We all know by now that filtering the content you share on social media sites is crucial to maintaining a professional reputation online.

For media pros though, building a reputable online presence goes beyond basic filtering; censorship is good and necessary, but it can only get you so far. If you want to really impress potential employers with your personal Google search results, understanding the site’s algorithm can go a long way.

In the latest Mediabistro feature, we talk to brand strategists and SEO pros to find out how they manage to keep content fresh:

If your domain is YourFullName.com, Google will rank it higher when people search for you.

“It really boils down to keywords for the homepage optimization,” explained Collin Jarman, SEO technician at Click Optimize, LLC, a North Carolina-based Web design and Internet marketing firm. “So, in this instance, your keyword is going to be your own name because that’s what you want to rank for.”

For more on optimizing your personal search results, read Google Yourself: 4 Ways to Fix Your Online Reputation.

– Sherry Yuan

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

Freelance writing: a quick and easy way to write about whatever you want, for whoever you want — all from the comfort of your own home.

If you think the statement above is accurate, prepare yourself for a big shock. Like any job, freelancing has both its pros and cons. In the latest Mediabistro feature, we talk to veteran freelancers to find out how they manage the trials of the freelancing life:

The worst thing you can do, in my opinion, is send a sloppy pitch letter or poorly edited piece to your dream publication. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t challenge yourself to pitch venerated publications, especially if you’re very familiar with what they publish. But it’s much easier to build your body of work, get some help editing your pitch or story and then submit to The New Yorker than to fire off a submission at two in the morning on a wine-induced whim. Create a strong first impression rather than spending time and energy recovering from a bad one.

For more researching tips and organizing ideas, read The Rookie Guide to Freelancing.
– Sherry Yuan

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

If you’re looking for ways to make the most out of your lunch break, just look to Daymon “Daym” Patterson‘s Daym Drops YouTube channel for inspiration (or drool-inducing entertainment).

By reviewing fast food during his own down time as a Wal-Mart assistant manager, Patterson amassed millions of views on YouTube, and is now the star of his own Travel Channel show, Best Daym Takeout, premiering July 31. For its latest feature, Mediabistro talked with the burgeoning star about how he used the video platform to take his career to a whole new level:

I started out filming my neighborhood, doing little news reports and uploading them. One day on my lunch break, I went to Burger King and had their French toast sticks, and I did a review of them in the car and put that on YouTube. It received like 134 views, whereas all the other videos were maybe like 30, 50 views. The following week, I went to Dunkin Donuts and I got their new frozen hot chocolate. That video caught over 300 views, and I thought, “OK, now I have something here.”

Read the full interview in Hey, How’d You Get a Travel Channel Show Reviewing Fast Food, Daymon “Daym” Patterson? 

– Sherry Yuan

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

In the span of five years, Jim Bankoff, CEO of Vox Media, transformed what was a network of fan blogs into one of the fastest growing online publishers. In Mediabistro’s latest So What Do You Do interview, he gave some key advice to others looking to ascend to the C-suite:

“The truth is that the best way is to be really into what you are doing and really care. That’s not something you can fake, nor is it something you want to fake,” he said. “You have to have a genuine, passionate interest in your work and what your company is doing if you want to have any hope of running it and running it successfully. I’m sure there are plenty of people who have made it to the top without that, but my advice is find what you are passionate about and do that, because that’s going to increase your chances of getting to the top if that’s what you want.”

For more on Bankoff and why he believes brands matter, read So What Do You Do, Jim Bankoff, CEO of Vox Media?

– Sherry Yuan

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

With so much emphasis placed on networking, it’s always refreshing to hear someone say that “who you know” isn’t the most important thing for success. Marvet Britto, a global brand and PR strategist who has worked with Microsoft and Motorola, says your work is what really opens doors:

I’m blessed to say, in almost 20 years of business, I’ve never solicited one client. They have all come to me based on referrals, and I would hope it has been fueled by the work I have done. I think, so often today, people really spend most of their time networking. I actually call networking “not working,” because most people go to rooms, or dinners, or events and spend 90 percent or more of their time talking to people they already know. So, for me, I felt as though I would just simply do the work and do the work to the greatest degree of excellence and others would gravitate to me. I believe that when you do something well, you will create a category and begin to define and build your own brand, [to] which others will, like a magnet, be drawn to you.

