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Saturday, September 3, 2011

blogging4jobs


blogging4jobs

Link to Blogging4Jobs

Posted: 02 Sep 2011 11:48 AM PDT
wordpress hack, timthumb exploit, hr blogger, human resources blogger, blogging, tim thumb, timthumb, woo themes
I’ve been hacked but not on this blog.  (and no, this is not an invite.)  Three of my own blogs have had some suspicious activity this week alone.  I’m an HR and leadership blogger.  That’s human resources not a coder, designer, or developer.  The cause of the hack after several very long phone calls and internet research seems to be a photo resizer feature in several of the blog themes I use.  This resizer is an easy in for hackers to spread malware and phishing attacks.
It’s called the TimThumb Exploit and it sucks.  It really sucks.  I was made aware of the problem late this week after finding out that one of my blogs contained Malware and was being attacked.  Not being a programmer I did a Google search to get started on creating a solution to these malicious blogging attacks.
  • Sucuri Website Scanner.  (affiliate link)  To keep this from happening again, Sucuri is now monitoring my websites and blogs for me.  They will now alert me via email, Twitter, or even RSS to any suspicious activity and will fix the errors.  It’s worth the cost and my piece of mind.
  • DIY Solution.  While I’m not a programmer or a coder, here’s a good how to for those do it yourselfers who want to remove the malware, phishing, and close the exploit from Smackdown.
  • Patch for Tim Thumb via Woo Themes.  This is where I purchase many of my off the shelf themes.  These themes also use a photo resizer.  I would have preferred an email from Woo Themes alerting me to the problem back in the beginning of August when the problem was first discovered.
It’s funny because I’ve been blogging as a human resources and HR for a while and on WordPress to boot.  I have never had any issues like this.  GoDaddy was surprisingly helpful.  The email I received connected them directly to their Abuse department where I spoke to an actual live person on the phone.  They can’t fix the problems for me, but they gave me some helpful information and direction to get started on correcting the issues.  As for one of my sites, it looks like I’ll be starting at square one, and that could actually be a good thing.  The other two are likely to be saved.
Hackers.  Evil Asses.  Be Done With You.
Photo Credit Telegraph & Contentious. 
Posted: 02 Sep 2011 04:33 AM PDT

In a previous post, I addressed how character and integrity should be king when hiring or retaining talent.  I am often disgusted by the stories I hear and those of which I have been a part that prove, sadly, unethical behaviour is alive and well.  In my own case, the deplorable practices were performed by those senior to me, those who should have known better or didn’t really care.  Therefore, as reason might dictate, most individuals must look within themselves and/or follow leaders with a proven track record and either pattern yourself after them or build your own ethical blueprint – one that becomes clearly evident by your own actions, by the reputation your build over time, and by the questions you ask and those you answer truthfully, and by your past/experiences and how your represent them.
Ethics and proving character can be a difficult hurdle when it comes to securing an interview, let alone a new job.  I have been a recruiter for years and have worked for many organizations that put character first.  I have never invited any jobseeker in for an onsite interview until I determined some semblance of “character” during a phone interview or as a result of a personal referral.  If a candidate, initially, doesn’t fit in with the culture of the company during this early stage of the hiring process, they never will.  And if it can be ascertained that the applicant is even the slightest bit sycophantic, they will never pass an interview with the hiring manager or a direct supervisor.

I have put together a list of tips to aid jobseekers in showing their best face, letting the light of their character shine through loud and clear.  It is my hope that with this modest list, a general understanding of how a recruiter thinks will result.
1. Whenever possible, indicate on your resume that you hold three vitally important characters:  Intelligence, Energy and Integrity.  Employers seek theses in every applicant, Every.  Single.  One.   These three qualities show hire-ability.   Simply add an instance that demonstrate these under your most recent job or project (this could even be a school-based project.)
2. Include a letter of recommendation with your cover letter from a previous colleague or supervisor that simply attests to your possession of these three qualities. If a previous employer indicates they would hire you again, if given the opportunity?  All the better.
3. If you are invited in for an on-site, face-to-face interview, prove your intelligence and interest with a strong understanding of the position and the company, itself.  Do the online research necessary, make some calls to contacts or past employees who may have valuable insight or could directly refer you.
4. PLEASE have your resume reviewed by a recruiter and several friends who will give you the critical feedback you need– maybe there is something key missing or misrepresented that you are just too close to see.
5.  THIS you SHOULD KNOW:  A good recruiter will be able to ascertain within 10-15 seconds of opening your resume or application whether or not you will even get a call or second look.  Make something stand out at the top of the resume or within the first paragraph of your cover letter.
And the last tip for today:
6. Be very careful of the use of the cliche buzz words of the day - thought leader, expert, guru, etc. – these are an instant turn-off to most recruiters and most recruiters will stop reading and immediately dismiss your application / resume.

Enjoy your weekend, the rest of my list will appear in my next post!

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.


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