Hey, friends.
Today I'm wearing my f*ck-off-pink (not actually called that) lipstick. This is generally a sign that I'm ready to step up my game. Just like when a batter crowds the plate, I am announcing my presence with authority.
In the last couple of weeks, I've been on the receiving end of a bunch of lousy, horrible, awful, no-good, very bad emails. So, for today's #entrylevelboss, I'm going play a game I just made up called "Good Email vs. Lousy Email" to demonstrate exactly what I mean when I say your email game is lame. The gist is always this:
MAKE IT STUPID-EASY FOR PEOPLE TO HELP YOU.
Read moreHi, friends.
Ohhhh thank goodness: The video has uploaded! Finally!
This is particularly excellent news because I just got back inside from locking myself out of my flat. While waiting for my friend to bring me a spare set of keys, I stopped into a cafe where I heard some Bob Marley playing. I took a deep breath, exhaled, and began again.
And now, the video is up! This day is coming through in the ninth, I tell ya.
This is my favorite episode of #entrylevelboss to date. I call out some really specific "Don't" emails and explain why they are deceptively lousy.
So, go forth and watch....
Read moreHey, friends.
Last week, I went ahead and admitted temporary defeat. It would seem that I blinked, and all the sudden my client list tripled. That's great. But, when you manage your own workload like I do, you have to be very, very aware of over-promising and under-delivering. So, that's where I find myself this week.
This is the first time in five years that I am actively not looking for work. Or for more work, at least. I remember reading those articles five or six years back -- for the marketers: they were pretty stupid articles then, and this was before clickbait content went through the roof -- about how being a freelancer or getting into a creative field is a slow, uphill battle. It's true, I guess. But it doesn't feel that way while it's happening. It just feels like you're kinda unemployed, usually.
Read moreHey, friends.
Well, it was a red letter day in Berlin. I took a full two hours to walk home from my client's office, doing all that charming European stuff like wandering into independent book shops along the way, stopping here and there to (literally) smell the roses. I have a real thing for Berlin flower shops, as it were.
So, over the weekend, I became completely obsessed with this article I read on Medium. It's written by Mikael Cho, who is apparently the co-founder of a Montreal-based startup called Crew.
Go read it immediately. The whole thing. It's a wonderful crash course in how to apply for jobs in the 21st century, and it inspired this week's episode. I am completely flabbergasted at the emotional disconnect that happens in the hiring process these days. I understand being nervous, but there's a difference between being professional and being too formal in a bizarre, outdated kind of way.
Read moreHey, friends.
Back from Portugal, officially a year older, and ready to get back to work! I'm not leaving Berlin again for another couple of months, meaning there are perishables in my fridge and everything. It's a big deal.
Today, I'm giving out a few super fast tips regarding social media. I get lots of people asking me about their resumes -- but these days, your online presence is part of your resume. It's simply unavoidable, so you might as well hack it to your advantage.
At this point, no one born in the last 60 years at *least* can escape having some kind of digital footprint. And that's completely okay. Having personality on the internet will ultimately help, and not hurt, your career (and if you're dealing with an employer who's not into that, let's discuss). The question is, how do you add a few extra tweaks here and there so that your personal social media is something you're willing to brag about?
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