SubscribeHow to Copy & Paste to Land a Job at Sothbey’s Inc.
It’s late at night. I was working on another blog post but came across one of the funniest Craigslist Ads I’ve seen in a while. I know someone will catch this and it will be gone in the morning but here on the internet, everything is written in permanent ink thanks to our lovely screen capture capabilities. The “Best of” flag was definitely raised for this one.
Years ago, I wrote a post about things you can do on Craigslist and one of the things on my list was hiring. Craigslist is know for its wide variety of job postings. Apparently if you can copy & paste you’ll be ahead of the curve at Sotheby’s Inc. in New York and they are currently hiring an “Administrative assistant”. Here’s the job link http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/ofc/3774684960.html. Keep in mind this link might be gone by the time you read this. Here’s the job description:
The job description seems pretty normal, until you read right below the description and find instant messages between a manager and another lady who I’m guessing may be the current Administrative Assistant. Perhaps they are replacing her to find someone who can copy & paste.
I thought this was the end of it, but wow this ad just kept going and going… I warn you to pace yourself because you’re going to be scrolling down quite a bit!
Dear Sotheby’s Managers, please train your staff on computer basics before letting them post things on the internet. To make it easier for your next employee, here is a quick copy & paste tutorial. I even show you two different ways to do it.
The Right Click Method
Use the mouse to highlight the text you want to copy. Then right click and scroll down to “Copy”. Move the mouse over to where you want the text you just copied. Right click again and go down to “Paste”. Please note that this may vary depending on your operating system but should work for most cases.
Keyboard Shortcuts Method
This is my favorite method when it comes to copy & paste. It’s the most efficient and will save you a lot of time.
Select the text you want to copy with your mouse. Then follow the below guide:
Windows: Hold down the CTRL key then click
- C to copy
and - V to paste
Mac: Hold down the Command key (⌘). Then click
- C to copy
and - V to paste
That’s all there is to it. Do you think you can handle being the next Administrative Assistant at Sotheby’s after my quick copy & paste tutorial? Good luck and let me know if you get the job.
Celebrate Earth Day with 5 Ways to Go Green while Marketing your Business
Happy Earth Day everyone! I love celebrating a day that honors the place where we all live. In 2012 I celebrated Earth Day by sharing 12 ways to go green at work. My go green tips even got me featured on NBC San Diego. This year I attended the San Diego Earth Fair at one of my favorite places in San Diego, Balboa Park. The idea to write this post came to me while I was at the event.
There were tons of vendors and businesses showcasing their goods and services in hopes to attract new customers. Some vendors did a great job capturing the essence of creating a more sustainable environment on earth day and others were still producing a lot of waste with their marketing and promotional campaigns. My goal for this post is that everyone reading this will learn at least 1 go green tip they can implement into their marketing strategy which at the same time will help us keep our earth a wonderful place to live.
1. Go green promotional items- Many businesses have gotten really smart with their swag and rather than giving away useless tchotchke items they are giving out products that are actually useful. I recommend that if you are going to spend money on giveaways, spend a little extra on things that will be used over and over again so that your logo and business is constantly getting exposure. These items include reusable shopping bags and refillable water bottles. Not only are these things that will last, but they also encourage people to go green.
2. Accept digital coupons- Rather than creating paper waste by requiring people to print out coupons for your business, accept digital coupons. You can do this by emailing coupons or having a link to them on your website, then encouraging people to redeem the discount you’re offering simply by showing it on their phone. More and more people are getting smart phones and at the same time, less people are buying printers. The easiest way to implement a digital coupon is to have a coupon code associated with the deal. This way when a customer comes in to redeem the digital coupon, all the employee has to do is type in the code. Having a code also helps cut down on any confusion as to what ”Foursquare Check in deal” is or a “Yelp Deal” is when the customer is redeeming your offer.
3. Make print material small and have a call to action- I was sad to see how much print materials was being passed out at the Earth Fair this year at Balboa Park. Brochures and flyers often go straight to the trash. Sometimes printing marketing material is still necessary. You may be an event and want to give out coupons or a discount code for your website, flyers to an upcoming event or business cards so people can connect with you again. My recommendations for cutting down on paper waste with print marketing material is to make it small and give an incentive to someone receiving the print material to connect with you online. Make sure to include your website and your social networks on all print material. When connecting people to your social media, include the icon of the network and the actual URL of your sites so people don’t have to search for your page. You can also encourage people to connect with you to receive a discount or promotion. Think, call to action to get your customers online every time you create a piece of print material.
4. Create digital content- Every time you create digital content, you reduce the need for print material. Have downloadable material on your website such as brochures, white papers and e-books. Even blog posts! Most digital content will take time to create but cost little to no money to produce (versus expensive printing costs) so not only are you helping the environment, you’re also saving money!
