Your Online Platform: A Checklist of Website Essentials

November 8, 2011 by 1 Comment

I'm in love with my website. Is that conceited?

Earlier this year, I blogged about whether or not an editor would judge you if you didn’t have some sort of online platform. (Short answer: Yes.)

Since then, several clients have asked me for help in overhauling their own professional sites.

Which can be difficult. A website is a very personal thing. There’s no one right way to do it. It’s up to you to surf the web and bookmark examples of websites you like, making notes on what works and what doesn’t, and drawing up wish lists of your must-have features.

It’s also up to you to figure out what message you’re trying to convey (unless, of course, you hire a branding consultant).

What I can do is provide freelancers with a handy checklist of the basics they should include on their professional site. [Read more…]

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Work 2.0: The Deterioration of Professional Decorum

December 30, 2008 by 3 Comments

I know. It’s nothing new. Work attire has been devolving for years now, in addition to office environments and professional communications.

In fact, I’m part of the problem. From the very moment I entered the corporate world 5 and 1/2 years ago, I was completely unable to keep up a sense of professional decorum. My business attire became business casual, before eventually becoming an odd mix of too much cleavage + too much frump. My work e-mails were breezy and flip. I couldn’t bring myself to wear dress pumps (I figured black sneakers were close enough…).

Still, those who have work to offer are still appreciators of traditional practices, and an adherence to these practices nowadays can make eager professionals stand out from the rumpled crowd.

After all, aren’t we supposed to be dressing for the job we want, and not just the one we already have? (she says, as her toes dig into the fleece lining of the boot slippers her brother bought her for Christmas…)

After the jump, how to retain your spunky sense of self (we’re freelancers for a reason, after all…) while still maintaining an air of professionalism:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: correspondence Tagged With: , , ,