Junior Bloggers at Families.com

This series started last week with me talking about how to apply to Families.com to become a blogger for them. This week I have been covering what happens once you actually get hired. And today, I wanted to talk about being a Junior Blogger. When you’re a junior blogger, it’s all rather nerve-wracking. You are reading the Handbook every day, trying to find the answers to your questions, you are pestering Lisa for the answers you can’t find, and you’re feeling just a little bit stupid. Don’t worry, this too will pass. Not the stupid part if you’re anything like … Continue reading →

How to Keep the Idea Well Primed, Part Two

Part One was posted yesterday, in case you missed it. Yesterday, I talked about keeping an idea file in your computer. Today, I wanted to talk about some ideas particular to being a Families.com blogger. First off, Families.com asks that you write a Week-in-Review blog each week, for the previous week (from Saturday to Friday.) If you want to see a Week-in-Review from the Jobs blog, check one out here. I have found that since the set-up is the same each week (Lisa asks that all Review blogs follow the same outline, which she gives to you) I can simply … Continue reading →

How to Keep the Idea Well Primed, Part One

This is part of an ongoing series about becoming a blogger for Families.com. If you missed the beginning of it, please check it out here. Yesterday, I talked about the magical moment you’ve been waiting for: Getting hired by Lisa! As I explained yesterday, there is usually a waiting period between when you get hired and when you start posting the blogs, though, which is the perfect time to stockpile blogs. Many people apply for a topic because they love it, but once they get hired, they get overwhelmed with the thought of having to write about this same topic … Continue reading →

You’re Hired!

The moment has come: You have done everything you should have (meaning, you followed my explicit written directions down to the letter and you have written great sample blogs) and luckily for you, your chosen topic was open and needed a new blogger covering it. You get the magical e-mail from Lisa–you have been hired! What now you ask? Easy! First and foremost, you read the Blogging Handbook that Lisa will send to you via e-mail, from cover to cover. When you first open up the .pdf file, I’m sure you’ll gulp like I did: That handbook is 118 pages … Continue reading →

I Applied, Now What?

Okay, so last week I covered how to become a Families.com blogger from beginning to end. I think that I covered almost every question imaginable in the quest to becoming a Families.com blogger, although if I missed anything, I need y’all to tell me so I can make sure to edit my blogs and/or post another one. In the meantime though, I thought I would continue the series by talking a bit about what will happen once the application is received. First of all, Lisa has the goal of reviewing blogger applications every week. If it is a really busy … Continue reading →

Submission (and the Waiting Game)

Okay, now we’re down to the nitty-gritty details. Yesterday, we discussed the biography and resume (the last part of the application.) Today, we are going to talk about how to format that application. (If you have just jumped in, make sure to start at the beginning of the series: Think You Have What it Takes to be a Families.com Blogger?) I asked Lisa questions to make sure I was going to tell y’all correctly, and she gave me her input. So this comes straight from the top. First off, the hiring page simply says: Email Us – To apply, send … Continue reading →

The Great Biography

Yesterday, I talked about the sample blogs, and how to make sure that your blogs are what Lisa is looking for (funny, on-topic, correct length, etc.) Today, I wanted to cover the biography portion of the application. From the Blog for Us page… 4. About You – Please provide us with a short bio about you and your family, including your name and city or location. Please also send your resume, your qualifications and your experience in the topic area(s) you are applying for. The biography is a simple one; you’ve done it often enough. “Hi, my name is Havilah … Continue reading →

How to Make Your Sample Blogs Stand out from the Crowd

Yesterday, I talked about the first half of the required application: The topic you want to write about, and the ideas you have for covering that topic. Today, I want to cover the most important part of your application: The three sample blogs! Families.com hiring page specifies the following: 3. Samples – Please send three sample blog entries or articles with varying styles related to each of the proposed topics you are applying for. I think people have more hang-up about this part than any other part. Honestly, it’s just that simple: Three blogs that if you were working for … Continue reading →

The Application Itself

This is part of a mini-series covering what it takes to be a Families.com blogger, and what the benefits are to being a blogger. If you missed the articles posted previously, check them out here. For today, I wanted to write about the application itself. For some reason, people seem to really get hung up on this. I think it’s because there isn’t a formal application that you fill out but instead just info you should include in your e-mail. One thing to remember is that Lisa is looking for someone who can follow directions, and so if your e-mail … Continue reading →

Show me the Money, Honey!

Otherwise known as “What You Will Make as a Families.com Blogger”… I am writing a mini-series on how to become a Families.com blogger, and what the benefits are to being one. If you missed the beginning of the series, feel free to start reading it here. If you just missed yesterday’s blog, you can find it here. Okay, so I held off discussing the money portion of this job because I figured if I told you what you would make as a blogger up front, you would say, “Great, I’ll just apply and skip the rest of this stuff!” And … Continue reading →