How Sharing Other People's Content Makes You an Irresistible Job Candidate

When it comes to standing out online, your best bet is to offer your own original content. Blog posts or tweets that revolve around your unique ideas will make you a standout candidate.

But the truth is, not everyone has the time, writing ability or even confidence to grow a quality blog or social media account, and plenty of people who don’t have a blog still want to move up the career ladder, into more challenging and better-paying positions.

What if there was a way to show the world just how smart you are, without creating your own content?

Well, there is, and it’s a tactic you should seriously consider: sharing other people’s content.

Whether you curate on Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr or all of the above, here are five things sharing content created by others says about you — and why it can move your career forward.

1. You know your industry inside and out.

When you share an abundance of interesting information, people begin to realize you know your stuff. Not only do you know what’s going on, but you understand what’s valuable to people in your industry and what they want to read, which is just as important.

Even if you don’t consider yourself highly knowledgeable on a certain topic — if, for example, you’re looking to change careers and are using your online presence to pivot — you’ll become knowledgeable on that topic as you sift through blogs and tweets looking for quality information to share. In other words, curating content can help you become an authority in your field and help others see you as an authority.

2. You’re innovative.

Not only do you use the latest social tools to share advice and ideas, the information you share is often about your industry’s latest trends and developments, which suggests you’re forward thinking.

Anyone can say in an interview that they like to follow tech trends, but serving your community as a content curator shows the hiring manager you’re serious about learning, brainstorming and innovating.

3. You enjoy helping others.

So many people talk about themselves on social media. You’ll stand out if you get off the soapbox and instead offer helpful, valuable information, giving props to whoever created it.

This is helpful not only to the minions who read your tweets, but also to the industry leaders who wrote the blog post, tweets or updates to begin with, since you’re helping spread their content and ideas. Those thought leaders will likely appreciate your efforts and might even look to connect further with you, which could lead to more opportunities.

See why being generous online is one of the best things you can do for yourself?

4. You’re familiar with the big (and little) players in your field.

Knowing who the thought-leaders are in your field and where they hang out is just as important — if not more — than being in-the-know about innovative developments. Why? Because those people likely are part of those developing trends, or at least talking about them. In many ways, they are the trends.

In their book The Startup of You, Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha wrote, “If you’re looking for an opportunity, you’re really looking for people.” Knowing who’s doing what in your industry can go a long way toward helping you take the next step in your career. Curating content is a solid way to keep up with what everyone’s doing.

5. In some cases, you have access to those industry players.

Know what every employer wants more than an awesome, skilled employee? An awesome, skilled employee who knows people. Every one of your connections means a connection for your company.

If you don’t know any of the major players in your industry now, look to create those connections through sharing other people’s content. Your generosity could lead to online conversations with those people as they leave comments on your blog posts or reply to you through Twitter. Really want to get on their radar? Try an email introduction after you’ve mentioned that contact on your blog or Twitter, with the hope that they’ll recognize your name.

If you’re keen to give this a go, you’re probably wondering: What’s the best way to find quality information to share with your growing online community?

Try using an RSS tool like Feedly, organizing tweeps who share valuable information into Twitter lists, and streamlining the sharing process with apps like Hootsuite, Buffer and Twitterfeed. Before you know it, you’ll be the one who people in your industry turn to for all the best information, which makes you that much more marketable.

By Alexis Grant for Mashable

How to Become a Social CEO [Infographic]

Better Together: Why consolidation in the charitable financial market works.

At dinner with a few friends talking about charity, life, addiction and lego, when my ramble was interrupted: “I’ve never heard about charity talked about as a percentage of GDP” - something I had apparently let slip during the evening. Charity, in the eyes of most, is the quaint undertaking of the passionate few trying “change the world.” Charity is the thing we do because of moral, guilt, religious or societal pressure. Charity is a sidebar to our lives and our economy, it’s the bonus after our fixed and even variable expenses are paid off. Charity is small.

Wrong.

Let's look at the numbers, and one reason why ignoring these numbers (mainly by leaders of charities themselves) is detrimental to our economy. Advance warning, this is a fly-over. 

The charitable market in Canada is around 110 billion dollars [link to http://www.imaginecanada.ca/node/32] , or 7% of our country’s GDP [link to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Canada#Key_industries]: . To give some perspective, that’s larger than retail, transportation, the finance industry, education and just barely under the gas and mining industry. Yes, even the almighty Oil Sands. I guess I’ve missed my invite to our annual congress, lobby group, council or economic summit. 

