Alban is a contributing writer at Home Loan Finder, a home loan rates comparison website. Alban is passionate about social media and their opportunities.

__________

Believing in yourself is one of the most important lessons you will ever learn in life, because you have to bewilling to bet on yourself, even when no one else will. However, there is a big difference in believing in yourstrength, your abilities and your determination, as compared to believing you are the person you portray yourself as on social media.

If you really were the person you appear to be on Facebook for example, you’d never sleep – with thousands offriends, hundreds of causes to like and events to attend; how could you? Luckily Facebook isn’t real life, andthere is down time, unfortunately no one wants to hear about that, so you don’t tell them.

What Happens on Facebook

There is no doubt that high school friends and long lost lovers have been able to reconnect over the internet andsocial media. However, there cases are the exception, not the rule and most of the interaction you will see onFacebook will be superficial and insincere. Before you stop reading, consider that this post isn’t to denounce theuse of Facebook, but to help you see it for what it really is, rather than being lulled into the belief that it is real,that all 948 of your Facebook friends will be at your side in an emergency, and that life really is all about thesnapshots and 140 or 420 character summaries you send out to the world. Continue Reading »

This was a guest post provided to us by Elizabeth Cutten. You can find more of her work at FindCollegeCards, a college resource focusing on everything from credit cards to how to survive in college.

If you want to voice your opinion then Guest Post with eBranding Me. Find out more by visiting our Guest Post Guidelines page!

__________

The whole point of going to college is for the job at the end of the road, correct?  Well, even if you know everything on the planet about your upcoming profession, if you don’t know how to look for a job, there’s a good chance that you may be heading to the unemployment line.

While there may be 1,000 of jobs waiting for you when you get out of those college doors, there are some mistakes that you must avoid when sending out those resumes.  Hopefully these mistakes can help you avoid them, and give you a better chance at landing that potential job!

#1 Spelling errors – Nothing turns an employer off more than spelling things wrong.  Even the slightest spelling error is going to more than likely throw your resume in the trash bin.  Be sure to have parents, or friends glance over your resume.  It never hurts to have a second pair of eyes.

#2 You don’t qualify – If you received your degree in business, there’s a good chance that the computer programming company up the street doesn’t want you. If you can’t do the job, don’t apply for it.  My parents used to own a medical records company and people would do this all the time!

#3 Being too “cocky” – I hate to use that word but I see this everyday with resumes that I receive.  Most college students think they are entitled to the world, and think that they can do everything under the sun.  Let your actions speak louder than your words because an employer doesn’t want to hire someone that think they know more than boss. Continue Reading »

College admission should not be the ultimate goal of education reform.

The Opportunities Project and eBranding Me announce Solutions for Change in Education, a series of white papers that reveal the shortcomings of higher education’s lack of focus on career development initiatives and highlight potential solutions.

Download the first paper TODAY!

In 2011, new college graduates are facing multiple obstacles in their efforts to launch their first careers, including record student loan debt, prolonged unemployment, and growing employer dissatisfaction with their abilities. Because of expanded job searches coupled with large loan payments, most new graduates will not break even on their investment in their bachelor’s degree more than a decade after they graduate.

In “The Economic Achievement Gap: No End in Sight,” the first white paper in this series, authors Tracy Brisson, Keith Petri and Justin Mathews summarize alarming economic data that illustrates the true scope of the problems our students face in today’s economy and pose questions about whether college career centers can play a role in improving economic outcomes for new graduates. Continue Reading »

The eBranding Me team is proud to publish an original series: PBYP – Pause Before You Post. Every Monday morning our post features 5 “Social Media Over-Shares”. We have all made the mistake of pressing Post too soon and publishing content that was inappropriate or not complete. While these mistakes happen, a simple mouse-click can make a remarkable dent in one’s personal brand.

You can find all of the posts, organized for your convenience, here. Subscribe via email and/or RSS.

__________

This week’s PBYP features a commercial aired during Super Bowl XLV by Bridgestone.

This Bridgestone Super Bowl ad wants you to imagine you’ve just accidentally hit “Reply All” instead of “Reply” on an email. Imagine it’s one of those really personal emails that you only wanted one person to read. And now, imagine that everyone you’ve ever worked with is about to find out what you “really think.” In this spot, you’ll see just how far one man is willing to go to right his “Reply All” wrongs.

eBranding Me visitors can make submissions by simply emailing Info@eBranding.Me with the Subject “PBYP” or tweeting with the Hashtag “#PBYP”.

Receive The Latest Posts Directly To Your Email – It’s Free:

This post was originally published on Keith Petri’s Blog. Keith Petri, the founder of eBranding Me, is a graduate of Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. His studies in business, economics and studio art along with strong passions for marketing, technology and entrepreneurship led him to his current passion for social media and strong understanding of the new rules of networking. Through his prior entrepreneurial pursuits, recent blogging and extensive networking, Keith has seen the need for educating his peers on creating a positive online presence. eBranding Me is the culmination of his efforts.

__________

I was fortunate enough to be invited to speak this past weekend at Bubble2Boardroom in New York City. The free career development event took place over 6-hours at the New York Athletic Club on Saturday, January 8^th. During this time, I was able to educate many Generation Y students and recent graduates on how to protect themselves from damaging their reputations online and build a positive presence. In addition to speaking to the attendees myself, I was able to sit in on coaching sessions and other lectures held throughout the day.

One of the speakers, Andrea R. Nierenberg, made a lasting impression. Her segment, which focused on networking, was filled with useful information presented in a very memorable fashion. Nierenberg used acronyms and rhymes to make a point stick. One such lesson was the 44¢ investment. Continue Reading »