Your personal Google search results, are extremely important during your job search... and even in every day life. For example, I Google people all the time to get to know more about them.
Dan Schawbel , the author of Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, makes the point that your Google results are your "resume" professionally and personally, HOW TO: Take Control of Your Google Search Results . If you think of yourself as a brand, and you should, then you have to take control of the information that is easily available about you. It takes a bit of work, and being "creative" but it's very important to make sure that there is information about you, and most importantly, that its accurate.
I have started to think of myself more as a "brand", and am think of how to successfully "brand myself" - now that is trickier......
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
“Reinventing Innovation.”
Recently, I read some excerpts from a fascinating book on success and innovation "Outliers, The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell was invited to speak at a conference in Canada on "Reinventing Innovation". The transcript of his speech is published in "I have an Idea" Advertising's Intellectual Archive.
One of the premises of the book is that, innovators can be divide into two broad groups. The first group called ‘conceptual innovators’, are the people who have the big, bold, breakthrough ideas, and they execute them very quickly. The second group is 'experimental innovators', those who do not have one big bold central idea. Experimental innovators may never have a big, bold, breakthrough idea. By virtue they are experimental and open to trying new things and learn from failure - using failure to launch their next move.This process is not "efficient" by business standards but can lead to great success and genius. After all part of success is learning from your past experiences..... especially your failures.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The basics of the new job search......
Amy Hoover from the TalentZoo, lays out the fundamentals you will need in order to get the job search going, Job Search 101.
I would also add, that networking is still your best resource for finding work, reach out to everyone and anyone you think can help you find a job, or recommend you to someone who can help you find a job - do NOT be shy. Pursue informational interviews, promise to keep them brief - 15 minutes on the phone, people who actually have jobs are very busy these days often wearing "multiple hats", but if you can score one of these, be well prepared with questions and ask for insights, and finally, don't forget to follow-up.
Amy Hoover is considered an industry expert in employment practices and trends. She can be reached at amyh@talentzoo.com, http://www.linkedin.com/in/ahoover, and wants you to friend her on Facebook, too.
I would also add, that networking is still your best resource for finding work, reach out to everyone and anyone you think can help you find a job, or recommend you to someone who can help you find a job - do NOT be shy. Pursue informational interviews, promise to keep them brief - 15 minutes on the phone, people who actually have jobs are very busy these days often wearing "multiple hats", but if you can score one of these, be well prepared with questions and ask for insights, and finally, don't forget to follow-up.
Amy Hoover is considered an industry expert in employment practices and trends. She can be reached at amyh@talentzoo.com, http://www.linkedin.com/in/ahoover, and wants you to friend her on Facebook, too.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
What will shape the next era in advertising - The best ideas
This article reminded of something I witnessed first hand - the great economic crisis in Argentina and the tremendous creativity that ensued. No matter what financial crisis, these Argentine agencies kept wining awards for their creativity. During that time, when the Argentine dollar was totally devalued, I had the opportunity to work there quite often, producing commercials with some of the most creative and talented people I have ever had the pleasure of working with.... it was an amazing time.......and proved to me that great ideas don't need exorbitant budgets, just carefully crafted messages and executions.
The truth is that smart marketers understand that there is never a time to let their guard down, and that investment in advertising is a necessity in order to keep their brands alive, and their consumers engaged and buying their products - how they deploy those budget will change dramatically. I don't believe that the :30 message in traditional broadcast will be the medium of choice. Instead, I see that advertisers are looking at more creative and targeted ways of communicating their message to their potential consumers - both conceptually and in their placement. No doubt, digital is the standout medium, others are mobile and targeted social networking. Creatively, we will also begin to see more comedy, because who doesn't need to laugh during these times? Testimonials will also be big, because they are simple and generally easy and cheap to produce.
So what will shape the next era, as best put by Todd Tilford, ECD, Grey/N.Y " Ideas will shape the next economic era just as they always have. May the best ideas win. "
Check out this article in Creativity - by the top creative minds in the advertising industry - Upside Downturn
The truth is that smart marketers understand that there is never a time to let their guard down, and that investment in advertising is a necessity in order to keep their brands alive, and their consumers engaged and buying their products - how they deploy those budget will change dramatically. I don't believe that the :30 message in traditional broadcast will be the medium of choice. Instead, I see that advertisers are looking at more creative and targeted ways of communicating their message to their potential consumers - both conceptually and in their placement. No doubt, digital is the standout medium, others are mobile and targeted social networking. Creatively, we will also begin to see more comedy, because who doesn't need to laugh during these times? Testimonials will also be big, because they are simple and generally easy and cheap to produce.
