This is a snapshot of why it is important to manage your online presence. In an effort to help steer you in the right direction, here are 7 Tips of Social Media Etiquette:

1. Status Updates: Posting content that relates to your area of study can position you as a candidate that stays current in his/her area of expertise. Including links to content solidifies that you’re actively identifying valuable content to share with your community.

2. Checking-In: Location-based check-ins such as Foursquare or Facebook Places can be a great way to connect with people in the real world. Your check-ins communicates a lot about you as a person, your lifestyle, the places you frequent and the time you visit those locations. Make sure what you’re sharing reflects what you want to communicate to the outside world.

3. Profanity on Facebook Wall: A recent study by Reppler, which studied 30K Facebook users, identified that 47% of Facebook walls contain profanity. Be sure to monitor and manage your Facebook wall because what’s there communicates a lot about your personal brand to potential employers—even if it’s your friends who are posting the profanity on your wall.

For the rest of these helpful tips, click here!

Online Stalking: Helpful Or Hindering?

Top 4 Most Annoying Text Message Cop-Outs

10 Things You Didn’t Know About President Obama

This event was particularly special for us because it wasn’t a press conference in which we were mere observers. This was our event. This was powered by our  audience (ie. YOU). The questions you all provided for the administration fueled the discussion points on the panel. Which, by the way included a very impressive group of folks in the Obama administration:

• Melody Barnes, Director of the Domestic Policy Council
• Shaun Donovan, US Secretary for Housing and Urban Development
• Marie Johns, Deputy Administrator of the US Small Business Administration
• Ambassador Ron Kirk, US Trade Representative
• Jason Furman, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council

Not to mention that opening and closing remarks were made by Senior Advisor to the President, Valerie Jarrett.

We were led by Jeff Johnson from TheGrio.com on a panel that also included yours truly (Reppin’ for Team Beautiful!). We came armed with questions and each member of the panel answered with thoughtful responses that didn’t sound canned or prepared by an assistant. They discussed manufacturing in the 21st century; education reform in order to compete in a globalized economy and domestic issues such as  jobs, housing, taxes and healthcare.

We were getting our fill of policy just as expected.

And then it happened. About 53 minutes into the event, Melody Barnes politely interrupted Ambassador Kirk and said: “All of us have thoroughly enjoyed interacting with you all but I want to introduce someone now who I think is the best person to talk about these issues – THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, BARACK OBAMA.”

Okay, so she didn’t shout that part. But she might as well have pulled an Oprah and shouted his name. Either way, the audience, as well as those of us on the panel from Interactive One, were elated and quite honestly astounded as President Obama entered the room. Here we were – coming from New York City expecting only an informational hour with government policy heavies – and ending up having the President of The United States join us and give us his take on the importance of our audience, our work and most importantly our support in helping him pass the American Jobs Act.

Michelle Obama Graces The Cover Of Essence Magazine

He expressed the importance of our online community (yes, that’s YOU again) and that our ability to facilitate a two-way conversation between experts and communities in need is something in which he’s very interested. (watch the video here)

President Obama spent fifteen minutes with us, during many of which he answered questions from the audience and from Twitter.

On a completely different note: Barack Obama pulled a Beyonce! Stay with me here – you know how Beyonce will pop up out of nowhere and surprise a group of kids dancing at Target, or some teen girls dancing at a block party? Well, President Obama did the political version of that. We didn’t see it coming – but damn was that a great moment.

Thanks for sticking with us Team Beautiful! We’ll continue doing big things to serve you. Maybe we’ll get Oprah to pull a Beyonce at some point too.

Here, check it out for yourself!

Interactive One at the White House from BlackPlanet.com on Vimeo.

Karla Ovalle on Twitter @K_Ova

Front Rows & Backstage! Celebs Hit New York 2011 Fashion Week [PHOTOS]

However, there are a few jobs where women make more than men:

SCIENCE TECHNICIANS
Science technicians are like the blue-collared workers of the science industry: they set up lab instruments, operate and maintain them, and sometimes monitor and log results.

