Managing Online Identity

This is something I am thinking a lot about lately. Here's why; as an undergrad, I was a columnist for our newspaper. I wrote about some pretty racy subjects, but it was an opportunity for me to hone my writing skills in an editorial format, which is admittedly different from the traditional essay, which, at the time was my primary comfort zone. So I write articles. For two years. And now they are all over the Internet. ALL over the Internet. Is it good writing? I think so, at least the majority of them (and no one can control a rabid editor, either). But, these are not articles that, moving forward I want to be a part of my job search, you know? I don't want a prospective employer to google me and find out a wrote an article on bad kissers and dating disasters. How would that look in an interview, "So, tell me Leah, I've read your resume and it looks great...do you plan to write about sex for our campus paper?" (YUUUUUUUUUUCK!)

Thus, I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to get my name changed to its original pseudonym on the articles. It makes you think doesn't it? Or, it might have given me more pause as an undergraduate...

It is a shame too, because I have a great Linked in Profile (100-some-odd connections!), a PG13 Facebook page, I even have a Google Profile and Twitter. To no avail. Because when I Google my name...all I see are these ^%$*& articles!

Plans for Winter Break?

First off, I'd like to share the laughter and point out that as I started to type this blog title (at least initially), it was being translated (as I typed) into Hindi characters and couldn't figure how to turn it off for ten mminutes. Hilarious.

Anyway. I always think winter break will be this quick affair, and it never is. After one week of sleeping in and watching Grey's--I'm usually ready for a project. And, often I'll read. But this time will be different. This year I am going to use my time to fundraise for my non-profit, and write up what my first marketing campaign will look like. I won't be able to really employ the atregy until I have a firm job offer in the New England area, but it might be a good idea to start thinking though my markets, and winter break is an ideal time to start conducting some research. I think I'll do some outreach to New England foster youth in college (I call them 'foster students') and start collecting some survey data, maybe using an online tool like SurveyMonkey. I'll start making a marketing binder to hold all this information, and pick it back up once I have my job offer.

Also, there is the issue of comps. I will be writing and researching for my comprehensive exams (a non-thesis they force us to do--a thesis would be seriously preferable)...that's a whole other story. Thus, the writing for comps will eat up at least 20 hours per week. So, vacation will be a relative term this year. It's fine. My research is awesome. It REALLY is. So yeah, ask me about it. ;)