

At the time of installation, you get a chance to edit the table prefix. Choose a random and unpredictable table prefix that cannot be easily guessed.

Changing table prefix manually - This method can be painful for technically challenged. It requires editing of more than one .php files along with execution of multiple SQL queries. However, if you are comfortable with basic blog maintenance (technical) skills, this excellent tutorial shows you how to change table prefix in Wordpress through direct file editing.

Changing table prefix via plugin - Fortunately, Wordpress has large repository of plugins available for almost every requirement. You can also use WordPress Table Prefix Rename Plugin to achieve the same effect.

Regular database backups - Backups are lifesavers in event of any catastrophe that may bring down your entire site. You can use WP-DB-Backup plugin to backup core as well as additional (plugin & 3rd party script tables) tables of your blog's database. Make the habit of taking backups at least once a week followed by saving of more than one copy in two different locations.

Securing User ID's & Login Procedure

Almost every CMS has built-in user access control mechanism that defines a hierarchy of user-types with each type having different set of privileges. Wordpress is no different and supports pretty good user access control mechanism. Hackers target this system to gain complete control of the CMS leaving no chance to recover from the disaster. Here are some methods and safe practices that can help you in strengthening Wordpress access control mechanism.

Delete default administrator account - As soon as Wordpress installation is completed, we get a default administrator account with user id admin and random system generated password. DO NOT use this account for maintaining your blog. Create a second account with administrative privilege and delete the default admin account.

Strengthen login procedure - With the help of these 2 plugins you can make your Wordpress logins more secure and safe. Chap Secure Login encrypts your password to prevent anyone stealing it while it's in transit to the web server. Login LockDown is an excellent plugin that helps prevent brute force attack to guess your passwords. It disables the login function after specified number of failed login attempts within a given time frame blocking an IP range for specified period of time.

Fine-tuning user access privileges - For multi-author Wordpress blogs,
Role Manager plugin is a boon. If you want to exercise greater control over user access permissions, this plugin can help you assign specific rights at granular level.

Role manager can create custom roles with tailor made access privileges that can be assigned to any Wordpress user on your blog. You can even change and tweak the default roles provided by Wordpress, although it is not recommended and should be avoided.

Miscellaneous Steps To Harden The Security

Hide Wordpress version - Older versions of Wordpress have several loopholes that can be easily breached by seasoned hackers. It is always advised to hide your Wordpress version to mask any vulnerabilities (if any) that may exist in the release you are using. The best way to hide this information is placing the following code in function.php file of your theme.

<?php remove_action('wp_head', 'wp_generator'); ?>

This ensures removal of Wordpress version information while generating html files for client side.

Keep search engines away from Wordpress folders - You'll never want your blog's entire directory tree to be indexed by search engines. This may expose the contents of sensitive directories making it easy for hackers to analyze and find the potential loopholes. Add the following line to robots.txt file, which is located in the root directory of your blog.

Disallow: /wp-*

Adding this line will ensure none of the search engine bots are allowed to index the directory content.

General Safety Precautions

1. Create strong passwords and change them frequently.
2. Keep your plugins and Wordpress release updated.
3. Regularly backup files and database.
4. Create a disaster recovery plan and simulate it on a test blog.
5. Avoid using plugins from unknown sources (may include malicious code).
6. Use WP Security Scan plugin to find any vulnerabilities in your Wordpress installation.
7. If possible, avoid remote publishing via 3rd party publishing tools.
8. Use SSH or SFTP for secure editing of files and directories.

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12 Vital Rules In Twitter Networking

In this post, Wong Ching Ya discusses about twitter networking principles. She is well known for her expert reviews on various social media tools & services and possesses exceptional networking skills. You can also follow her on twitter. If you haven't already, I'd highly recommend subscribing to her blog.

People have been fervently writing about the fame of social media, especially Twitter. Ever since it took everyone by storm with its 140 characters of instant messaging, social networking has never been the same again.

We have heard many describing Twitter as their ultimate kit for successful online business, promotional tool, or even traffic magnet for blogs. No matter what niche you’re in, Twitter could be your ally but only if you know how to utilize it well. Having said that, let’s have a look at the 12 vital rules in Twitter networking:

#Rule 1: Dedication & Participation

For any social media, participation is the key to success. Dedicate your time to mingle with your contacts. Regularly taking part in discussion allows people to remember you among their 1000++ followers. Unable to tweet 24/7? At least try make up to 5-10 useful tweets each time, 4 days per week. In case you have difficulties to online for a few days, try scheduling your tweets beforehand using Hootsuite or TweetLater. Don’t be the ‘forgotten’!

#Rule 2: Honesty but Not Hostility

Imagine this: trying on a clothing you absolutely love, but the salesgirl simply blurted ‘you look fat in it’! An honest statement from one’s point of view yet the damage is done. I do believe a slight adjustment to the phrase might sound a lot better -- ‘It doesn’t seem fit, perhaps we try another piece that may look better on you?’ Much better approach. Politeness is welcoming in a community. Although people do appreciate honesty, it does not give you the right to comment harshly, or being hostile with whoever you’re disagreeing with. Don’t let pride get in your way while networking. Be considerate. If you care about your network, you may like to go mild with the words you’re using.