5. Create a photo op- The old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words works for this tip. People love looking at photos. They’re a digital souvenir so if you’re able to create a photo op that also captures your logo or something that represents your business, then you’re not only creating a marketing opportunity for your business, but you’re also creating memories for your customers. This can be done by having a photo booth that will email the photos taken in the booth, having your logo on a back drop where people are taking photos (think red carpet photos) or having something at your event worth taking a photo of. Check out the photo I took of the Raptor Institute’s booth at Balboa Park’s Earth Fair. This was definitely the most popular booth I saw with everyone waiting to take photos. The little owl you see there (common barn owl) is real and perching right in front of the organization’s logo/sign so the mobs of people who took photos of that owl, also captured the organization’s name and logo.
If you found any of these tips valuable, please share this post so more businesses know how to green their marketing! Also let me know in the comments if you have any other tips for going green either at work or while marketing your business.
How To Optimize Your Public Relations Effort for Social Media all while doing Karaoke Yoga!
Ever since I have decided to focus a lot of my energy to integrating yoga into my career, the universe has become more aligned with my desire! I’m receiving so many amazing yoga related opportunities. The power of intention is pretty amazing! In just a few short months, I was invited to teach yoga at one of the most gorgeous locations at Big Bay Bootcamp. I have also created Digital Media Now for Yogis, which are my marketing workshops customized exclusively for the Yoga, Wellness and Fitness industries.
In April, I was connected to @ManifestYogaJen on Facebook and Twitter. Because of her, I was gifted the chance to attend Tadasana Festival. Even though we only met briefly at the festival we stayed in touch via social media and last week she invited me to be part of her ABC filming for Karaoke Yoga in Los Angeles. Jen created Karaoke Yoga and it caught the attention of the local media. You can find out what the heck Karaoke Yoga is here.
I happened to have other business meetings I needed to attend in LA at the same time so I was happy to make the drive up and show my support. I’ve been featured on TV for Yoga before and it was such a fun experience. Last time it was Yoga Bootcamp and this time, Karaoke Yoga. It’s great how yoga can be integrated into so many other activities!
Yoga Bootcamp on KUSI
During the Karaoke Yoga filming, to my pleasant surprise, I met another Melody in the class who was practicing right next to me! Two Melodie(y)s in a Karaoke Yoga class is asking for trouble! I kid, and I always make reference to the fact that just because my name is Melodie doesn’t mean I can sing. Here’s a look at how much fun we had in class. We were dancing, singing, laughing and practicing yoga all on Summer Solstice. As @ManifestYogaJen says “It’s about connecting to your Joy.” What a perfect day!
ABC filmed the class last week and it aired yesterday morning. Are you ready for a glimpse of Karaoke Yoga? See the video below. And first I’d like to mention that I cannot believe I was on television singing karaoke. If it weren’t for yoga, this would never happen. There is literally a part where the camera zooms in on me and you can see me look over to the Karaoke screens to make sure I knew the words!
…A marketing lesson of course! A while back, I wrote a post on How to Optimize Your Public Relations Effort for Social Media. See, many businesses get a great PR feature on TV, radio or even print but they miss out on the opportunity to really gain more exposure and grow their business by forgetting to integrate social media. I want to re-emphasize 3 things on my old post that Jen did exceptionally well when it came to making the most out of her PR appearance for Karaoke Yoga on ABC.
1. Teaser Posts- Create some excitement about your upcoming appearance. Let your community know exactly when and where they can see your company in the media! Post anticipating tweets and Facebook updates a few days out. Ideally your posts will generate some retweets and shares thus making more people aware of your upcoming appearance. This is exactly what Jen did! She created an incredible amount of hype before her appearance so there was a huge audience looking forward to it!
2. Blog post follow up- After your PR appearance, draft up a quick blog post with information about your feature. If it’s a TV clip, see if you can obtain a file of the clip to host on your own YouTube and embed in your blog post. If you don’t have rights to the clip, create a link to it. If it’s a radio appearance, see if you can get an audio of your airtime. If it’s an article, link to the online version of the article. Make sure to thank the media graciously for your appearance. I was so happy to see a great follow up post by Jen right after the filming. It’s complete with photos and videos. Check it out if you want to feel good.
3. Social Media shoutouts- When thanking and mentioning the media in you blog posts, Twitter updates and Facebook updates make sure to make connect back to everyone else’s social networks. This significantly increases the chances that your partners and the media outlets will repost your information. You’re recognizing others by their social media handles and everyone loves to be recognized. Be sure to do this when mentioning other people in your posts too.
