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You
already know that most employers will use Google to
research your background before hiring you, right?
If
hiring managers find nothing online about you, you
won't stand out from the crowd. That's bad.
If
they find photos on MySpace of you table dancing in
a fur bikini or videos of you on YouTube doing keg
stands ... that's worse.
But, what if, during their Google search, a hiring
committee finds that you've written several
industry-related articles and you've been published
all over the Internet? You'll look like an expert in
their eyes -- and be much more likely to get a job
offer.
"By
writing and submitting industry-related articles to
a few key Web sites, you can get your name all over
the first pages of Google search results. When
employers search for you, they will find content
written by you that's related to your profession,
which will definitely impress them," says Waxler.
Best of all, this won't cost you a penny.
Now, don't worry about the writing part. If you've
ever written a book report or a coherent email, you
can write an article that positions you as
knowledgeable in your field -- and makes you more
attractive to employers.
You
can do it by following these five steps ...
1)
Go back through your past jobs or college days and
dig up any reports, memos and papers you wrote over
the years. "Basically, you're looking for anything
you have written that's related to your field," says
Waxler.
2)
If you've already written 450-550 words on a
work-related topic, great! That's enough for an
article. If not, combine or break apart your
writings until you get roughly 500 words. Then, edit
and clean up the language so that it reads well.
3)
Still can't find anything relevant you've written?
No problem. You can write something now.
Visit Google, Wikipedia, industry Web sites, online
magazines, etc., until you've gathered enough raw
data for an article. Write fast and don't censor
yourself. Put your draft article away for at least
24 hours. Then come back and revise slowly. For
extra editing, show it to two or three friends for
input.
4)
Write a short bio, also called a resource box, to
insert at the end of your article. "Obviously, you
want to write this with an eye toward the job you're
seeking," says Waxler.
Example bio: "John Smith is a first grade teacher at
Jefferson Elementary School in Chicago, IL. He has a
BA in History from Ohio State University and a
passion for helping students reach their full
potential."
Note: If your name happens to be Stephen King, Edith
Wharton, or something else that's already "taken" on
Google, be sure to use your middle name or initial
to create a unique moniker for the search engines.
5)
Now, the fun part. Get published by uploading your
article(s) to free online article directories that
share your work with multiple Web sites -- this is
how Google finds you.
Waxler recommends you submit to three directories:
EzineArticles.com, GoArticles.com and SearchWarp.com.
"You can send the same article to all three, but
definitely be sure to use EzineArticles.com -- it's
well-liked by Google and will get you found the
fastest," says Waxler.
Bonus: While you're waiting for Web sites to find
your articles, why not set up a free blog and
self-publish immediately? Blogger.com is an
especially useful blogging tool, because it's owned
by Google, which means your writing -- and your name
-- are likely to be found by employers faster.
If
you've never been published before, you'll get a
kick out of seeing your name in print. And your job
search will get a kick, too, when employers find
your name in Google -- for all the right reasons.
Remember: Everyone wants to hire an expert. That
expert could be you, if you write and publish
articles about your industry.
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