Lisa was escorted out of the building in tears as her professional world crumbled beneath her. The initial devastation evolved into months of pessimism and insecurity. "I really questioned myself and my every action," she remembers. "In some ways, it is still really hard to trust people after being betrayed."

"Instead of going to my bosses and talking to them about my concerns, I chose to blog about it," Lisa says. "I took the coward's way out. All that does is make the company look bad. They deserve to be told about the problems you see."

Blogging Tip #2: DO blog to show off your skills.
Using a blog to showcase writing talent is also the strategy of Casey Lewis, a freshman journalism major at the University of Missouri. She's up front about her dream: To "take [Vogue editor-in-chief] Ms. Wintour's job right out from under her pointy Manolos."

Lewis created her blog to stand out from the thousands of girls who crave the same job. It's working; her tips for a stylish college wardrobe and her cultural commentary have earned her stints at Glam.com and Coutorture.com. She's also made contacts with fashion bloggers whom she claims "would do anything to help one another succeed."