How to Ask Family and Friends to Help Find a Job Find Your Dream Job

How to Ask Family and Friends to Help Find a Job Find Your Dream JobHow to Ask Family and Friends to Help Find a Job - Find Your Dream JobWhen we network, we often think first of our professional network coworkers, employers, etc. We sometimes forget that our family and friends also have professional connections that could be extremely useful. Some people feel uncomfortable asking for help from family and friends. However, keep in mind that these are the people most interested in your success, so it makes sense to reach out to them. Today you are going to write and send an email to family and friends letting them know about your job search. Here are some tips on how to reach out to family and friends in a direct but friendly way. How to Ask Family and Friends for Job Search Help Make a list. Make a list of family members and friends you want to reach out to about your job search. While you should feel comfortable reaching out to your contacts, be sure you are only contacting p eople you actually know contacts of friends and family are elend necessarily your contacts. Consider your method of contact. An email is typically the best way to reach out to a large number of people. However, if there are any family members or acquaintances with whom you are less familiar, consider carefully whether or not they would prefer an email or another form of contact. For example, you might want to ask a family member with whom you are close whether or not your aunt would prefer an email, a phone call or a written letter. Utilize Family Gatherings. If you have a gathering with friends or family coming up, you can use this time to mention your job search. However, be sure not to be too negative about your job search you do not want to make others uncomfortable. Also be sure not to talk solely about your job search you do not want to dominate the conversation. If someone at the gathering gives you job advice or a tip, follow up with an email or phone call. Be Direct and Concise. Again, an email is probably the best way to reach out to friends and family. Be direct in your email while you should start out with a friendly greeting, quickly mention your job search. If your email is too long and drawn out, people might not read it. Here is a sample letter to friends and family. Provide Background Information. Include a few key pieces of information about your professional background, such as your last job title and company. You can either attach your resume, or simply provide a concise, bulleted list or small paragraph detailing this information. Explain What You Are Looking For. You should also provide some information as to what type of job you are looking for, so your family and friends can easily recognize whether they can help you. Provide a paragraph or bulleted list detailing your ideal position title, as well as some of your ideal companies (mention some of the organizations you put on your employer target list). Follow Up. If, after a month o r so, you are leise looking for a job, feel free to send a follow-up email explaining that you are still looking for a position, and would still appreciate any advice or leads. Include the same information on your background and ideal jobs that you mentioned in the first email. Say Thank You. Be sure to thank everyone who helps you with your job search. Send individual thank yous to those who respond to your email with any information. Once you get a new job, you should also send a thank-you email to everyone you initially contacted (whether or not they helped you), letting them know about the new position and thanking them for their help. Reciprocate. Be sure to return the favor if any friends or family need help in the future with their own job search. The best way to get help is to give it. This will also help you maintain relationships with your friends and family members, should you ever need help again in the future.