Average weekly earnings:
Women: $740
Men: $723

DIETITIANS & NUTRITIONISTS
Typically based in schools and medical facilities, dietitians and nutritionists are experts in food health. 83% are women.

Average weekly earnings:
Women: $770
Men: $759

PERSONAL APPEARANCE WORKERS
This group includes makeup artists, manicurists/pedicurists, shampooers and skin care specialists.

Average weekly earnings:
Women: $434
Both sexes: $422

PRE-SCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS
No data was available for male teacher salaries, but the female average was a smidgen higher than the average of both sexes combined — but only at the kindergarten/pre-school level.

Average weekly earnings:
Both sexes: $612
Women: $614

Looking for work? Check out Monster’s diversity job listings on BlackPlanet.com here!

Want to see more job stats? Click here!

Single Women With No Children Are Outearning Their Peers

Send your questions to Terrance: girlworkonyou@aol.com

Dear Gay Best Friend,

When I met my boo, he was not at all what I expected on the outside, but I (thankfully) was able to see through that and find the man inside that I loved. He had a blue-collar job, which I had never experienced, but I think because it was a pretty good paying blue-collar job, I stuck with it (wink).

Right now, the state we live in is one of the most economically depressed in the country, and the manufacturing jobs are drying up. Companies he’s worked for have been bought and downsized, or just had to cut corners. He’s had to leave the state twice to find employment in the past four years because he’s not the type to sit at home and do nothing. I have gone to visit him many times where he has gone, but I wasn’t ready to move at the time because my family’s 35-year old business is here. I’m an only child and my parents are getting older.  He’s come back home to be with me, thinking he had a secure job, only to have it snatched from him.

But, since he left his last job in June (over some really SCANDALOUS stuff, you’d love it – his boss would love you – we’re thinking of suing), we have not been able to find him a new job. He’s been doing what he can around the house – he’s an excellent cook and really knows how to clean – but he feels like he’s not contributing like a man should and it’s starting to depress him. I feel him losing hope bit by bit every day as each rejection letter comes. We used to live large, but now, with only one income we’ve had to cut back, and that upsets him too. He has a baby mama that he pays child support to, and even though he’s unemployed, he still owes that child support (SMH – don’t get me started on that topic), and now that he’s six months behind (not his fault), there’s a warrant out for his arrest.

He feels like everything is conspiring against him, he’s slipping into a real depressed state, and it’s starting to be a drain on me. I love him to death, and I know it’s supposed to be through thick and thin, but what advice do you have to get through the thin times? He’s done a *lot* for me over the years – when I tried to say thank you, he insists it was his “job” to take care of me and that no thanks was necessary. But now he needs me – just the fact that *he*, the man, needs *me* upsets him too – but I don’t know how to make him feel better without taking his manhood away from him. I struggle to keep his spirits up. I do what I can for him, but it’s not enough. When I ask him what I can do, he just says “find me a job.” Obviously, I have no control over that. I send out his resume constantly, but with double digit unemployment here, everyone is looking for a job, and with his impressive looking resume, employers think it will cost a lot to hire and pay him. That’s the only reason I can think of that no one is responding to his resume – the whole “overqualified” thing.

Is my man’s ego worth leaving everything else I have in life to pick up and move to another state so he can find a job? I have no doubts about the strength of his love for me, and mine for him, but honestly, I’m scared to leave the security of what I’ve got here in my family business. My parents are in their 70s and his mother is sick, and where he wants to go is way across the country. I need some help deciding what to do. When things are good for us, they’re really, really good. I need to fight for him now that things are not so good, but how do I do that and not give up *me* in the process? Ms. In Love But Struggling

“We’re Young, Fly, And Fancy, But We Don’t Have A Man”

Dear Ms. In Love But Struggling,

Girl, I tell you, the smarter some women think they are, something truly is lacking in the head. Not saying you are, (yes I am), but clearly you’re not listening to yourself. If you were, then you wouldn’t have written this letter which clearly has every possible answer to your questions that you need.