#Rule 3: Don’t Take Offense or Oversensitive

People tend to follow/unfollow; like/dislike the tweets you shared. When I just started tweeting, I observed closely my twitter following status-- who unfollowed me and why? Did I say something wrong?? Later I figured, it’s one of the most common phenomenon in Twitterverse. Try not to get oversensitive or too upset with it. Either the tweeting relationship didn’t work out, or they may have to sacrifice some of the less-communicative users so they could find like-minded tweeple to engage with. Sounds reasonable, but only if you’re proven innocent from being rude and self-centered.

#Rule 4: Use Desktop/Web Clients to Manage Your Contacts

Once the people you’re following increased exponentially, it’s impossible to track their updates effectively via Twitter official site. Third party applications such as desktop clients are well equipped with grouping ability, well columnized layout for easy tweet-tracking, real time updates and instant notification of replies/direct messages. As for web clients, they could be accessed anywhere, anytime! How convenient is that! Organize your contacts asap before they get buried underneath heavy public timeline.

#Rule 5: Be proactive & Responsive

Many benefits we could gain via ‘listening’: real-time info that comes with link and allowing us to be initiator in chat activities. Be responsive and make conversations that matters. Show people you’re not a mechanical tweeter android, but a normal human being with feelings. Let them know you care and ready to help if possible. Even if your approach didn’t win you a reply after several engagings, needless to feel depressed as well. Either it’s not the time yet, or it’ll never come to you. Move on! Ever heard of ‘When a door closes, another opens’?

#Rule 6: Know Your Twitter Branding – Personal or Niche

Not trying to sound cliché but personal branding matters a great deal in Twitter. It’s the reason why we are advised to treat our Twitter profile seriously, fill up the ‘keywords’ as accurately as possible. If you’re a designer who wishes to get connected with other designers, nothing is going to help much unless you made it obvious in your Twitter profile, and timely tweets. A person who loves photography yet tweet about marketing all over the place is a turn-off for other like-minded photographers, which is why one may experience drastic drop of followers if he did so. Advisable to have separate accounts if you intending to have 2 major interests shared massively on Twitter.

#Rule 7: Follow Or UnFollow? – Let Your Instinct Decides

There’s no right or wrong in this area, in fact more to personal judgement. Personally I’m not a supporter for mass-follow/unfollowing using applications. I prefer to decide personally, not relying on emotionless software to do it. Some people are worth to follow even they don’t follow back. There’s so much more than just a numbers game. Treat your contact list seriously and emphasis on quality connections. For someone who’s a non-marketer, I don’t mind getting marketing tweets, as long they are inspiring and mind provoking. I enjoy knowledge from various niches, and I don’t think any software could gauge who I shall follow besides my instinct.

#Rule 8: Be Giving

We all love nice people with kind hearts. Since we’re on social networking, if you wish others to treat you the same, why not start by being one? Although we need to get reminded constantly -- never expect anything in return. Helping out others by answering questions; providing comfort for those in need; recommend a new acquaintance to your existing Twitter friends etc. Those are just the least things you could do in Twitter. Sincerity is the solid foundation of all relationships, even social networking.

#Rule 9: Don’t Force Yourself

Despite we should be helpful, you don’t have to ‘force’ yourself into doing something you don’t feel comfortable with. For example, if someone asks you to tweet ‘help tweet this link, it will gain you 50,000,000 followers!’, not knowing where this link redirects to, or how legitimate it is, it’s alright to decline politely. You are responsible for your own actions, and no one shall ever trick or force you into ‘helping’ in anything you’re not sure of.

#Rule 10 : Reasonable - Be Selective with the RTs

There’s always a line to be drawn in any cases, even Retweets. Whether an RT is meant for sharing outstanding content or doing one a favor, bear in mind that not everybody will appreciate a page full of RTs. Why just targeting the hot, popular tweets which already have 500++ hits? Unless you’re a trendy-tweet collector, or an affiliate for tweetmeme or some sort, bare in mind that not many are enthusiastic to see the same newsflash over and over again. And repeating the same tweet more than 10 times in a day is unbearable. Dislike been nagged? Well, that’s just what you’re doing to your followers.

#Rule 11: Don’t Stop, Continue the Networking Elsewhere
In case 140 characters are not enough, do continue your networking with others via social media sites like Facebook or blogs. The connection shouldn’t stop at Twitter. You should prolong and enhance the friendship by keeping the conversations going from time to time. That’s how I get to know some of the nicest blogger friends. Blog serves as a networking hub. So, make sure you’ve worked on the red carpet for your blog visitors with quality content, and responsive comments at all times.

#Rule 12: Be Yourself

Some people look cool to follow for their personalities. You could learn, but shall never attempt to impersonate someone you’re not. No lies or exaggerations involved. By being authentic, you’ll find comfort and ease of mind while communicating. It enhances your personal branding and confidence. People can recognize you easily. So what if you’re not the most famous guy/girl in the block? Many would still appreciate your authenticity for being the real YOU.

How about you? What is your rule in Twitter Networking? Kindly share with us your opinion in the comment.

You can connect with Wong Ching Ya on various social media sites. She is very much active on Facebook and StumbleUpon.

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