Hiring Managers and Hiring Search Committees

Hiring Managers and Hiring Search CommitteesHiring Managers and Hiring Search CommitteesThe hiring manager is usually the individual who will ultimately supervise candidates if they are hired for a particular job. As such, he or she has the most detailed knowledge of the position for which the employer is recruiting. The hiring manager will play the most influential role in the kontrolle and selection process. Hiring search committees, comprised of a group of individuals who are involved in the hiring process, are used to recruit, screen, and interview applicants. This hiring model is often used in higher education and for executive hiring. What Is a Hiring Manager Responsible For? The hiring manager creates or revises the job description for a vacancy and conveys the requirements for the job to the menschengerecht Resources office. She reviews advertisements for the job after they have been drawn up by Human Resources. How Applicants Are Screened In some organizations, all r esumes and application materials will be forwarded to the hiring manager for initial screening. In other cases, a representative from Human Resources will review resumes to make sure candidates meet the basic job requirements and then forward a batch of resumes to the hiring manager. Often, the hiring manager will select and assemble a search committee, which is a group of individuals with an interest in and perspective about the job to help screen and interview candidates. For lower level positions such as secretaries, laborers, and retail sales associates, the hiring manager might conduct the process alone without a committee, or delegate the initial steps to an assistant manager. The Interview Process In some cases, initial interviews will be carried out by recruiters from the Human Resources department or contract employment agencies. In other instances, the hiring manager or her designee might conduct telephone or in-person screening interviews in order to select a few fina lists for interviews with the hiring committee. The hiring manager will collect and consider evaluations completed by individuals who have met with the finalists during the interview day at the organizations facility. He will often lead a discussion at a meeting of the committee members in order to formulate a recommendation regarding which candidate to hire. In other cases, the hiring manager will ask the committee members to share their individual appraisal of the candidates in writing, and will make a decision without drawing a consensus. 158 Watch Now 8 Hiring Manager Secrets You Should Know How Hiring Decisions Are Made The decision of a hiring manager will often be subject to review and final approval by his or her manager.Human Resources also usually reviews hiring decisions to make sure the hiring manager has complied with all of the employers policies. So as a candidate for a job, you should pay careful attention to the needs and preferences of the hiring manager as y ou draft your application materials. If possible, conduct informational interviews with professional contacts or alumni in comparable positions to sharpen your perspective regarding the expectations of hiring managers in your sector. What Are Hiring Search Committees? Search committees are utilized to recruit, screen, and interview candidates for administrative and faculty positions within higher education. Some corporations or no-profit organizations also use a similar model to hire executives. Search Committee Process Deans, department chairs and college presidents typically give search committees their charge and select a chair to orchestrate the committees activities. The administrator in charge might select the other committee members or delegate this responsibility to the chair. Members are usually selected to represent constituencies and departments which intersect with the position in question. Many colleges attempt to include individuals from traditionally underrepr esented groups. Search Committee Responsibilities Job descriptions are usually developed by Human Resources departments in collaboration with the responsible administrator and shared with the committee to guide their screening. Human Resources departments will typically advertise jobs and may do some initial screening to determine if candidates meet basic requirements. In other cases, the search committee will work their way through all the applications. Outside search firms will sometimes be engaged to recruit candidates and conduct initial screening of applications and candidates. Search committees will often conductscreening interviewswith selected candidates from the pool in order to identify individuals for unigelnde interview days. These screening interviews may be conducted byphone,Skypeorin person. Campus Interviews Thehiring administratorwill designate a number of candidates for the committee to select for campus interviews. The search committee will work with Human Resources to organize those visits and will solicit feedback from the individuals who have interviewed the candidates. The search committee will also interview candidates on the day of their visits. A member of the committee will often greet candidates on arrival and may take them out to an evening meal prior to the interview day. Selecting Candidates After campus interview days, the search committee will meet to discuss the feedback from campus constituents and to share their views on the candidates. They will draw consensus on a list of one or more candidates whom they believe can handle the job. The hiring administrator will let the search committee know how many candidates to recommend and whether the list should be ranked. In some cases, the search committee will decide that no individual adequately met the job requirements and the search will be reopened. Related Articles Interview Process Hiring Process How Does an Employer Decide Which Applicant to Hire?

