So What If You’re Not Perfect? Apply Anyway!

on July 26, 2012

Gunsworthy5

Just because you don’t hit every bullet point in a job ad that sounds like a great fit for you, don’t let that deter you from applying. Harvard Business Review notes that 4 in 10 employers have at least one position for which they cannot find an “ideal candidate.” Quite frankly, that sounds on the low side to us.  Companies have gotten so accustomed to finding excuses not to hire over the past four years, they’ve forgotten that when you actually need to hire someone, you don’t get the luxury of waiting for perfection.  So take a risk!     Read More →

Gunsworthy5
Comment

Having It All and Yahoo’s New CEO Marissa Mayer

on July 19, 2012

Gunsworthy24

The Exciting Game for Career Girls

I have been following with great interest the reaction to the news that Yahoo just named Marissa Mayer as their CEO. Mayer is young (37), female (now one of only 20 female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies), and 6 months pregnant.

Most of the commentary I’ve read on her big break starts by acclaiming that this is a great thing.  Yahoo is being super progressive!  One giant step for womankind! Champagne all around!

But fairly quickly that celebratory tone dies down and the articles and posts move on to a different theme.     Read More →

Gunsworthy24
Comment

Pre-Interview Research: It’s Easy, and You’ll Reap Big Rewards

on July 17, 2012

Gunsworthy6

Want to know the quickest way to end an interview early?  When the hiring manager asks you, “So tell me what you know about our company,” just stare at her blankly, and then make up a bunch of bullshit.  (True story: a newly minted MBA we know was in and out in five minutes.)

If you think you’re too busy in your current job to do your homework, you’ll stay busy in your current job for a long time to come.  Because you’re missing a golden opportunity to impress the hiring manager, set yourself apart from your fellow job-seekers, and (no less important) get under the hood and see if a company is really for you (or if they’ve just fired their whole management team, missed a key launch date, and delayed their IPO for the third time).

The best part is that it’s just not that difficult to be the golden boy or wonder girl when it comes time to wow the interviewer with how much you know.  Here’s how to get your investigation underway …     Read More →

Gunsworthy6
Comment

Business Etiquette 101: The Thank-You Note

on July 17, 2012

Gunsworthy4

Thank You Card

Back when I was a hiring manager, it always amazed me when candidates didn’t send a thank-you note after an interview. In a time when communication is as easy as picking up a smartphone, there’s just no excuse not to.     Read More →

Gunsworthy4
Comment

Give ‘Em a Taste and Leave ‘Em Wanting More: Your Job Search and the Little Pink Spoon

on July 12, 2012

Gunsworthy16

Mint Chocolate Chip

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s all about the Little Pink Spoon.

One of my all-time favorite summertime pleasures is going to Baskin-Robbins and trying out a few new flavors with those little pink spoons of theirs.  Ninety percent of the time I just end up getting Rocky Road, but I always enjoy tasting a few other flavors before ordering my cone.

Why is Baskin-Robbins so willing to give away their product for free?  It’s obvious: they hope that by giving us a free taste, we’ll end up buying a cup or a cone or a pint or a gallon. So they gladly give away millions of little pink spoonfuls in order to make many millions of dollars more in return.  It’s the same reason movies show trailers, cosmetics companies offer samples, and car dealers offer test drives:  people want to try before they buy.

So, how do you bring the Little Pink Spoon Principle into play in your job search?  By giving a prospective employer a “free sample” of what you have to offer, you’ll dramatically improve your chances of success.  Here are three ways to do it …    Read More →

Gunsworthy16
Comment

Product Management, User Experience, Information Architecture, Interaction Design, Usability Testing

Project Management, Program Management, Production, Content Production

Animation, Art Direction, Creative Direction, Corporate Identity, Flash Design/Dev, Graphic Design, Web Design

Content Strategy, Editorial, Copywriting, Copy Editing, Research, Blog Outreach

Brand Management, Business Development, Sales, Product Marketing, Event/Conference Planning, Promotions, Marcomms, Corporate Comms, Direct Marketing, E-Marketing, Public Relations, Market Research

Account Management, Account/Brand Planning, Media Strategy, Communications Planning, Media Planning/Buying, Social Media, Search (SEM, SEO), Web Metrics & Analytics

Web Development, Front End Development

[no subcategories]

close

We're sorry, we could not retrieve the gun you were looking for. Please close this window and try again.

Thanks for your interest in our talent! We'll be in touch soon.

An error occurred and we weren't able submit your request. Please try again.

close

We have but one over-arching rule for comments: Do not add to the chaos of the universe.

  • This blog is devoted to developing a point of view around the Future of Work through the lens of the digital creative class. It offers some of the best career writing out there to help you get ahead as well as some brand new bloggers livin' the dream and tellin' it like it is. We encourage you to use the comments to drive conversations to the next level, bounce ideas off our bloggers, challenge them, and engage in dialogue with your fellow readers.
  • Disagreement is fine. If one of our bloggers gets your goat, say so, but elevate the conversation. Substantiate. Strive to teach. Your words might actually change someone's opinion. Don't just rant.
  • Sign your name. Anonymity makes you a wimp.
  • If you're just commenting to get your handle out there, please be clever about it. Or witty. We'll delete unimaginative self-promotion.
  • We'll also likely delete comments that are vulgar, inadvertently or maliciously off-topic, spammy, creepy or sloppy.
close