The size of Canada’s charitable industry is significant . It’s a major player in the Canadian financial landscape and has (or could have) a lot of influence. One of the reasons (just one) why the size and scale of the charitable market matters, is around the issues of consolidation, and centralization of this financial market. 

We are a fragmented bunch. All 85 000 of us (charities) are managing our own money, processing our own transactions borrowing from our own institutions and functionally acting completely independent of one another, all under the name of autonomy of mission and independence of leadership and I would suggest a zero sum mentality over access to capital (a donor giving to you means a donors not giving to me right?). 

Why is this so problematic? A few obvious reasons come to mind, lets pick two and briefly explore them: cost and access. Our fight to survive, short term thinking mindset and general unwillingness to co-operate with those ‘not like us’ is hurting us tremendously in both present and opportunity costs and access.

Cost:

What does your charity spend on just the basics: Credit Card processing, cheque and bank fees, website security and PCI, receipting, and general donation processing technology as a percentage of what your charity nets in donations? I’d wager on the low end it’s 4% and on the high end… well lets take the low. 4% on the 10 billion that Canadians gave last year is $400 000 million dollars just on the very basic components of receiving a gift. Add in bookkeeping and compliance fees and the figure goes even higher. Could the downsides of consolidation be outweighed by the very obvious cost savings that would arise?

Access:

What did your charity spend on accessing the very fragmented capital available to the charitable sector (aka fundraising)? Sectoral average is around 20%. The sector is 110 billion dollars, but lets just focus on the 10 billion that’s donated every year (which is problematic as we know the difference doesn’t just magically appear either) and take 20% of that figure. If we operated like sectors much smaller than ours and had designated banks for the specific type of finances we needed (capital / long term, short-term money market etc) how would our approach to fundraising shift?

This is not an indignant on the costs of charity - it’s in part a reflection of the effects of a decentralized financial market for the charitable sector and it needs to change if we are ever going to actually tackle the worlds most significant problems. There are a lot of things wrong with capital, money and other markets, but one thing they understand is consolidation, and access reduces costs and increases opportunity. If our fundraising shifted to telling our story and raising awareness rather than hunting for fragmented pockets of money, could we better educate the sector? If we consolidated processing to a few specialized institutions could we shift our funding to developing more mission advancing technology?

Chimp Foundation, an operation I am connected to is trying to lead this shift. Starting with the donor market, it asks the question of what would happen when we increase Canadian’s access to, participation in, and knowledge of charity. Chimp right now is arguably immaterial financially speaking in the market place, but it represents something that could be industry changing. Through consolidating the donor market and leveraging the web to democratize the legal and financial charitable tools previously afforded only to the very wealthy, it could address those two really basic issues raised above: cost and access. 

Chimp launched the GiveOn campaign earlier this month. GiveOn is a consumer centred campaign that tries to highlight the idea that when we give together (centrally that is, not all to one cause) we can not only reduce costs, but we can find innovative ways to cover those costs for those who do not want to pay them. Partnering with another leading technology company, HootSuite, Chimp’s able to offer ‘fee free’ charitable transactions. This is interesting and significant to a point, but more because of what it represents than what the campaign around it provides right now. What it represents is hopefully a transparent conversation on the reality of fees in the gift processing market - a real conversation that neither cons people into thinking 100% “just happens” or that fees should be hidden. It also represents hopefully an insight into what happens when co-operation, consolidation and a longer term view of the market lead the conversation. Hopefully this idea signals one tangible reason why a little coordination in the market can go a long way in raising capital and reducing costs for all.

The tasks assigned to the charitable sector are too massive and too important for us not to be spending significant time thinking, planning and creating ways for us to solve the access to and cost of capital from a long term mindset. Money isn’t going to solve the most important problems facing humanity - you are. However, seeing the sector for its financial significance and potential can hopefully elevate our thinking away from fragmented, short term and scarcity thought processes and towards real collaborative solutions that overtime will help fuel the causes you are fighting for on our behalf.  

BIO: Jeff Golby works for Chimp Foundation, an online bank that allows people to manage and amplify their charitable giving. His role is to create a space where creativity, law, charity, money and trust come together in a way that inspires and motivates people to give.