How do I use the right keywords on my resume

How do I use the right keywords on my resumeHow do I use the right keywords on my resumeLet me tell you what you, as a job seeker, are leid.You are not outgoing, driven and dedicated.In no way can you work independently and simultaneously as a team player.And further, you are not a natural born leader. Not by a long shot.Why are you none of those attributes? Because each one is a trait or quality. None of them is a skill. And in the crowded, competitive world of online job applications, your skill set matters above all.But Danny being driven isnt a skill?No. Its not. And here are two great reasons why.Being driven is a way you operate or how others perceive you. Its a trait the same as if co-workers view you as lazy or incompetent. Some people might pride themselves on being lazy, but its not a skill.More and more, companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to sift through a mountain of job applications to find the best candidates. What do the robots want to find? SKILLS.Do you think the robots search for natural born leader or, rather, hands-on skills/certifications (ex HTML)?Way too many people claim to be leaders. A select few can write computer code. Employers need the skills.Yes, employers also want people with a great deal of character. Thats why I encourage my career coaching students to tell a story of professional success as the intro paragraph to their cover letter. When the employer can understand how you overcome stressful situations, attributes like driven and dedicated jump of the page through a memorable story.Looking for an inspiring way to start your day? Sign up forMorning MotivationIts our friendly Facebook robot that will send you a quick note every weekday morning to help you start strong. Sign up here by clicking Get StartedA stellar storytelling cover letter coupled with a resume full of actual skills make you dynamite job applicant.Heres a resume I helped a young man revise. He wanted a job in civil engineering (and now has a great one).When he first came to me, this welches the Skills area of his resume.Strong Leadership QualitiesPassion For SuccessPlanning and Scheduling SkillsBusiness Management ExperienceExcellent Communication SkillsSteady Work EthicI know the young man had the best of intentions, but think about it are job app robots looking for someone with strong leadership qualities? A passion for success (whatever that is)?Not a chance.I asked him, What software and tools do you know how to use as they relate to engineering?He responded, Oh, actually I know how to do a lot.After a five-minute conversation, his Skills area looked a bit different err, better. Much better.Strong knowledge of AutoCad and Bim Autodesk modelingCan operate Deere/Cat/Hitatchi Excavator, Bobcat/Cat Dozer Loaders, Cat backhoeEditing mark up skills using Bluebeam Revu and Brava Desktop 7.2.0Gantt chart scheduler using Wrike, Smartsheet and Primavera P6Confident on Apple Mac OS X and Microsoft WindowsSee a difference? Now HER E is a person with skills.Imagine if the employer, when he made the job posting, said, I need someone who can use Brava Desktop 7.2.0. Its too expensive and time consuming to teach someone. Robot, go find me people who are proficient with Brava Desktop 7.2.0. And thats how you land a job interview while the natural born leaders sit at home and wonder why the phone wont ring.To recapYou are no longer John Doe, energetic and enthusiastic job seeker.You are John Doe, Brava Desktop 7.2.0 specialist.On a resume, lead with your skills.Somewhere, a robot is waiting to call your name.Thiscolumnfirst appeared onDannyhRubin.com.

4 Steps to Simplifying Your Job Search

4 Steps to Simplifying Your Job Search4 Steps to Simplifying Your Job SearchWhen youre looking for work, you have enough to worry about. Dont make your job hunt more complicated than it needs to be- follow these four steps to start simplifying your job search.4 Steps to Simplifying Your Job Search1. Customize, but use a template.One of the cardinal sins of job hunting is using the exact same cover letter and application materials for every position rather than tailoring your language and messaging to each company or gig. That said, you dont need to completely reinvent the wheel every time you apply for an opportunity. A best practice is to use a templated cover letter- meaning one that youve written with key phrases that will be applicable to most applications- but then customize it as needed for each specific employer.As an example, you might write a cover letter with boilerplate material about some of your past positions, since those will generally stay the same regardless of which type of job you apply to. While keeping this info static, youd then be free to modify information as needed for the introductory paragraph that explains why youre interested in the specific company and position. You might also end up changing your boilerplate material as needed, such as when you need to emphasize certain duties you had in the past that are especially relevant for a particular industry or role.2. Routinize your search process.If you begin each day of your job search with a blank slate on how youll approach your online search, you can waste a lot of time just figuring out how to get started and where to look. Instead, at the start of your search, carve out an hour or two to identify the most useful job sites for the types of roles or freelance jobs that youd like to land. is excellent for daily visits if youre prioritizing finding flexible work, or you might put industry-specific sites on your daily troll list- like MediaBistro.com or JournalismJobs.com if youre look ing for writing, editing, or PR work.3. Make your materials consistent.Having your various job search materials (resume, LinkedIn profile, online bios, etc.) containing different information can be confusing to potential employers. For example, if your LinkedIn profile shows you working at additional companies that arent listed on your resume, or gives different percentages than you have on an application that you just emailed to a recruiter, it can be confusing and off-putting to those reviewing your credentials.Dont assume that if you send someone your resume, thats all they will look at- its standard practice for hiring managers and employers to verify facts and research candidates online. So it pays to take time to standardize the information in all of the materials that youll be using as part of your job hunt, even if it takes a little more time and money to do this.4. Keep your files.Another way to avoid reinventing the wheel is to keep accurate records of your various job app lications- even the ones that dont net you a job. It may be tempting to delete your files when you find out that someone else was given the position, but you can save yourself some legwork by revisiting your previous materials, cutting and pasting language from them as needed for similar applications.Its a full-time job looking for work, but the process doesnt have to give you extra headaches and hassles that can be avoided with some smart simplification steps. Be diligent and intentional about your job search materials and process, and you can save time that you can use to make your job hunt much more effective.Know someone looking for a job? Refer a friend to with this link- youll get a month free service and theyll get 30% off