So there you have it! My adventures of being featured on ABC practicing yoga while singing karaoke and of course a marketing/social media lesson that you can apply to your own business. I’m very excited to see what else the universe has in store for me as I continue on my venture to combine my two passions: marketing and yoga.
Celebrate Earth Day with 12 Ways to Go Green at Work!
At Marketing Melodie we are proud to run a business that promotes environmental sustainability. We recycle, reduce, reuse and practice many greening efforts in all areas of our business. To celebrate Earth Day 2012, here are 12 ways to go green at work. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, sole proprietor, work for a large corporation or own a small business you can help create a greener workplace!
1. Bring your own waterbottle/mug- Many offices offer a water and coffee station. Along with the drink stations come plastic cups that are often used once and tossed. To reduce carbon footprint with your beverage consumption, bring your own reusable water bottle and coffee mug. Leave these in the office so you remember to use them.
2. Place plants on your desk and around the office- In addition livening up your space, plants help absorb indoor pollution. Some plants that are easy to maintain and do well in an indoor setting include: air plants, cactus, aloe, spider plants and jade.
3. Turn off electronics at night- Turn off your computer and other electronics at night and unplug the adapter. Even an idle adapter draws energy. If you work at a large company with hundreds of computers, think of how much energy this will save.
4. Encourage natural light- Design your work space to take advantage of natural light. Don’t cover up large windows or face your desk in the opposite direction of natural light. This will eliminate your need to use a desk lamp during the day.
5. Reduce paper usage- The greenest paper is no paper at all, so keep things digital whenever possible. Evernote is a great tool that allows you to file things electronically. You can also save any documents from your computer you need to file as a PDF and file it directly on your computer. If you have to print something that’s more than one page, make sure to print on both sides.
6. Electronic billing- Switch your billing statements from paper to electronic. Who likes to get bills in the mail anyway? Getting billing statements online is also more efficient since you get notified as soon as the bill is ready as opposed to having to wait for the post man to arrive.
7. Eco friendly business cards- Business cards are still very relevant in our digital age. You won’t go to a networking event without having people ask you for your card. It’s also a quick way to exchange information. There are various resources you can use to have an electronic business card such as uME. However, it’s often still relevant to carry around a paper business card. In this case, there are many options for printing your business cards on recycled paper. Moo Cards allows you to choose their “Green” printing when creating your cards.
8. Make your recycling bins larger than your trashcans- In most offices, there are many large trashcans and a few smaller bins for recycling. This should be reversed. In reality, many of the items you’re throwing away can be recycled but because the recycling bins are usually full, we end up throwing away recyclables out of convenience.
9. Use motion detectors to control lighting – This is a great tip if you have a storage room, copy room and other rooms that are used but not occupied during the entire day.
10. Reuse paper- It’s amazing how many sheets of paper are printed out for drafts then get thrown away as soon as the final document is printed out. Turn the piece of paper to it’s other side (if it’s not printed on both sides) cut it up into fourths an use it as scratch paper for notes, messages, etc. This is an eco friendly alternative for people who use a lot of post it notes.
11. Recycle electronics- Items such as old electronics, batteries and light bulbs are often thrown away in the trash due to the inconvenience and cost it takes to recycle. However, there are free electronics recycling events that happen across the nation. It takes a little research and planning to find the upcoming and closest event but it’s really not too much of a hassle considering how hazardous throwing away electronics is. San Diego has free electronics recycling events through Recycle San Diego. Many Ikea stores accept old light bulbs.
12. Donate usable office items- Earth Day is also a great time to do some spring cleaning. What items are laying around in your office and desk that you no longer use? Gather up all these items, ask your co workers to do the same and then donate them to your local charity. Reducing clutter creates a cleaner and clearer environment which allows more fresh air to flow through your work space.
These tips are simple! They just require small changes which make a big difference. Once again, Happy Earth Day and please share if you have additional tips on how to go green at work!
How To Pick the Brain of a Marketing Professional
I’m honored that many smart and successful people reach out to me on a regular basis to “Pick My Brain” on topics relating to Marketing and Social Media. There’s so much information out there that sometimes it’s hard to prioritize and understand the best ways to take advantage of all the digital tools. Just like you would go talk to a Doctor to seek medical advice, a Lawyer to seek advice about legal issues and an Accountant to seek advice about taxes, there’s definitely a need and desire for people to reach a Marketing Professional to seek advice about marketing their business.
I did a search for “Pick Brain” in my email inbox and immediately found many emails with this exact request for me.
“Currently, I’m trying to wrap my head around this social media thing as well. I’d loved to pick your brain sometime in the near future. I don’t know if I can meet your hourly rate but I can pay for lunch/starbucks when I’m in town.”
