Networking is something that I struggle with. I hate talking to people who come across as too schmooze-y and slick. My dad is the perfect example, although he is an engineer by trade, he is always either trying to sell something or get an amazing deal. He loves to call in favors and use his “network” to get what he wants for the best deal possible. I like to think that is the baby boomer’s style of networking and we have evolved past that. Mad Men is out, and engaging in interesting conversations is in.  Don’t Be This Person There are a few people in my friend circle that are constantly asking for favors to…

Handling a leadership position is a bit of a balancing act, it requires poise, humanity, direction and most importantly the ability to motivate others. Throughout my lifetime, I have come across some amazing leaders that have taught me countless life lessons, and some people who should probably never not been placed in a leadership role. I have been in both submissive and authoritative positions and creating a level of respect and comradery is definitely an art form. Lead By Example There is nothing worse than a person in a leadership role creating rules that don’t apply for themselves. Not playing by the rules it the best way to get your…

Content management takes time, there is a lot of trial and error and it is hard to predict what will go viral and what goes completely unnoticed. The best advice I can offer you to approaching content management is with a plan and a vision. As creatives, there is difficult tight rope to walk, making your employer happy and producing content that is engaging to your audience. Communications plans are very important to create direction for your business. Reflecting on your target demographic, understanding their buying habit’s their interests,all this is important information that will help you effectively connect with your desired consumer. A formula for disaster on social media, is too many cooks in the kitchen.…

I went to MAC today to get a lipstick. I told the lady the colour I was looking for. She looked at me blankly and said that the colour is sold out, and then walked away. I stood there in shock. To me, it seems automatic to either tell me where I can get the lipstick I am looking for or sell me something else because I am a sure thing. It is obvious that I came in there to buy. I hate hate hate shopping in stores. I will literally buy everything I need online, because I cannot stand bad customer service. I refuse to let some undeserving store clerk get my…

Sometimes managing my personal inbox as well as my work inbox seems like a full time job. Every morning looking at my inbox seems like an overwhelming task. It is hard to find the right balance and prevent your e-mail from monopolizing all of your time. Manage Your NotificationsI am guilty of loving a good sale, so I never want to miss out on any e-mail notifications. A lot of larger companies have different subscription options. I try to opt in to getting only one e-mail notification a week, or only receive e-mails when there is a special promotion or sale. I spent the last week trying to unsubscribe to the millions of subscriptions I accumulated over the years. Know…

You have done everything right, from writing an amazing cover letter that was catered to the role, then getting called for the interview. You studied the website for the company and memorized every detail, went to the interview and left feeling it went well. You sent the thank you note prior to the interview and you didn’t hear anything back until two weeks later when you receive a generic rejection e-mail. It stated that there was just too many qualified candidate to choose from, and they have gone with another candidate. I have gotten more of these than I can count. I used to take rejection personally. I would feel very…

Photo by: Rodion Kutsaev When I graduated high school the economy was very different than it is today. The opportunities seemed endless. I never thought that there would be the amount of competition there is now for jobs, especially in marketing and communications. When I look back on my academic career there are definitely some things that I wish I had done differently.Making More ConnectionsI never really understood the power of LinkedIn until after I graduated University. It is very rare to get a position without a referral. I wish I had added all my professors, classmates and contacts I met in my job at the time to my LinkedIn network. Building…