There are some things I don’t know if you are being serious or if you really can’t see the sidewalk because of your oversized wig blocking your vision. You better push those bangs back and wake up!

I love how you say he is a blue-collar man, which you have never experienced, and despite his background you fell in love with him. Please make it stop! LOL! Girl, your nose is so high in the air you can smell Jesus.

This is what I don’t understand. If you work, and have a family business, and the economy is sooooooo desolate in your city, then why not get your man a job in the family business? I am sure there is something he can do at the family business, especially for a blue-collar worker. Hell, he can answer phones, take messages, clean, move furniture, drive, or something. There’s got to be something he can do there. I just don’t understand why you couldn’t tell ‘Mommy’ and ‘Daddy’ (in my Southampton voice) to give your man a job. Please work that out and explain it to me.

But, what I don’t understand and what you’re defending is the fact that he has a child, didn’t pay child support for six months, has a warrant out for his arrest, and you say it’s no fault of his own. Oh, really? So, whose fault is it? And, you’re over there shaking your damn head over his situation with his baby momma because he owes child support? Really, Ms. Thing?!?! Girl, please don’t make it his baby momma’s fault. I’m sorry, but didn’t he help bring a child into the world and as a man, instead of trying to impress you, and flossing around town, he should have been stacking up on his child support payments since the economy is jacked, and he doesn’t have a job. Your man’s obligation is to pay child support, and if he hasn’t done so in six months, then it’s the child’s mother’s fault? Please explain. I’m listening.

Look, I know times are hard for a lot of folks. People are in binds and are financially strapped. It’s tough out there, but as my grandmother would say, “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.” If he’s previously gone out of town to get a job successfully and made money, then what is the problem with him leaving again? Let that man go and do what he has to do.

And, if I were your man, I would feel depressed as well. He isn’t contributing to the household because he can’t and any man who can’t contribute or carrying his weight, well, he should feel useless. But, uhm, sweetie, you’re babying him. You send out his resume, you take care of him, you keep trying to make him feel better (I can hear you now, “Come here snookie wookie. Let me rub it and make it feel better”), and I love the line where you say, “We have not been able to find him a job.” Everything you’re doing for him is what you do for a child. Yes, darling, you’re hand-holding him. Hell, I’m surprised you’re not nursing him as well. Well, I’m sure you are.

You say it’s starting to drain you, well, it’s because you’re supposed to be his woman, not his mother. You are so busy trying to nurture him, and taking on his problems, which he created, and you’re trying to fix them. HONEY, LIKE HE SAID, YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING FOR HIM, BUT FIND HIM A JOB. Again, he’s relegating the power over to you, so you can fix it.  You are the woman who saves him in his time of need, and the woman who is taking care of him because you’ve taken on the role of wifey, yet you’re not married. I’m curious to know if you two have talked about marriage, or if he plans to marry you. I’m sure he’s said to you at one time or another, “When I get on my feet we’re going to get married.” Girl, please spare me and yourself.

There is a difference between being co-dependent and independent. I don’t think you’ve learned the balance of being his woman and supporter. Yes, we all need someone to rally for us and cheer us on. We need someone in our corner when times get hard. However, taking the reigns and trying to fix a situation that you didn’t create only makes you angry, frustrated, and resentful. And, instead of supporting you become co-dependent to their situation. You allow them to act out, do things they normally wouldn’t do, and take the blame because you want to be understanding. You know they are going through things because of their situation. Well, I’ll be damn if you drag me into something I have no control over. I’ll be damned if you get upset with me and you stop taking care of your responsibilities. No sir, and no ma’am.