Nap rooms are just one of many unconventional methods businesses today are employing in efforts to increase employee engagement, spur innovation and enhance productivity. Strange as it may sound, more companies today are finding that the more creative the incentives they offer, the more creative their workforce becomes.

Take a cue from the following companies and apply some of these unconventional methods to your own organization. You may find yourself – as these companies did – reaping the benefits of a more productive workforce – and a bigger bottom line – in return.

7 Ways to Increase Your Employee Productivity Value

1. Play musical chairs: Companies such as MODCo Media in New York andKayak.com have gotten into the practice of shifting employees from desk to desk every few months, believing the change in atmosphere spurs innovation, promotes collaboration and increases productivity.
   
2. Take the “office” out of office space: Quid, a San Francisco-based data analytics firm, turned a 5,200-square-foot warehouse into an office space that is anything but typical. Among its unusual, but inspired features: a “meat locker,” a meeting space enclosed by rubber strips, designed to promote creative conversations; a “mezzanine” area, a collaborative area equipped with block furniture, bean bag chairs, colorful rugs and comfortable pillows; and a library designed to “recreate…that feeling of discovery” that comes with finding an interesting book.
   
3. Plug in and play: Gamification has been a growing trend for companies looking for new ways to engage candidates and train and develop employees. Plague, Inc., created an iPhone game to help one company build its employment brand and turn workers into brand ambassadors, while software company iActionable designed a platform to help workers learn new skills and “advance from new employee to workplace master.” Plague and iActionable are just a couple of companies tapping into this industry, as experts predict that workplace gamification will be a $2.8 billion business by 2016.
   
4. Just say ‘om:’ Promega Corp., a biotech company in Madison, Wis., encourages employees to participate in a healthy lifestyle by offering heavily discounted meditation and yoga classes, along with on-site fitness centers, workspaces infused with natural light, and healthy meals. The company believes that “happier, healthier workers make for a stronger business.” Google, Target and General Mills are among several other companies that subscribe to this notion, encouraging employees to practice meditation techniques.
   
5. Let them count sheep: In effort to fight what some health experts call an“epidemic” of worker fatigue that can take a toll on employee health and productivity, many companies, such as The Huffington Post and Nationwide Planning Associates, have created “nap rooms,” where employees can live the dream catch up on sleep during office hours.
   
6. Play doctor: The number of U.S. employers hosting on-site medical clinics in effort to minimize lost productivity due to sick days has been increasing steadily since 2011, according to Towers Watson. In addition to increased productivity, companies are seeing very real results in terms of cost savings. Hanesbrands, for example, estimates it has saved $1.4 million annually since creating its on-side clinic two years ago.
   
7. Send them packing: Research indicates that travel incentives are motivating for 96 percent of employees and may also be good for the bottom line. Perhaps that’s why Effective Environmental, a Texas-based environmental services company,rewards five employees with an all-inclusive family vacation each year.
   
   What are some unconventional perks your company offers to motivate employees? perks your company offers to motivate employees?

Managing your Best Non-Profit Marketing Resource: Time

Every afternoon as I walk to the kitchen in our office to make a cup of coffee, I think about how quickly time has gone by.

It’s already 3:15 p.m., and there is so much more to get done. Time has run out on me. Our clients echo the same sentiment in emails:

“Something else popped up. Can I get my feedback on those Facebook images tomorrow?”

“Our server crashed today so I am busy getting our email back up. Can we postpone our meeting until Friday?”

“I don’t know what happened, but its 5:00 and I still have 15 unread emails I need to get to before I leave. Catch up tomorrow?”

As an nonprofit digital advertising agency, time is a precious resource, so we are pretty protective of it. We’ve found a few tools along the way that have helped us gain better insights into how we spend our time. This isn’t Six Sigma black belt material, rather just some cool life-hacks we discovered to make the most of every day. As a nonprofit employee, you are probably in the same boat. Check out these three simple tips to get your day back and enjoy that afternoon coffee without the anxiety of looking at the clock.

STEP 1: CREATE A GAME PLAN

What is on your plate? Facebook? Twitter? Email? Google Analytics? Be realistic about how long it takes to effectively handle these tasks. Take into account how much total time you have to complete everything — 10 hours? 15 hours? Based on that, set aside time for each task. Having a strong grasp of how to utilize various platforms efficiently can play a big role in saving time. Check out our 10 tips for an effective nonprofit content strategy.

STEP 2: STICK TO GAME PLAN

We are big believers in technology being a force for good. We use two web-based apps to help us stick to our game plan.