Purchasing Resume Verb

Purchasing Resume Verb With this piece, youll automatically. Take a look at the list below, and get prepared to make your resume way mora exciting. Irrespective of how far youre already in the resume making process I would undoubtedly advise reading through the next guide, advice, and examples. This way when youre prepared to move forward, your resume will be too. Even when you arent necessarily searching for a new position, it is a fantastic concept to keep your resume updated. Making the the majority of your bullet points is among the best methods to make your resume stand out. The resume for this purpose has to be created in a succinct way. The Fundamentals of Resume Verb Revealed One of the primary advantages of action words is the impact they supply. Sprinkle the correct buzzwords into your resume and cover letter to demonstrate that youre a component of the business. The second case in point is better for a number of reasons. When applying for at least 1 position or to more than 1 company, you might want to alter the wording on your resume. Employers want the most suitable match fast. Resumes are supposed to show your prospective employer why you are the ideal candidate for the job. What the In-Crowd Wont Tell You About Resume Verb Consider the following suggestions to present your self-promotional tools an additional kick to assist you land that job. The music is blaring nearly every night, and it should become your job as manager to manage these things. You just cant fit all you want to tell themthat will occur in the interview. Whispered Resume Verb Secrets If you would like to observe a setting, you will usually use a Get verb combined with the noun describing what you wish to find. A number of these words can completely alter the emphasis on a particular experience or skill, and consequently this step is tremendously encouraged. At times its better to enable the accomplishment speak for itself. The New Fuss About Resume Ve rb Nobody is ever likely to complain your syntax is too accurate. If youre asking that question at this time, keep reading. Be sure theres enough white space to guarantee readability. If your language is the very same as everyone elses, it is going to be difficult for you to stand out. What to Do About Resume Verb Before Its Too Late The role is vital in just about any industry an architecture business will use project managers to wrangle the growth of a new building, though a shampoo provider may need one to launch a new item. Delivering the goods isnt simple for any business enterprise. Project managers play an essential role in the launch of new goods, the building of new websites, and the evolution of new programs. It is possible to then departure to assign that which you have written down into those categories. What Does Resume Verb Mean? Furthermore, it provides the outcomes of your actions. Since you can see, all of them are little variants of each other with emp hasis on qualities that are associated with the position. Each statement on your resume should communicate you have skills that you may use to achieve benefits. The mixture of action words and specific results indicates that you understand how to take initiative and get benefits. There is an immense selection of verbs which can be used. If it comes to resumes, one particular grammar mistake may easily leave your resume in the trashcan. A good deal of well-meaning folks will suggest you ought to use action verbs. Powerful and persuasive verbs help your accomplishmentsshine in the correct lightand get readers excited to find out more about you. Resume keywords play a crucial function in getting you those shortlists that you would like. Regardless of what, guarantee the objective sets up the remainder of your resume to demonstrate the skills youve got. Knowing and accurately employing those words demonstrates you have the necessary hard skills. Use the resume words below to demonstrate that with a tiny zest. Most Noticeable Resume Verb The objective is to provide details about skills you are able to transfer to your new career in your area instead of describing specific tasks you had to do. No matter the work is, adopting a coaching mindset is an integral portion of being a great leader. You dont should list community involvement thats not related to teaching particularly if you are attempting to conserve space on your resume. Instead of merely listing your duties and abilities, accomplishments show that which you have done for a school in earlier times letting a possible school know what you could do for them later on.