Look, Ms. In Love But Struggling, if you can’t comfortably leave the safety of your situation, and feel confident in your man and his ability to take care of the both of you, then what do you think? It’s obvious you’re accustomed to a certain lifestyle. Are you willing to give up your Gucci, Prada, Michael Kors, and Christian Lacroix for the Gap, Banana Republic, or Old Navy? If you’re going to stick with your man, then you’ve got to step up your Beyonce game, and Upgrade your man. But, that means letting him be a man. Let him do what he needs to do for his situation. I love how folks think they can rectify and fix someone else’s situation when they themselves created the mess that they are in. He needs to rectify the child support situation and handle his business. He has a warrant out for his arrest. So, is he going to ignore it and go out state to get a job? What happens if gets arrested while out of state, then he will have to be extradited back home. That doesn’t sound logical, now does it? Again, he needs to be a man and handle his business. The warrant is not going anywhere. That needs to be first and foremost. And, he’s not alone in looking for a job in this economy. There are millions of folks in his shoes. Like most people, you’ve got to go where the jobs are, and you said he’s been willing to relocate, but he can’t keep running back and forth. If you don’t want to move, then don’t. If you want to be with him, and this love of yours is so strong, then go. Write out the pros and cons of your relationship, and then the pros and cons of moving with him out of state. You say that your parents are older, and you have the family business. It sound like you will lose more than he. I say let him get his affairs in order, then move forward. You can’t move forward with looming complications hanging over your head because every time you take one step forward, you will be taking two steps back. – Straight From Your Gay Best Friend

Make sure to get your copy of my new book, STRAIGHT FROM YOUR GAY BEST FRIEND – The Straight Up Truth About Relationships, Work, and Having A Fabulous Life (Agate/Bolden – October 2010; $15). It is available in bookstores everywhere, and on Amazon, HERE!

One day while in the office she asked to speak to me and told me that I needed to work on my accent. Now, this coming from a woman who herself had an accent that I could barely understand at times, you can understand why this was insulting to me. She went on to say that I pronounced the word “ask” like “ax”. She went on to say she noticed that other Black people do that as well. She also commented that people can tell that I am Black when I answered the phone. I responded with “why does that matter?” She never did answer my question. I then said, ‘you don’t think that people who speak to you can’t tell that you are a foreigner?’ Now I was being a bitch. She responded with yes but made it a point to never answer my question about what difference my race made to people on the phone.

Black Families Fall Short On Saving For The Future

Months later while listening to my friends stress about their job search this incident came to mind. It made me wonder how many jobs they have been passed over because of their African American dialect. When I say dialect I am not speaking of not being able to speak proper English. In my case I speak proper English and do not use slang in the work place and my friends are college educated, hip to the game, young Black people who know to adjust to their environment as well. I am speaking of African American dialect or accent on certain words which was a problem for my past boss. How many jobs have turned them down because of the way they pronounced certain words?It made me consider whether or not an… To Read The Rest Visit YeahSheSaidIt

Easy Ways To Make Money Online

Enter HelloBeautiful’s “Beautiful Friendship” Contest!

Tomorrow is the first Friday of the month, which means its time for the Department of Labor Statistics’ June unemployment figures.

Last month we revealed that black women had performed particularly well in the unemployment figures, better than all other major demographic groups. Black female unemployment had declined 10 per cent from April to May.

Unemployment Drops For Black Women By 10%

Of course the data is indicative of only one aspect of the overall job situation facing everyone in the United States and we should never forget that the struggle to keep jobs is never-ending. But every-now-and-then its nice to hear some uplifting news like last month’s unemployment figures.

Check in tomorrow when we reveal if June has proved as successful for the black women of America.

Top Cities To Find Work As A Black Woman

Firstly, there are some parts of the country that are less favorable for black job seekers. On June 8, the Economic Policy Institute – a research organization based in Washington D.C. – revealed that black unemployment in Detroit and Minneapolis was at a rate of over 20 percent. St. Louis, Las Vegas and Memphis were not far behind.

The South in general can also be particularly difficult for black female workers. Because there is a concentration of black communities in the South, much seasonal and agricultural work means employment levels fluctuate for black workers.

The financial crisis was also still problematic for black women. The secondary labor market that support many black women in employment was severely hit by high rates of bankruptcy and job losses.

There is good news for black women though. Improvements to organizational structures have allowed for an increase in the amount of black women in positions of higher employment.

