About.com?

Thank you, Talia.

Thanks also for the info JamieL and Talia. It seems like a really good opportunity for sure. Keep my fingers crossed.

Next update

Have finished phase one of prep.... less writing and more learning about their system, how to post/link stuff... getting to know their propietary version of HTML, etc. Preliminary site is up, looks...well...preliminary. As I finish next phases, it will look better I'm sure.

Technical helps is very nice and responsive so far. FYI...this is NOT for the tech- or computer-phobe.....there is a lot of html and their posting mechanism to learn.....although it's easy enough to figure out.

Oh, and to answer some of previous posts....I've had to provide meta keywords for every story, headline and link I do....so they are definitely very sensitive to search engines.

Audrey

Aesposito said:

Have finished phase one of prep.... less writing and more learning about their system, how to post/link stuff... getting to know their propietary version of HTML, etc. Preliminary site is up, looks...well...preliminary. As I finish next phases, it will look better I'm sure.

Technical helps is very nice and responsive so far. FYI...this is NOT for the tech- or computer-phobe.....there is a lot of html and their posting mechanism to learn.....although it's easy enough to figure out.

Oh, and to answer some of previous posts....I've had to provide meta keywords for every story, headline and link I do....so they are definitely very sensitive to search engines.

Audrey

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They're sensitive to search engines, but you don't have to get silly with the keywords.

My site went live on Feb 1. I found prep quite easy. I was scared to death because I'm not a technical person, but there are detailed instructions for everything and I find the templates to be user-friendly. My only real issues were using the wrong template. There's a lot to remember though and a lot to learn. Even now, one month into it I still don't know half of what I should! I'm enjoying the experience though and hope to be with About for a long time.

Good luck, Audrey.

Just checked the topic site and the topic I applied for is no longer up. I know that no one knows if that means anything at all for me, but I just wanted to toss it out there. Haven't heard anything back yet, other than they got my application, and it has been about 5 weeks. I am learning such patience with all of this!

It probably means they've filled that guide position - perhaps they had someone doing prep at the time you applied. Hard luck.

Audrey - are you a guide yet or still doing your 2 weeks prep? Or is this another phase altogether?

That's true. There's not a guided section up on my topic yet, though, and there are a couple of more weeks before eights weeks are up...so I will remain cautiously optimistic. I can always apply for the STD section too. Such is my area of expertise!

TaliaMana said:

It probably means they've filled that guide position - perhaps they had someone doing prep at the time you applied. Hard luck.

Audrey - are you a guide yet or still doing your 2 weeks prep? Or is this another phase altogether?

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Still in prep, working on second review requiremens, got nice feedback in my first review.

Audrey

soooo midwife what topic did you apply for?

there is always a time lag going live. it can take a few weeks after a guide is appointed before the site is ready to go

I've seen a new topic in my expertise but the catch is that it's an area I used to work in. Now I work in other areas so it may not be a smart move to spread myself so thin.

Hmm, that's interesting the topic you applied for is off now. I checked this morning and mine is still there. I'm so anxious to find out about it, patience is not my strong suit.

They do e-mail you either way though right? For the last topic I applied for I did get a rejection e-mail so at least that was good to know. The topic however for that one is still open so I guess no one qualified enough yet has applied.

ShannonC_77 said:

Hmm, that's interesting the topic you applied for is off now. I checked this morning and mine is still there. I'm so anxious to find out about it, patience is not my strong suit.

They do e-mail you either way though right? For the last topic I applied for I did get a rejection e-mail so at least that was good to know. The topic however for that one is still open so I guess no one qualified enough yet has applied.

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They'll let you know either way. I know others who applied for various topics and received rejections within a week or two.

I'm into week six and I haven't heard anything yet. I'm kind of set for projects 'til the middle of the month, but it'd be nice to know if they want me or not.

Maybe I should make a Reality TV show. "WAITING! Week Six!"

I'm just wondering, for the prep portion, how much time daily do you have to spend doing it? Do most of their guides have other full time jobs or are they freelancers who are dedicating a significant portion of their time to it?

I'm still waiting on mine.... seems to be taking forever, well that and I'm impatient!

I just applied to be a Frugal Living guide. I'd love to do this, so hopefully it'll happen. Thanks for the post regarding this, because I had no idea one could be paid to do this work.

At the beginning of this thread I indicated that I applied... that was weeks ago. It was for the freelance writing topic. I already knew when I applied that this was an incredibly popular topic. I have not been rejected... After reading this thread in its entirety I've suddenly grown impatient, though!

Good luck to everyone who applied. BTW - the topic is no longer listed as available! I have no idea what this means.

I'd say the freelance position has been filled and they're getting ready to go live.

I'm not worried whether I get it or not. My health is still not 100% so I'll just see what happens. There will be other opportunities.

Hey Talia

Welcome back

How you feeling?

I am not particularly upset, either. I have a lot of commitments already and am stretched a little thin as it is. I guess it just wasn't the right time!

If you're already heavily committed it might have been too stressful LOL

Hi truelyana - went to the neurologist yday. waiting for him to write to my doctor with his opinion. I realised after I left he didn't tell me what he thought was wrong and I forgot to ask. UGH! anyway reviewing my commitments now and trying to decide what I can and can't do. Pity I love playing in forums as they are probably one of the things I'll have to drop ...

kohuether said:

At the beginning of this thread I indicated that I applied... that was weeks ago. It was for the freelance writing topic. I already knew when I applied that this was an incredibly popular topic. I have not been rejected... After reading this thread in its entirety I've suddenly grown impatient, though!

Good luck to everyone who applied. BTW - the topic is no longer listed as available! I have no idea what this means.

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It means the candidates for the position have already gone through Prep and one "graduated." The job is filled and will probably be live within the next couple of weeks. There are still a lot of great topics up for grabs though, so I would encourage everyone not to give up.

I just finished my first month as an About Guide. I find it enjoyable and I'm writing about one of my favorite things to do, blogging. My only issues is that I'm not as prolific as I'd like. I really want to build up my site's content. I'm over the minimum monthly requirements but there's still so much more I want to do.

If prep is 17 days long and someone already graduated, that means they started prep the day before I applied for the job (or sooner). It hardly seems fair for them to have kept taking applications if they already had the prep candidates. But at least I know now that I didn't get it, instead of waiting around for a rejection that apparently slipped through the cracks.

On to the next application!

they can't remove it until someone graduates from prep. I imagine that they have people drop out part way through prep or find some applicants aren't suitable

I'd still like to know how many hours of work are involved during the 17 days of prep...

Can anyone tell me please?

TaliaMana said:

I'd still like to know how many hours of work are involved during the 17 days of prep...

Can anyone tell me please?

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Yah, I'd like to know this as well. I'm considering giving up full-time freelancing to find work outside of the house (for financial reasons) but am worried about doing this then finding out by chance I did land the position. I do really want to write for them but am not sure how much time you need to have available.

that's 2 different questions...
there's prep time, then ongoing commitment to writing
they suggest 10 hours per week I think for ongoing commitment.