1. RescueTime.com This tool runs in the background and lets you know your productivity based on web activity. It also has a great feature called “Get Focused” that will block distracting sites like funnyordie.com for a certain period of time.

2. Toggl.com  This is a time-tracking software that is simple to use. It can be downloaded to your desktop, smartphone and tablet. It can also run in your browser. It has a one-click timer function and gives you the ability to edit any entry if you forget to turn off the timer. But here’s the best part: The company offers a nonprofit discount!

STEP 3: REEVALUATE GAME PLAN

You found out you are an efficient and effective time management machine, but it still didn’t help you find 10 more hours in your week to get another handful of emails out or to better segment your messaging. Maybe it’s time to re-allocate some staff hours? Tell your boss you want to put in some overtime? Or go with our favorite solution: Hire Media Cause to be your new nonprofit marketing resource. Not only can we give you more time, but we can make you a mean cup of joe.

By Cody Damon Posted in Nonprofit Marketing Agency 

What to Answer When the Interviewers Ask "Why Should We Hire You?"

We often go into an interview prepared to answer technical questions regarding ourselves and the job that we are applying for. Being prepared is a good thing, but there would always be a question or two that would catch us off guard. One of these questions would be “Why do you want this job?”.

A lot of people would consider this a silly question and give a random answer such as “because I need a job”. To an interviewer though, this is not any silly question. It asks why you want it, and gives you an opportunity to tell them why the job attracted you, and how interested you are in getting the position.

Here are a few tips to consider when coming up with an answer to this crucial question:

1) Consider the company:

It would not hurt to say that you would want to be on a winning team, as this would give the interviewer the fact that you did your research about the company. Something such as this would be able to convey this idea:

I have been following the rising performance of the company, and would want to be part of the team that makes it to the top of the industry

2) You’re prepared for the part:

Another good answer to this would be to talk about your qualifications and how they compliment the needs of the company. This would let the interviewer know that you are not fooling around with your application and the company’s need. An answer showing this would go something like:

The subjects I took up while working for my degree in management accounting have prepared me for this particular post. My two year experience working with company x has given me the experience that I need to deliver what is stated in your job posting. It is as if I was prepared all my life to land this job.

3) It can further your career and you can help the company in return:

One thing that recruiters want to see is hunger. They want to see this because it gives them the impression that you are willing to go the distance, and even further, in order to get the job done, get recognized and move up. You can express this by saying something like:

I want the job because it can give me a chance to prove myself at this level. My plan is to do an awesome job and move up the ranks of this company, helping the company improve and getting me the job experience in the process. It would be a win-win situation for both parties.

4) Passion:

Of course there is always an answer that shows that this is what you want to do.   A simple statement such as below would give a recruiter the idea that you just want to work in this field:

Since college, this has been the line of work that has always fascinated me. I have taken quite a few jobs in this area of expertise and I still keep on learning.

Conclusion:

Depending on the job that you are applying for, you can mix and match. If you are applying for a higher position than what you were previously in, then you would need to go for the stronger approaches. The biggest mistake you can make though is just pass this question off as a joke and say something such as you are just in it for the money. That would signify disinterest on your part, and you may very well lose that job opportunity. Play your cards right, show your interest, and you would not be jobless for long.

3 Steps To A Successful Cover Letter

Cover letters can be a chore to write for job seekers. Whereas the things that need to be in a resume are cut and dry, what to include in your letter is a little more ambiguous.

In article posted on Boxwood Tech’s Career Learning Center Marshall Brown, founder and CEO of Marshall Brown & Associates, explained that cover letters need to be tailored to the specific job for which you are applying. While it’s fine to have a template that you work from, Brown explained that you can’t simply copy and paste that template and call it a day. If you can, take the time to find out what the unique problems, challenges etc. of the organization might be. Show them how you have the qualifications to help them solve their problems.

When it comes to what you should include in your cover letter, Brown wrote that it’s okay to include information that already appears on your resume. Specifically, Brown states that the document should be no more than three paragraphs, containing the following information:

Paragraph 1: The “Hook”

• Introduce your qualifications up front.
• Tell them a story.
• Drop a name.
• Highlight something about their business.
• Jump right into your results.
• Ask a question that makes them think.

Paragraph 2: The “Pitch”

• Highlight your relevant qualifications and results.
• Target what the organization needs or wants.
• Make it clear and easy to read.

