This is a true story as told to JustJobs Academy which houses career interviews and job search advice for professionals in any industry.Visit to read about how to be precise and tame your ego on the job.
I have done internet marketing part-time for the past ten years. Last year, I made the move to become a full-time internet marketing professional.
Some people automatically thought I was trying out some kind of pyramid selling scheme when I told them I was making money online in my spare time.
Now that I do online marketing full-time, some of the same people are asking me to show them how to do it. My work has nothing to do with pyramid schemes, but it isn't as easy as people think either.
Some of the things I do to make money online include creating websites, writing content, updating social media sites, and promoting online products and services.
1. Creating Websites - Most of the time, the websites I create are for myself. In addition, sometimes I will set up a site for a small business that wants an online presence.
2. Writing Content - There are a lot of website owners online who are looking for people to write for them. I do occasional jobs through Fiverr, but most of my work is from higher paying clients who want articles or blog posts on their site. Other people pay me to create information products they can sell online.
3. Updating Social Media Sites - When I write website content for someone, I always offer to create and update a Facebook and Twitter page for them for an additional fee. Lots of places know they should have a social media presence, but they don't really know how to get started or keep it updated.
4. Promoting Online Products and Services - A lot of the money I make as a marketing professional comes from being an affiliate of various companies. That means the company pays me a commission. Three of the programs that pay the most consistently for me are Google Adsense, Amazon, and TangoWire.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate my job satisfaction as a 7. When things are going the way they should, this job is wonderful. The problem for me is having to rely on other people for payment. I am working toward diversifying what I do online so that I am not overly reliant on one person or marketing method to make money.
Some aspects of being an internet marketing professional are amazing. The best part is that I have a lot of freedom. My hours are really flexible, and I get to be home with my family. If we want to take a road trip, I can work from anywhere I can pick up a WiFi signal on my laptop.
My previous job as an elementary school teacher helped me keep up with the research and writing skills I use as a marketing professional. The other people I know in this profession come from a wide variety of backgrounds. I think the only thing we all have in common is a drive to have the freedom that comes from working for yourself.
When I got started back in 2001, there were not as many opportunities to make money online. The first thing I did was get paid a few pennies for each website I visited on this network. I only made around $20 that first month, but I was so excited.
The first "real" money I made as a marketer was by promoting a dating site through TangoWire. You could use your own domain and were paid half of the money from anyone who opted for a paid membership. That and other affiliate programs brought me up to several hundred dollars a month.
In order to go full-time, I added writing and website work to the mix. Between affiliate marketing and those services, I was able to replace the income from my teaching job.
Now that I am working online full-time, I have met a lot of very successful marketers. They all have one thing I don't - a list of past customers.
The people with the biggest lists can make money each day just by sending out a new promotion. If I were to go back and do anything differently, I would have started my list years ago.
I do love working as an internet marketer, and if I'm not careful, I could end up being on the computer from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep.
When I notice I am spending too much time online, I have to stop and set up a schedule that allows me to make the best use of my time.
Working as a marketing professional online gives me the freedom I have always wanted. Now it is up to me to make the most of that freedom by spending quality time with the people I love.
Job online marketing professional image from Bigstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
This is a true story as told to JustJobs Academy which houses career interviews and job search advice for professionals in any industry.Visit to read about how to be precise and tame your ego on the job.
I have done internet marketing part-time for the past ten years. Last year, I made the move to become a full-time internet marketing professional.
Some people automatically thought I was trying out some kind of pyramid selling scheme when I told them I was making money online in my spare time.
Now that I do online marketing full-time, some of the same people are asking me to show them how to do it. My work has nothing to do with pyramid schemes, but it isn't as easy as people think either.
Some of the things I do to make money online include creating websites, writing content, updating social media sites, and promoting online products and services.
1. Creating Websites - Most of the time, the websites I create are for myself. In addition, sometimes I will set up a site for a small business that wants an online presence.
2. Writing Content - There are a lot of website owners online who are looking for people to write for them. I do occasional jobs through Fiverr, but most of my work is from higher paying clients who want articles or blog posts on their site. Other people pay me to create information products they can sell online.
3. Updating Social Media Sites - When I write website content for someone, I always offer to create and update a Facebook and Twitter page for them for an additional fee. Lots of places know they should have a social media presence, but they don't really know how to get started or keep it updated.
4. Promoting Online Products and Services - A lot of the money I make as a marketing professional comes from being an affiliate of various companies. That means the company pays me a commission. Three of the programs that pay the most consistently for me are Google Adsense, Amazon, and TangoWire.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate my job satisfaction as a 7. When things are going the way they should, this job is wonderful. The problem for me is having to rely on other people for payment. I am working toward diversifying what I do online so that I am not overly reliant on one person or marketing method to make money.
Some aspects of being an internet marketing professional are amazing. The best part is that I have a lot of freedom. My hours are really flexible, and I get to be home with my family. If we want to take a road trip, I can work from anywhere I can pick up a WiFi signal on my laptop.
My previous job as an elementary school teacher helped me keep up with the research and writing skills I use as a marketing professional. The other people I know in this profession come from a wide variety of backgrounds. I think the only thing we all have in common is a drive to have the freedom that comes from working for yourself.
When I got started back in 2001, there were not as many opportunities to make money online. The first thing I did was get paid a few pennies for each website I visited on this network. I only made around $20 that first month, but I was so excited.
The first "real" money I made as a marketer was by promoting a dating site through TangoWire. You could use your own domain and were paid half of the money from anyone who opted for a paid membership. That and other affiliate programs brought me up to several hundred dollars a month.
In order to go full-time, I added writing and website work to the mix. Between affiliate marketing and those services, I was able to replace the income from my teaching job.
Now that I am working online full-time, I have met a lot of very successful marketers. They all have one thing I don't - a list of past customers.
The people with the biggest lists can make money each day just by sending out a new promotion. If I were to go back and do anything differently, I would have started my list years ago.
I do love working as an internet marketer, and if I'm not careful, I could end up being on the computer from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep.
When I notice I am spending too much time online, I have to stop and set up a schedule that allows me to make the best use of my time.
Working as a marketing professional online gives me the freedom I have always wanted. Now it is up to me to make the most of that freedom by spending quality time with the people I love.
Job online marketing professional image from Bigstock
Bigstock
Bigstock
Bigstock