To find out how Britto built her own firm — with zero experience in the PR biz — read So What Do You Do, Marvet Britto, President and CEO of the Britto Agency?

– Sherry Yuan

Lauren Dolgen, creator of MTV’s popular 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom franchises, first got her foot in the door at the network as an intern. With 16 years at MTV and several hit shows under her belt, the head of West Coast reality and EVP of series development spoke with Mediabistro about how others can break into the biz.

“I actually was an MTV intern, like, a gazillion years ago, but it really sparked my interest in television, really sparked my interest in MTV in general,” she said. “I also think that production assistant work and getting in on the production side is a really great experience, and I think that it has helped me, as well, in my career. Especially on the development side, knowing production a bit really does help, because when you are asking your producers for things, you recognize what you’re really asking for and will help strategize to get those things and accomplish them.”

Read the full interview in So What Do You Do, Lauren Dolgen, EVP of MTV’s Series Development?

– Sherry Yuan

Meeting someone with the right connections to give you a shot at an interview can be both exciting and nerve-racking. For the latest Mediabistro feature, industry professionals explain how any job seeker can win over a prospective employer on the fly.

Tip No. 2: Start with the Relationship, Not the Resume

Remember, networking is about creating a connection, not making a hard sell. “Focus first on building the relationship with the executive. It’s important to make a connection before asking for anything,” said Kent Lee, career consultant for Yahoo! and CEO of Perfect Resume. “This can be done by simply asking questions that show a general interest and enthusiasm in the executive’s company.”

Read more in Networking 102: How to Turn a Chance Meeting Into a Career Opportunity

– Nick Braun

With competition as fierce as it is in the job market, finding work in the media biz, let alone in the fiercely competitive advertising world, can seem like an exercise in futility. So, how does someone with solid writing chops but no real ad experience break in?

As much as connections play a role in any field, most ad industry experts agree that your portfolio is always the focal point during the selection process. “Portfolios are the No. 1 must have for ad peeps,” said Allie Freeland, PR director at iAcquire, a digital marketing agency based in Phoenix and New York. “You can talk the talk, but you have to walk the walk with specific examples of your writing, design and media placements.”

Get more tips in How to Get a Job in Advertising [Mediabistro AvantGuild subscription required]

– Nicholas Braun

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

Here at Mediabistro, we talk to employers and job seekers everyday and have heard that the interview process can be daunting for both parties. It’s easy to lose your train of thought, ask a ridiculous question or get so nervous you trip and fall while entering the interviewer’s office. So, job seekers, we want to know: What is the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done in an interview?

Enter our contest for the chance to win a free seat in Mediabistro’s Job Search Intensive (worth $145) that starts on January 29 online. All you have to do is follow @Mediabistro and tweet us your answer in 140 characters or less.

Include #InterviewFail in your tweet and you’re in! The winner with the answer that cracks us up the most will be announced on Friday, January 25 at 11:45 am ET via our @Mediabistro Twitter account. Good luck!

The Mediabistro job board is the best place to find top media candidates for your open positions. Companies like Google, Amazon, and AOL post with us —you should too!

Here at Mediabistro, we talk to employers and job seekers everyday and have heard that the interview process can be daunting for both parties. Sometimes it’s hard to ask the right questions during an interview and there’s always one that leaves a candidate scratching his or her head. So, employers, we want to know: What interview question stumps your candidates every time?

Enter our contest for the chance to win a free 3-job posting package on the Mediabistro job board (worth $717!). All you have to do is follow @Mediabistro and tweet us your answer in 140 characters or less.

Include #InterviewQ and you’re in! The winner with the answer that stumps us the most will be announced on Friday, November 30 at 12:15 pm ET via our @Mediabistro Twitter account. Good luck!

The Mediabistro job board is the best place to find top media candidates for your open positions. Companies like Google, Amazon, and AOL post with us — you should too!