Paragraph 3: The “Close”

• Quick summary (one sentence).
• Call to action (request for a phone call or interview).
• Contact information.
• “Thank you.”

The Non-Profit Times is a leading business publication for non-profit management.

When Disaster Strikes - Give to You

Nothing breaks through our regular charitable rhythms like a natural disaster. When tragedies like Typhoon Haiyan strike, we feel compelled to respond charitably, most most often through donating to some form of relief effort. This is the essence of benevolence. It’s a beautiful thing, but quickly gets drowned out in the sea of appeal ads, deceptive matching offers and the sense that if the gift doesn’t happen within the next 2 days the consequences will be even more astronomical.

There are both rational and emotional reasons behind answering the question ‘should I give’ with a ‘yes.’  Rationally, we realize the country effected has suffered immense infrastructure damage, sanitary and food shortages and has incredible emergency health care costs among other expenses. We feel it makes “good sense" to give to help in some way relieve this expense and hopefully save lives in the process. Emotionally, we see pictures, hear a story, or read a statistic on the incredible death and destruction and are compelled to give. Pictures, videos and pleas move us to a compassionate outpouring of donations. A different kind of emotional giving also occurs. We are bombarded with advertisements (appeals) and an often corporate influenced peer pressure to respond through giving to a specific charity. The lure of matching incentives and the tyranny of the urgent causes the herd mentality to kick in, and we give.

Ultimately, dissecting the "why" behind our want to help may not entirely be useful in this case, so much as unpacking the "what.” Understanding the "what" when it comes to natural disaster giving is where we need to begin if we're going to ultimately tackle the question on many would-be donors minds: where should I give.

What is the effect I am hoping my gift will have? Put differently: “as a result of my gift, what am I hoping is accomplished?” I have not uncovered a shortcut or a simple answer to this question. I know better than to recommend one international charity over another, and instead would propose a few questions you could ask yourself to better uncover the answer for you. These questions would involve asking yourself what it is you’re trying to achieve, whether the country itself is the most important place to give to for you personally or whether it’s a broader ‘human lives saved’ question. Whether long term, systemic change is more important or immediate relief? These are all “good” questions to help uncover the ‘what’ answer for yourself.

However, before you dive into any of those questions, the most important thing you can do when it comes to giving and natural disasters is (drumroll please): give to yourself. Bear with me. Disaster strikes, you are compelled to respond financially - this is at the heart of charity and needs to be preserved in the midst of a crisis of options, media and matching manipulation and other things that prevent you from acting. Everything else is noise, so start with giving, but do it first and foremost by giving to yourself. What does this mean? It means setting aside the money you are able to give in a way that is ‘inaccessible’ for regular use because this is outside your regular rhythm of spending. I use a Chimp account because it sets it aside for charitable uses only (and for other reasons) but stuffing cash under your mattress could work as well. The point is, start with pulling money out of your bank account, setting it aside for this purpose - right now. Do this first because separating the ‘how much’ you are going to give with ‘where’ you are going to give is a critical first step.

Now, if you truly believe that money is ‘urgently’ needed immediately in the area where the disaster has struck, start unpacking those important ‘what’ questions. Do the hard work now of understanding what it is you want to achieve charitably and the ‘where’ the money should go and when it should go there will be exponentially easier.

Your charitable heart is too valuable to be colluded with the chaos of a crisis in decision or the  and your money too valuable to be given away without consideration. Start with giving, this is essential, but give to yourself. Set money aside, slow down (does the country need money now or in a few months when the media has forgotten about it), look at the options in front of you and make the decision that best aligns with your unique charitable intentions.

BIO: Jeff Golby works for Chimp Foundation, an online bank that allows people to manage and amplify their charitable giving. His role is to create a space where creativity, law, charity, money and trust come together in a way that inspires and motivates people to give.

Why Online Is The Future of Job Interviewing

Job interviews are daunting enough, but now more and more are moving online and using video. This infographic by iMeet explains why online is the future of job interviewing.

Takeaways:

• Since 2011, the use of video interviews has risen by 49%. 

• 66% of candidates prefer to use video during the interview process. 

• Communication is conveyed by the human face (55%), tone of voice (33%) and words (7%).