The Bad Secret of Words for Resume Writing

The Bad Secret of Words for Resume Writing The One Thing to Do for Words for Resume Writing Teaching keykorrekts are important since they immediately project you as the very best candidate for work. Resumes should demonstrate what you could do and not what you cant do, states Harrison. CVs should not be written in third individual. Outside the United States, they are much more common. New Step by Step Roadmap for Words for Resume Writing Dont use technical vocabulary, unless youre sure that the reader will understand it. Utilizing action verbs in resume writing is as simple as any other kind of writing, so long as you know what things to include and what things to look for. Your resume ought to be full of impact words. Resume writing is extremely important. The very first paragraph should incorporate a brief self-introduction and the reason you would like to work at the organization you applied for. Well, summary statements are great in case you have a few years experie nce in your selected field. The perfect words can grab the interest of a prospective employer and set you on your way to a work interview. Vital Pieces of Words for Resume Writing Pick and choose each word carefully, so that you can say a lot in a couple of words. The absolute most powerful words are verbs. Employing strong words here is needed. There are far better words to use No one would like to read a CV thats formatted with a small font and no white space Writing a strong application is a difficult procedure and we would like to make it simpler. Check when you have used avoided words on your CV and remove them now Its difficult to find the one which you want. To put it simply, teaching keywords are buzzwords that indicate youre the very best candidate for employment. If its possible to make that happen, youve completed a great job Resume Keywords are centered through your base abilities. To reiterate, should you not understand the way to use keywords in your in terview, get the assistance of competent professionals. Luckily, there are many resume writing examples available that may supply the guidance you have to acquire your foot in the door. The important thing is to use the power words in a way that accurately portrays you and your abilities. More precise words may also add some formality to your actions, she states. The action word extracted, on the flip side, carries far more power. Expert Stay away from the term expert, if you dont truly are, states Bensusen. Committed Show that youre devoted to your work, begin to finish. Resumes ought to be short and concise. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. The Importance of Words for Resume Writing Its simple enough to take a look at a work description on the web and decide on the exact same words for your resume. In the long run, you are going to end up with a fairly complete collection of keywords that are relevant to the job and your suitabili ty for it. CV buzz words arent an important point to learn or understand whenever you are writing a Professional CV or applying for employment. In case you have writing skills and searching for a way its possible to expand your writing skills to provide you another way where you are able to earn more income, you may want to think about adding restaurant reviews to your resume writing.

What You Do Not Know About Work Experience Resume

What You Do Not Know About Work Experience Resume Recruiters often have a lot of applications to assess and might spend under a minute reading your resume. Resumes should not be cookie-cutter since one size wont ever fit all flecks you are trying to get. Skills are tools youve got essay and honed through the years. Writing it is not perfect, it is only going to count against you. A Resume Template is a very important document thats employed in the case when a man or woman or an applicant is applying for employment, a volunteership, an internship, an educational course or some other thing. The Upside to Work Experience Resume Put simply, you dont need to just list your previous job duties, you need to demonstrate how you achieved results also. When excess jobs or focus isnt an issue, you can select an alternate presentation for a collection of short-term jobs. Each detail is taken care of in the appropriate way. You may relate your acquired skills from the prior jobs to the present job abilities. If dont have any experience because you merely graduated from college, then you may wish to list your education information prior to your work experience info. Usually, you would highlight your work experience. Work experiences will supply the info needed by the clients concerning the jobs that youve already done and the business that youve been involved with. Who knows, you might get involved in a few really intriguing work or even get work. You only have to read any work advert and youll get a notion of what hard skills are. As youve just read, writing a good work experience for your resume isnt that difficult. With the most suitable set of transferable abilities, you can land a paralegal job free of experience. You should modify your resume for each position youre applying to by utilizing key words inside the work requisition of that position, otherwise, youve very little likelihood of being canvassed for an internet position that you can be an idea l match for based on your abilities. Even in case youve never held an official job, its still true that you have life experience thats applicable to the work search. Dont turn into a shrieking shrew if youre not offered the job immediately. One very significant part the work experience section is finding the perfect way to list your contributions to the corporation. If you follow the advice above you are going to have an interesting, compelling resume summary that is likely to make the reader want to find out more about you even regardless of your lack of work experience If dont have any former work experiences, youll have to compose a persuasive cover letter. The point is to highlight your abilities and accomplishments so they best fit with the job which you are trying to get. Without ambition an individual cant start work. As stated in the prior section the challenge is to continue to keep your work description concise and to the point without compromising important particul ars. Your prior experiences are regarded as a superior indicator of how youre deal with the new job. Provided that it is related to the job, school projects are acceptable when youve got zero work experience. Whenever your work history is vast, you need to be strategic in selecting which experience ought to go on your resume. It shows potential employers what kind of employee youll be. The range of work of Event planners have grown over recent years. The target job title appears at the peak of your resume, immediately following your contact details. Notice that it is not just from 1 job to another. Generally the job posting will incorporate buzz words that may be difficult to decipher.

