@tanguyen I checked out your blog and facebook, Tuan. I believe your making a great start. There is lots of helpful information here with those who have gone before us and are still on the journey. Don’t get discouraged and just keep learning and doing!

@tanguyen I have read your blog and commented.  I think you are off to a great start.  I do have one suggestion.  Check your spelling and grammer.  This is very important because people will not read your blog if they keep seeing these kinds of errors.  Put your best face on and go!

Hi Tuan,

I think you really have a great idea with the personable approach you’re taking with your blog and that will really help you in social media.  Some people miss the mark on understanding that social media is supposed to be social but it looks like you have a great grasp on it.

I do agree with Fawn.  If you’re working to gain a following with your blog, your spelling and grammar will really need to be an area to focus on.  When I see a lot of misspellings or letters that are not capitalized when they should be I tend to question the validity of the information I’m reading and am distracted while reading. More often than not, I’ll just leave the site and not return…sometimes in the middle of a paragraph.  

If you plan to have this be a part of the information you present to your potential new employer, I would also suggest being careful on just how much and what you share.  Some employers are real sticklers about how their employees communicate via social networks and what they share.  I don’t really see any examples of this but with a personal blog it’s something to keep in mind.

Good luck with your project!

@tanguyen No problem!  I wish you the very best of luck in your project.

@richardmclaughlin indeed!

Your friends here are correct about using your best grammar, spelling, etc. My pet peeve when reading these forum posts is the number of people who don’t use punctuation and run their ideas together. If I have the time, I work at deciphering what they are saying and where one idea stops and another starts, but often I just skip to the next one.

It is possible to show your personality and write well. The ultimate goal is effective communication. A bit of formality goes a long way. It is a form of respect and employers, I’m guessing, still like that!

Another reason for the more formal (not rigid or stiff, just more complete) is that you really can’t guarantee how a prospective employer is going to react. What you might see as “style” or “personality” might be seen as “doesn’t know better” or “sloppy.”

Hope that helps and that I’m not way off base. I suspect I’m one of the older voices speaking to one of the younger. Others may be closer to you in experience, but this is the best I have to offer!

Good luck, Tuan. By the way, your enthusiasm does come through. I’d give you a shot!