Source: The Undercover Recruiter

The Anatomy of an Ask [INFOGRAPHIC]

Nonprofit Hub's Interactive Media Strategist, Devin Thomas created this infographic to depict the delicate balance between success and failure when asking for donations:

Webinars to Jump Start Your Christmas Campaign

Some people’s jobs don’t excite them, but we absolutely love seeing charities take off. That’s why we’re ecstatic about our upcoming free webinar series in partnership with CCCC.

Our goal – to bring top-level marketing services to those who need it most – couldn’t be better achieved than through this free, one-time event. We’ll be touching some of the most sought-after topics including:

• Christmas campaigns
• fund appeals and website copy
• content and SEO
• effective grant writing
• expert storytelling
• best social media practices
• pay-per-click for charities
• your digital footprint
• social media and SEO
• media and PR
• alternative media sources
• press releases

And not only that, but we’re offering unparalleled bonuses for attendees:

1. A free assessment and strategic advice on your Christmas campaign (or a campaign of your choice)
2. A free SEO assessment and $150 in Google Adwords
3. 15-minute consult on media hooks & ideas for your organization

Join us on November 20th to solidify your year-end strategy with this free webinar series presented by Charity Wings and CCCC.

Fund appeals and website copy

Is there a secret to storytelling? What are the connections between content and SEO? How do I apply for grants effectively? Find out the answers to these and more.

Date: Nov 20, 2013
Time: 10:00am PST/1:00pm EST - 11:00am PST/2:00pm EST
Webinar ID: 144-991-491

Social media and pay-per-click for charities
It's everybody's burning question: can social media raise money? We'll tell you why the answer is yes as well as the difference between pay-per-click options, the importance of a digital footprint, and some best social media practices.

Date: Nov 20, 2013
Time: 11:15am PST/2:15 EST - 12:15pm PST/3:15pm EST
Webinar ID: 133-754-275

Working with media and PR for charities
Everyone wants to get the word out, but did you know there are some alternative sources of media you might have missed? What are the necessary elements of a press release and what does a healthy relationship with the media look like? Find out!

Date: Nov 20, 2013
Time: 12:30pm PST/3:30 EST - 1:30pm PST/4:30pm EST
Webinar ID: 135-493-395

See you soon!

Making An Impression - In 60s or less!

The elevator speech. You have 60 seconds in an elevator with someone and what do you say? In the fundraising class that I teach we ask students in one of their assignments to write their elevator speech and it is one of the worst things I have to grade the entire class. It’s not unique to my students however it is almost all nonprofits (and businesses) and I’m guilty as well. We all have been. 

The reason we write such brutal and unmemorable elevator speeches is because we are trying to accomplish the wrong thing.

Normally we try to best summarize our work and get our message across in a succinct way. A seemingly innocuous approach but what we should really be asking is “what will make this person remember me and my organization?”.

This is the concept of trying to make things stick, a book I’ve finally started to read, which has 6 principles to make things stick that can act as a guide for nonprofits in their marketing, communications and storytelling:
 
6 Principles to Make Things Stick

1. Simplicity 
2. Unexpectedness 
3. Concreteness 
4. Credibility 
5. Emotion 
6. Stories 

Without a doubt, we in the nonprofit sector need the most work on #1. Simplicity. When we do get the chance to talk we just want to say it all. Whether this comes from pure passion for the cause or fear we won’t get another opportunity I’m not sure but it leads to easily forgettable interactions. In their book Made to Stick, Chip & Dan Heath put it this way:

To strip an idea down to its core, we must be masters of exclusion

Masters of exclusion. I love that phrase. It’s easy to figure out what we can say, harder to determine what we should say and hardest yet to understand what doesn’t need saying at all. HubSpot recently had a good article on how Apple launches their products and, surprise surprise, one of them was simplicity. With the release of the new iPhone 5s and 5c they simplified their message down to two things: twice as fast and has a fingerprint sensor. The iPhone 5 conversation came up on the weekend with friends asking what was new about it. What do you think I told them? It’s twice as fast and has a fingerprint sensor. By being masters of exclusion Apple was able to make their message stick and I didn’t even get it from Apple themselves. I got it from someone else, HubSpot.

Is that all that the product is about? No, there’s all kinds of other things, technical specifications, colours, etc. but they start with faster and sensor and let people take it from there if they want. And that’s one of the things you need to be ready for, people to want to go deeper or just move on. With that, here’s… 

5 questions you can ask yourself to make things stick and be a master of exclusion when looking at your elevator speech:

1. What is the one thing you want people to remember after the conversation?
2. What are the 1 or 2 key points you would want someone to be able to repeat to others?
3. What can we say later on if they are interested and we have more time/attention?
4. Which words can you replace with even easier to understand words?
5. How can you make it even simpler?