So what will shape the next era, as best put by Todd Tilford, ECD, Grey/N.Y " Ideas will shape the next economic era just as they always have. May the best ideas win. "Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Digital Evolution/Revolution
Lately, many people I know have been laid off, joining the swelling ranks of the "underemployed". Last week alone, 3 people I know in advertising got laid off, well actually in one case the company is closing it's doors completely after millions of dollars went "bye bye".....
When I got laid off last month, instead of going to commiserate with my fellow "underemployed", I went home took out my email address book, crafted a little email explaining the situation and sent it to over 300 contacts. I got busy "networking" because it's better to put that energy into finding work. The responses I got back have been incredibly varied, but the most interesting have been from recruiters.
It is clear that the ONLY segment of the industry that is growing and currently hiring is the digital/interactive realm. My difficulty has been to help recruiters and their clients understand how my skill set translates into that realm. Many (not all) recruiters, like their clients continue to think inside the "box" - perhaps that is why I have never gotten a job from my resume or a recruiter, my career and experience just do not fit neatly in that box.....but according to many of the leading thinkers in this new digital age, that is exactly the type of experience and thinking that will help move the industry forward.
I have read dozens of articles recently about the digital world and how it has changed the industry, here is one written by Alan Wolk, who is considered to be one of the most distinctive voices to come out of the creative side of the ad business "Advertising After The Real Digital Revolution"
When I got laid off last month, instead of going to commiserate with my fellow "underemployed", I went home took out my email address book, crafted a little email explaining the situation and sent it to over 300 contacts. I got busy "networking" because it's better to put that energy into finding work. The responses I got back have been incredibly varied, but the most interesting have been from recruiters.
It is clear that the ONLY segment of the industry that is growing and currently hiring is the digital/interactive realm. My difficulty has been to help recruiters and their clients understand how my skill set translates into that realm. Many (not all) recruiters, like their clients continue to think inside the "box" - perhaps that is why I have never gotten a job from my resume or a recruiter, my career and experience just do not fit neatly in that box.....but according to many of the leading thinkers in this new digital age, that is exactly the type of experience and thinking that will help move the industry forward.
I have read dozens of articles recently about the digital world and how it has changed the industry, here is one written by Alan Wolk, who is considered to be one of the most distinctive voices to come out of the creative side of the ad business "Advertising After The Real Digital Revolution"
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Putting on your best face
Maybe it's because I am the daughter of Cuban immigrants that I refuse to let this recent turn of the economy get me down, but am instead looking for the opportunities... my parents came here with nothing except their wits and their education and made a good life for our family. They taught me never to be afraid, and to be resourceful during hard times. I have to remember that they had nothing when they got here and that you have to work hard and persevere in even the toughest times. This is still after all the US, and eventually it will again return to being the land of opportunity - it's just going to be different opportunities. As they say in Spanish "A mal tiempo buena cara" that means during hard times put on your best face!
Here is an article about people in the mid-west who are doing just that.
Here is an article about people in the mid-west who are doing just that.
Ex-G.M. Workers Try to Reboot Their Lives
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/business/13janesville.html
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
How to think like a Market Rebel and not a boring bureauocrat
Since I am always trying to think like an innovator.......this piece in The McKinsey Quarterly really struck a chord......... plus the title is really fun "Market rebels and radical innovation" . The author Hayagreeva Rao is the Atholl McBean Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.
If you can get past the fact that this man (looks like Jabba The Hut) should never be in front of the camera, what he says is fascinating, and makes so much sense. He briefly cites some case studies - like Nike and Personal Computing, and the enormous impact that these 2 have had.
Innovation and "rebels" will lead the way into the next big money making opportunities, both in specific niches and in the overall economy. I guarantee you these opportunities will NOT come from anywhere in corporate America, where even in the most creative environments - creativity has been sucked dry.......
It's not about thinking of the next trend but identifying with it, I believe this happens through your peer groups and grassroots efforts...you just have to "listen" to what's happening amongst the people you know, etc And when you figure it out - please let me know!
If you can get past the fact that this man (looks like Jabba The Hut) should never be in front of the camera, what he says is fascinating, and makes so much sense. He briefly cites some case studies - like Nike and Personal Computing, and the enormous impact that these 2 have had.
Innovation and "rebels" will lead the way into the next big money making opportunities, both in specific niches and in the overall economy. I guarantee you these opportunities will NOT come from anywhere in corporate America, where even in the most creative environments - creativity has been sucked dry.......
It's not about thinking of the next trend but identifying with it, I believe this happens through your peer groups and grassroots efforts...you just have to "listen" to what's happening amongst the people you know, etc And when you figure it out - please let me know!
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