This is what pregnancy in the workplace looks like

This is what pregnancy in the workplace looks likeThis is what pregnancy in the workplace looks likePregnant employees are an increasingly common sight in the workplace as mora pregnant workers stay in the office until the last weeks of their term. While only 44% of women worked full-time during their pregnancies during the 1960s, the number of women working while pregnant has jumped up to almost 66% by 2008, according to a 2015 Pew Research Center report. The majority of pregnant employees today are making the choice to stay working, but as a photo series argues, the images of pregnant employees have not caught up to this reality. From 2009 to 2012, the organization Game Face, now-called Working Assumptions, found that photographs of pregnant people were missing from stock photos. You were mora likely to see the focus on their unborn child in polished birth announcements and bump photos. The number of workers going about their day while pregnant was unseen. The Showing Pregnancy in the Workplace project sought to change this narrative by partnering with photograpzu sichs across America to document pregnant employees at work and off-hours. You see pregnant employees in legislatures, schools, operating rooms, offices, outdoors on ranches and in swamps. You see them busy carrying dishes, resting with swollen feet kicked up, tired with hands to faces. These are pregnant workers in their everyday lives, made visible.Ladders talked to some of the photographers and subjects involved about what these photos can tell us about what it means to be pregnant and working today.On confronting pregnancy assumptionsJulie, Professor of Occupational Therapy, Ithaca, New York / ?Andrea Modica, 2012, Andrea ModicaJulie Dorsey, a professor of occupational therapy in Ithaca, New York, and one of the subjects of the series, said her photo challenges the assumption that having a baby means you are less committed to your job. Dorsey is photographed at the end of her pregnancy after sh e has completed the milestone of finishing her doctorate. Dressed in striking regalia, she stares back at the camera while holding her belly, barefoot and pregnant. I think there is an assumption as a faculty member and a scholar that you will become less productive after having a child, that there are going to be demands outside of work that will lessen your commitment to the institution, she said. For many people, myself included, my work is an important part of who I am even as a mother.Despite federal protection against discrimination, U.S. pregnant employees today still face unfair treatment. Under the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act, employers must treat their pregnant employees similarly to other employees, but not necessarily well.Pregnant employees can get their requests for work accommodations denied, putting their health at risk. Their careers can also be jeopardized. After they disclose their pregnancy to bosses, employees can lose their prestigious clients, get exclud ed from meetings, and get fired for complaining. Federal data showsthousands of womenalleging pregnancy discrimination in America. The late Supreme Court Justice Rehnquist called this mindset the view of seeing women as mothers first, and workers second.For Cristiana Ceppas, the photographer of Neyara, a housekeeper, said that the series takes us different places, helping us see all the many ways pregnancy can and cannot impact your ability to do a job. I think there are people, maybe more men, and some women too, that would think, Oh youre pregnant, you cant do anything, but thats not true, she said. I think that people dont know sometimes how to treat you. They dont know if its okay or not. Theres a lot of tiptoeing. People are judgmental.By showing us the multitudes of ways that people juggle pregnancy and work, the photo series is a visual intervention against this limited perspective.Neyara, Housekeeper? / Cristiana Ceppas, 2012, Cristiana CeppasIn the photo series, we see wom en balance the physical demands of their job with the added weight of a fetus growing inside them. We do not necessarily know what accommodations these workers have been given, but we can see how pregnancy puts these workers bodies on public display. The series asks us to confront our expectations and values around pregnant people working. How long has this healthcare worker been on her feet while taking care of other people? I wondered. How many of these workers have maternity leave and for how long?During her pregnancy, Dorsey said she needed to change footwear to Ugg boots at work to accommodate her bodys changes. Those are the kind unseen challenges workers can face. That physical challenge is really incredible in terms of how pregnant employees may perhaps need to accommodate and find places to sit - or not, if they dont have supportive employers and what a challenge that can be, Dorsey said.Jenn, Elementary School Teacher / ?Tony Gonzalez, 2012, Tony GonzalezThe photo series also shows the quieter, more intimate moments of pregnancy. Tony Gonzalez, one of the photographers who participated in Showing, took photos of pregnant employees that contrast their professional obligations with their private routines. In his photos of Jenn, an elementary school teacher, you see her undressed, getting ready for the day, and put together at her job in front of students. That is an everyday common thing that is not always revealed, Gonzalez said about the photos. His subjects are not posed for the camera. In his photograph of Meghann, a museum membership officer, she is doing the everyday task of opening a refrigerator. This country is really hung up on the glamour to the point I feel can dangerously fetishize pregnancy and make it glamorous, Gonzalez said, noting that his goal is to show an alternative view of that, to show that this isnt set up, highly made-up produced photoshoot, this is real women looking like real women.Meghann, Museum Membership Officer? / Tony Gonzalez, 2012, Tony Gonzalez