By asking these questions and keeping in mind how you can be a master of exclusion and be memorable your elevator speech, and other communications, you’ll make things stick. And that should be the goal.

By @bradyjosephson on RE:charity

LinkedIn Profile Must-Haves

So you’ve got a LinkedIn profile, and you want it to be perfect – so what do you add? This infographic by our friend Neal Schaffer at Maximize Social Business lists 17 things your profile must have.

Takeaways:

• A serious profile picture is necessary on LinkedIn – you don’t want one that will turn people off you.
• Be active – update your status regularly and share relevant content.
• Make yourself contactable – add an email address, and links to Facebook/Twitter to the description.

Source

How Tech Is Changing The Traditional Workplace [infographic]

9 Tips For Nonprofit Social Media Content Marketing

 
Content marketing can be intimidating, especially for organizations that don’t have extensive teams or networks of content creators. 


If the term “content marketing” evokes images of staff stuck on an assembly line, writing hundreds of blog posts and designing thousands of graphics to use on social media, take solace in knowing there’s an easy way to tackle the work. The notion that content creation takes hundreds of hours of work is one of the biggest myths in nonprofit social media marketing. 



The nine tips below offer a simple and effective plan for nonprofits to generate content for their social media streams:

1. Find creative ways to use existing content

2. Use free social media and research tools

3. Partner with content producers

4. Experiment and test new ideas constantly

5. Use listening devices

6. Use the same content on multiple platforms

7. Take risks

8. Target and hyper-target content

9. Repurpose everything

Want to see all of this in action? Check out Media Cause’s social media platforms and see this post come to life:
Twitter
Facebook
Linkedin
Google+
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By Cody Damon Posted in - Social Media Marketing 

7 Secrets to Making Recruiters Find You

3 Ways to Spot a Fantastic Creative Candidate

By: infocux Technologies

No matter what field or position a candidate is applying for, they have to supply a resume that covers their background and expertise, however all recruiters know that intuition plays a key factor in selecting the right person for a role. When it comes to filling design jobs and other traditionally creative ones, there’s even more importance placed on identifying the right person to fit the role and within the existing team. They will often offer a portfolio of their work with their application, however that can only go so far to tell you how they think, and how they work.

Number one on my list when I’m applying for a job is to go in with tremendous amounts of enthusiasm. I’ve found that to be the greatest asset I can bring to the time I’m visiting with recruiters and hiring managers. With rare exception, they will choose to work with friendly and pleasant people. Enthusiasm and energy can be a game changer, especially when you might be an underqualified or fringe candidate and you’re looking to separate yourself from the pack. I recall several times being faced with questions during interviews I couldn’t quite answer, but rather than duck and evade them or highlight other positive qualities unrelated to the inquiry at hand, I turned them into chances to talk about how much I’ve learned and how quickly I can get up to speed.

Nobody will get hired on enthusiasm alone, of course, but it can be a characteristic that helps you leave an impression on someone. Here are three other things to look for in a candidate during the interview that will demonstrate whether they will be a good fit within the creative department at your organization: 

1. Collaborative:

Freelancers and consultants can work well alone, but the majority of us feel relief in being a part of a bigger company. There’s no end to the benefits that come with participating in conversations with colleagues that will ultimately highlight everyone’s strengths and make your final product better. During the interview, you can get a sense of how the candidate will function within the team they are looking to join. Give them a chance to show how they problem-solve with a situation that requires multiple people and lots of attention. How they envision their role in getting everything in order will illustrate what they might be like to work with on a day-to-day basis. It’s not just a role they’re filling; it’s a spot within a cohesive unit. 

2. Assertive:

They’ll need to get along with others, but also know when to hold their own and to speak for themselves. It’s important that workers take ownership over their projects whenever possible, and having someone who is meek or standoffish could jeopardize your enterprise. Find someone who will make sure that the assignment not only gets done but also in its best form. They should take pride in what they do, and also in the brand they represent with their work. Make it clear to them from the start that your company will reward them however possible as they show their prowess for motivating others and keeping up the positivity. Be sure to bring up incentives and what they see as top motivating factors. 