A few years ago Essence Magazine’s Jayme S. Gayney profiled America’s top 25 Greatest Companies for Black Women. Some standouts included Coca Cola, Colgate, Citigroup and Comcast at various locations across the country.

Companies surveyed were reviewed on their treatment of diversity through policy implementation and general treatment of all workers. These policies were tested in practice by research from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Looking for work? Check out Monster’s diversity job listings on BlackPlanet.com here!

He may look good in the box, but sometimes “Mr. Right” turns into “Mr. Right-About-Now-Would-Be-a-Good-Time-to-Leave.” Here are 10 ways to tell if he’s “Mr Wrong:”

1. Mr. Wrong loves to talk more about himself than anyone else.

2. A man who is over 30 and still lives at home, may be Mr. Wrong.

3. You know he’s Mr. Wrong if he is always “between jobs right now.”

4. A man who wants to move in with you after your first date is definitely Mr. Wrong.

5.  A man who makes you the butt of his jokes, is Mr. Wrong.

4 ways to attract a younger man

6. He thinks you’ll be impressed when he tells you his ex-girlfriends were hot.

7. He’s had more jobs in the last few years than you have pairs of shoes

8. His idea of celebrating your birthday doesn’t involve you.

9. His mom calls to help patch things up when you’re in a fight with him.

10. He picks you up for an 8pm date… at 1am.

5 compliments every woman likes to hear

Example:

Last week, I finally decided to mention to my husband that the oil change light in my car was on. I told him it had been on for about a week and that he needed to take my car to get the oil changed after he got home from work. I’d watch the kids and make dinner and by the time he got back, dinner would be ready.

Now, I admit, when I got married I had some preconceived notions of how everything was supposed to go down. Who would cook dinner (me), who would wash the cars (him), who would do the kids’ hair (him…LOL). Getting the oil changed in the cars is CLEARLY one of those “man” things I expected him to do…

Are certain things a “man’s job”? Read the rest of the article at BlackandMarriedWithKids.com and let us know!

Do you and your husband have separate chores? Here’s how to get him to do housework!

What are things he wants you to know, but isn’t telling you?

[From The Frisky's "Mind of Man"]

The Hobopocalyse continues unabated: the stock market is at its lowest in twelve years, unemployment is at its highest in decades, and nobody knows how bad it’s going to get. But the good news is, I didn’t have to pitchfork-fight mole people for canned food today. Your 401K might be tanking, but canned food will always be valuable. And so will the shoulders of those you love and who love you back, even if, at this moment, some shoulders have to bear a greater weight than others.

According to a recent article in Newsweek, you can expect unemployed men, recent victims of the Great Recession of this still very new century, to revert to their lowest common gender stereotype. That means boorish frat boys decorating their fortresses of solitude with posters of bikini-clad hotties and crushing beer cans against their thick, Neanderthal skulls. And, for certain, a lot of men are being laid off. Since the economy began to crater in late-2007, four-fifths of the nearly four million people who have lost their jobs have been dudes.

When a man loses his job, his entire identity goes out the window. Society tells him that he is valued for three main things: an ability to imbibe, seduce women, and earn money. Of course, the first two are impossible to achieve with out the last one. A man is his job; it is a mirror that reflects his tribal worth. And a laid-off man is a man who becomes a clingy, bratty hermit. He turns into himself and finds flimsy shelter in perverted versions of what he’s been programmed to think makes him special. Beers will be quaffed until pizza fights for air, hardcore porn downloaded wholesale, aggressive, macho snorting will replace actual words.

But wait! Recent popular trend articles point out that some men are reacting to the economic downturn by auto-emasculating, transforming themselves from corporate lumberjacks into bizarre caricatures of 1950′s housewives, all baking, sewing, and homemaking. When canned, so says the mass media, men can either become chubby Vikings or anal-retentive Mr. Moms. I can haz moar choicez plz?

Here’s what you can expect if your man is enjoying the distinctly humiliating process of collecting unemployment…

What should you look out for?! Click here to find out.

Laid off? Start a business!

He may be laid off, but don’t let that ruin the sex!