Fearless marketing strategies for creative people

Fearless marketing strategies for creative peopleFearless marketing strategies for creative peopleJournalist and authorA.J. Jacobsis renowned for his willingness to take on a challenge, chronicling his extreme lifestyle experiments in his manyNew York Timesbestselling books. Recently, he joinedPanio Gianopoulos, author, Next Big Idea Club Editorial Director, and co-host of theWriterlypodcast, for a candid conversation about how creative people can change their relationship to marketing, learning to embrace it as a part of their art.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThis conversation has been edited and condensed.To listen to the full conversation on theWriterlypodcast,click here.PanioMarketing doesnt sound like the sexiest topic in the world, but its absolutely critical.A.J.Oh, yeah. I went into writing partly to avoid being a salesperson and a marketer. And then I realized No one s going to read my stuff if I dont get out there. So I have made a 180, where Ive forced myself to embrace marketing- reframed it, as thecognitive-behavioral psychologistssay, into a creative act. Instead of dreading it, now its, Oh good, I get to have a fun time coming up with creative ideas for marketing.PanioWhat do you do exactly?A.J.I think itd help if I give an example. I wrote a book about following all the rules of the Bible. And I thought, what are some places that wouldnt cover it, but if I can come up with a good angle, maybe they would. So for instance, I knew some people at womens magazines. What if I did a column on sex advice from the Bible? Because the Bibledoestalk about sex. Its got a lot of sex in it. So, I pitched sex advice from the Bible, and they took it. And then I did another one on business advice from the Bible, and music insights from the BibleIts slicing your topic up into different categories as much as you can, to get the word out. My feeling is, if so meone hears about it once, maybe theyll buy it. But if theyre bombarded by it, getting it everywhere- inGlamour, on NPR- then they might pick it up. So, that welches my goal, to blanket as much as I could.PanioThat strategy is assuming that you can pitch articles. If you cant do that, how do you feel about something like blogging? Do you think theres any value to it?A.J.I do. Volunteering to guest blog for people is a nice idea too.Whatever the topic is, there is a way in.And I think anyone can pitch articles. Whatever the topic is, there is a way in. I welches an editor of the front section of a magazine. I got pitched a lot. So I got an idea of what worked for me. One thing that worked, and its embarrassing, is if the person flattered you. People are weak. At least me. So if they said, Oh, I love what you did with this- just be super specific. Look in back issues and find something they wrote and be like, Oh this welches brilliant. And then Im like, Wow, this guys got good tasteJu st write a very short paragraph with a very catchy idea. And the writing for the pitch should be catchy in itself. I wrote a book about family,Its All Relative, andthe thesis was that were all family, were all cousins.And there are behauptung massive online databases where you can put two peoples names in and figure out how theyre related in this ridiculous, Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon way. This is a real one for Barack Obama, I am his sixth great-aunts husbands brothers wifes seventh great-nephew.PanioI binnensee the resemblance.A.J.Ive been told.PanioAround the eyes a little bit.A.J.I actually used that when I was trying to get publicity at events. I would find a reporter or a producer, and say, I know this sounds a little odd, but I just want to let you know that were eighth cousins, and heres how were related, and if you want to do your family member a favor, would you be interested in writing about20 percent of the people were ready to put a restraining order on me. But the vast majority were like, Oh my God, that is so cool. It was the ultimate LinkedIn. Use what you can to connect with the editor. Make a connection, and then pitch something thats interesting to them.I also find that when you just send out books, your chances of getting coverage are pretty low. Which is why Id send out a book, then follow up with a very specific idea on how they could cover it. My latest book is whereI thank a thousand people who helped make my cup of coffee.So I pitched one radio show that, This radio show would not exist without the people who, in Chile, went into a mine and got the copper to make the wires in this microphone. Lets thank a thousand people who helped make this radio show. And that worked. They