3. Humble:

Even if they are masters at their particular field, they should know how to keep any unflattering arrogance in check. They should be able to seamlessly join a team and find their place. During the interview, especially on a follow-up one, you can learn more about them by asking them to describe times they failed and what they learned from the experiences. How they respond will reveal a lot. Listen carefully to what they choose, but also pay heed to how they say they grew from it. Even at high-levels of a company, errors take place, many of them unexpected. Overcoming adversity is key to a successful group. If you have the right people in place, when those issues arise, they’ll be able to navigate around them together.

A word of advice: sometimes it’s the job descriptions that get things off on the wrong foot – if the list of responsibilities and qualifications reads flat, you’re likely going to get a set of candidates to match. When it comes to recruiting creative professionals, you’ll want to give them a glimpse up front of what you and your culture are like. Find ways to spice up the job listing to help yourself get in front of the right candidates. Don’t forget that interviews and application processes are two-way streets and you should make sure you are also at your best. Some of the techniques that go into hiring tech or business people might not work for creatives. You, too, will have to do your homework and adapt to the clientele and audience whom you wish to reach.

Author: Danny Groner is the manager of blogger partnerships and outreach for Shutterstock.

3 Rules for Creating a Beautiful Online Portfolio

If you're a creative professional — e.g. a designer, photographer, writer or advertising exec — you'll likely need to show an online portfolio as part of the application process for any job.

But no matter what field you're in, having a permanent link where people can access your work has other benefits, too. It's standard practice these days for recruiters to Google candidates' names to see what they can dig up. And when they do, having a website that shows off the articles you've written, campaigns you've been a part of or other past work you're particularly proud of can be a huge asset.

In addition, an online portfolio allows you to easily collect all of your clips or work samples in one spot. When you need to pull together materials to showcase in an interview, you'll be happy that everything is available and up-to-date. I've found my collection of clips that I keep on Tumblr to be a great way for others to see my latest articles all in one place and for me to assess the trends and topics that I cover best.

Of course, before you start throwing things up on a website, you'll want to make sure that this micro-homepage is visually attractive and dynamic. There are plenty of platforms you can use (Carbo, DripBook, Krop and Carbonmade are some of the best), but regardless of which one you choose, these tips will help you convey the right message in your portfolio. 

1. Get to the Point

Recruiters will usually make their hiring decision within the first minute of meeting you, and that same rule should apply when a potential employer views your online portfolio. From the second someone arrives on your page, you have to make sure he or she gets the best, most effective impression of you.

Besides having a clean and professional design, one of the easiest ways to do this is to have a single, compelling image to greet visitors at the top of your page. Even if you're not adept at shooting a camera yourself, you can use a stock photo that will represent you well. Just make sure that your selection matches the industry in which you're competing. For instance, if you're a PR professional, you'll want an image that shows activity and connectivity; if you're a writer, something that uses words, letters or writing tools.

No matter the industry, check out Curalate's infographic for guidelines on which types of images work best: Images that are reddish-orange, for example, perform better than images that are blue, and photos without people in them are shown to be more compelling. 

2. Keep it Simple

During the interview process, you will have plenty of time to talk about your best projects and greatest achievements. On your online portfolio, though, you just want to whet people's appetites. Think of it like an auction — you get to see the item in a catalog and fall in love with it beforehand. Then, during the live portion of the event, the auctioneer will give you more info about the object up for sale.

Sell yourself in this same way by telling the story with less on your portfolio. For example, include the front page of the brochure that you designed and created — -not all 16 pages — or links to your top 10 articles, not top 100. Wait for a prospective employer to request the rest. It's a good sign. And once someone is interested in your work, you will have plenty of time to give him or her more information. 

3. Give Your Interviewers What They Want to See

Found the perfect job to apply to? Great. Don't be afraid to adapt and adjust your portfolio from time to time, especially if you're interviewing for a specific position.

Pay particular attention to the skills advertised in the job description, then use that information to help guide you on what to put front and center on your portfolio. For instance, if you're interviewing with a healthcare company, make sure the work you've done for other healthcare clients is easily accessible — more so than say, your fashion, sports, and media work. It'll be comforting for the interviewers to see your relevant experience in action, and it could even help them carve out their vision for what they want for theirs.

Like your resume, your cover letter or anything else a potential employer might see, your online portfolio should showcase what you have to offer in a concise, compelling and interesting way. Keep these rules in mind, and you'll already be one step ahead of the competition.

Image by glassdoor.com
This article originally published at The Daily Muse here