That said, there’s a time and place for everything.  Corporate blogs can clue people in not only to the financial flows and woes of publicly held companies, but also work to put a human side to what might feel like an intimidating flow of business woes and wows.  Personal blogs on the other hand can keep families connected, friends updated and strangers titillated.  Oh come on, did you really think that long lost classmates and complete strangers weren’t checking out your faded prom pics and enjoying a bit o’ schadenfreude?

For those who straddle the personal and professional worlds though, the unset rules can be somewhat disconcerting.  How to strike the balance between compelling and creepy, or between sharing and oversharing? Some guidelines:

• Keep a list of your internal and external brand ideals and try not to veer too much from your script.
• Decide how much transparency you’re prepared for and don’t be bated into sharing more or too much more.
• Decide for yourself on acceptable slang references, political or pop culture conversations you’re prepared to have and those you’ll avoid.
• Use a grading system- decide if you’re going to be Rated G or a steamy xxx.  Seriously, if you work for Playboy you might want to add some flirt to your Tweets, while if you’re a CMO you might want to avoid anything even remotely untoward.

Rachel, who assures you that more will follow-  but not too much more since I’m not one to reveal all, much less all at once

A national morning TV show recently approached me for 20 atypical tips that don’t involve stunts and/or huge amounts of money.  I’ve included five below.

1. Create a unified online presence for yourself- but don’t overshare or oversell yourself.  In other words, start that page on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and keep the look and feel the same (inasmuch as you can control the design elements).  Provide information that helps potential employers recognize your skills -refer to a well publicized past project so others can recognize your particular contributions to something they already know and respect.  Avoid the overly personal – keep a separate account if necessary.  Excessive travel talk is great if you’re hoping for a career in the travel industry but might strike other potential employees as frivolous.  Choose your topics wisely- though it’s always great to let your personality and humor shine through.
2. Create collateral materials as though you were at a formal workspace- but mentioning your skills and job hunt.  Don’t go all out and hire a designer to revamp your website if you’re struggling to make your rent each month, but do create new business cards positioning yourself as a professional with marketable skills- albeit one who is between jobs right now.  Other ideas include customized stamps with a catchphrase or your website URL, stickers highlighting your best work as a creative, or even magnets with a kicky catch phrase.
3. Offer freebies that get you in front of people- don’t give away the farm, but get in front of career day at your local high school or college, create a short document or blog post with useful tips for others, and otherwise share the good news for a change while highlighting your professionalism and skills.
4. Remind people about your search - far too many people mistakenly assume that others keep their hunt at the forefront of their priority list- not so.  Gently remind them every now and again that you’re still looking for that next great gig and then as gently change the subject so that they don’t feel too pressured.
5. Relax. Breathe. Explore. Laugh. Pursue Hobbies – because you’re not going to be out of work forever, and when else will you have time to learn how to knit/plant begonias/fly a kite?

Rachel, who is secretly working on not one but two side projects