didnt actually do it that way, but it got them thinking (we mentioned it as a little part of the segment). But youve got to give them more than just, Hey, heres my book.If you get people interested, and following, then there will be more media interest.PanioWhen I was a book editor, a lot of the publicity push was around book reviews. More and more, those seem to be less important for actually selling a book. They have less of an impact. Do you feel thats transferred over to social media?A.J.Thats a good question. You cant control the reviews. But you can, to a slightly greater extent, control the other coverage- if you pitch ideas and write them yourself. So I would say, focus on that. And do something creative with social media. For this book on gratitude, as part of the marketing, I promised to write one thousand handwritten, personalized thank you notes to readers of my books Heres a form on the www. Fill out your name, address, and any message you want me to say. And it has been simultaneously a pain in the ass and, also, wonderful. Its been hugely helpful to hear what connects with people. Some of the requests have been touching. Some have been strange. I was asked to draw a picture of a dog or a taco. I decided I was going to go above and beyond, and draw a dog eating a taco. So Im very proud.PanioYou over-delivered. They should have sent you a thank you note for that dog eating a taco.A.J.A creative way of interacting with your audience through social media is a lovely idea. The other thing I like is posting on social media as Im writing.PanioWhat do you post?A.J.Research. I can take a picture of when I went to Colombia for the book on gratitude, post photos of my trip. The books not out for another year, but you know, get it in peoples minds. Cue it up.PanioI wonder how early youre supposed to promote your book. Thats a question that I discuss with other authors a lot.A.J.Its interesting because publicists, traditionally, say there is a set amount of publicity, like a pie, and you cannot release any of that pie until the book comes out. But I think thats not true. I think the pie grows. If you get people interested, and following, then there will be more media interest.PanioI agree. That first scenario is a ver y old-fashioned, conservative publishing approach, which is about scarcity If you give away too much of the book, people arent going to want to buy it. Which goes radically against where we are with social media, and with the internet at large, where you share almost everything, and people buy it and follow it because they like it.I love the idea of taking something that we see as boring, and reframing it as part of the artistic process.A.J.Exactly. And also, partly its hopefully that theyre buying it as a gift for a friend. Even if they know everything about it, maybe theyll buy it as a gift.PanioTheres certainly something to the many steps required for something to succeed. And theres a kind of serendipity. You never know where something is going to lead.A.J.Totally. I interviewed the artist Christo, who does all this giant public art- he put 10,000 orange curtains in Central Park, and he wrapped the Reichstag in Germany. For the one in Central Park, it literally took him 24 years to pull that off, because he had to go through all this red tape- different mayors, hundreds of studies. And I said to him, How in the world did you keep your interest during that time? That sounds like the opposite of what would be interesting. And he said that his way to deal with it was to see that as part of the art. The red tape was actually part of the artistic process- he would film himself in meetings with the Parks Department. And I love that.I dont do anything quite like that or on that scale, but I love the idea of taking something that we see as boring, and reframing it as part of the artistic process. I think that helped me embrace marketing. You can see it as, Oh my God, Im writing 50 notes to editors. This is the worst- I did not sign up for this as a writer. Or you can say, Im going to write these notes in the most creative and fun way possible, and Im going to come up with fun ways to get this covered, and that is part of my art.PanioI love it. How do you get over feeling like youre being an imposition?A.J.Well, partly its deluding yourself and saying, You know, these people need good content. You have to be delusionally optimistic, that you think, You know whatPanioIm giving them a gift.A.J.Im giving them a gift They are so lucky. I dont always believe that- but if you can convince yourself of that, it makes it a lot easier.This article first appeared on Heleo.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people