“I was wondering if you would be free for lunch sometime next week? I’d love to buy you lunch and pick your brains on all things Social Media/Blogging/Etc.”
“I hope to keep in touch — I’d love to pick your brain over a coffee some time on all kinds of topics!”
“I was wondering if we could meet professional for coffee or something to talk a little about social media? I’ll come to you, I’d just like to pick your brain a bit.”
“Our Meetup is just disastrous and I’m going to start re-vamping it from top to bottom. If you have time check it out and see what you think, I’d love to pick your brain about it”
As a Marketing Consultant, my business thrives on teaching others my expertise. This is what my clients pay me for: To educate them on marketing strategies and give advice on optimizing their presence on social networks. This is also why it’s important for me to emphasize the value in what I do and let people know that when someone asks to “Pick my Brain” they’re really asking for a valuable service that will help them grow their business in significant ways.
Before I continue I’d like to emphasize that I do offer a significant amount of resources and share my knowledge at no cost. This is what I use Social Media for. I frequently give tips on my Facebook Page, write Blog Posts with valuable insight such as 16 Things To Write about in your Business Blog and 10 Ways to Land Your Next Job Through Social Media and a variety of resources on my Twitter stream. Anything beyond what I’m already offering is customized and takes a lot more time and effort for me to ensure I’m providing specific content to help grow your business.
Now to continue more with the “Pick Your Brain” term, here’s what you guys said when I asked what it means to you:
Pick My Brain Definitions
It’s clear that picking my brain is valuable for your business. Because I’m aware of this, I’ve created an opportunity that business owners can take advantage of to”Pick My Brain” with my Small Business Solutions . It’s simple. I’m offering cost efficient solutions to provide effective actionable content that you can execute immediately.
Pick My Brain: One hour consulting call. You have the opportunity to get all your questions answered related to your business, marketing, branding, website, social media, etc. You will receive feedback that includes tactical strategies and actionable content you can implement immediately after the call. You will receive a follow up email within 24 hours of our call with a list of resources related to topics discussed on our call. Investment: $395
Online Evaluation: One hour consulting call. You have the opportunity to go through all of your online engagement tools from your website, blog, videos and social networking sites. I will provide you with insight on how to improve and enhance your current resources. This may include tips on how brand yourself more consistently online, how to create compelling digital messages and how to have your online tools successfully working for you. You will receive a follow up email within 24 hours of our call with a list of resources related to topics discussed on our call. Investment: $395
*COMBO DEAL- Purchase both the Pick My Brain and Online Evaluation options for $695.
Project Plan for Small Businesses (Available only to small businesses who have completed the Online Evaluation service)- After completing the Online Evaluation, Marketing Melodie will create a project plan for small businesses who choose to continue work to improve their marketing strategy. The project plan will be customized to meet your needs and goals.
So here you have it; an easy and valuable way for you to Pick the Brain of a Marketing Professional! If you’re interested in setting up a Pick My Brain or Online Evaluation, or both please don’t hesitate to reach out to me and we’ll get started immediately.
10 Ways to Land Your Next Job Through Social Media
I was recently interviewed by the San Diego Reader on using Social Media to enhance your job search. I shared tips on specific things job seekers can do on social media to improve their chances of standing out to potential employers and I was honest in letting the Reader know that I won’t consider hiring someone if they don’t have a LinkedIn profile. The full article is here. In this post, I’ve compiled a more clear and comprehensive list on how job seekers can use social media and other digital tools to land their next job.
PREPARING FOR YOUR JOB SEARCH
1. Clean up your Digital Footprints- Check your Facebook Privacy Settings to ensure that anything too personal isn’t visible on public Facebook searches. Make sure your Twitter stream isn’t filled with party tweets and do a quick Google search of your name to see if anything that might deter an employer shows up. If you find something unworthy do your best to find the source of that post to get it removed.
2. Optimize Your LinkedIn profile- Make sure you’ve claim your unique LinkedIn URL under “Public Profile Settings”on the bottom right click “Your public profile URL”. Update your summary and specialties using keywords and skills required in the current jobs you’re applying for. Request former employers and partners for LinkedIn recommendations on the work you’ve done.
3. Buy Your Own Domain Name- Whether you’re a job seeker or not, this is a great way to brand yourself as a professional. If your name is already taken, purchase a similar variation. You can use this page for your blog, online portfolio or even just as a landing page which links to your other social networks. Having your own domain will benefit you, especially if you’re seeking a job in any marketing or technology related field.
4. Register for a professional email address – If you’re still using an email address from your cable company such as cox.net or san.rr.net you’re demonstrating lack of understanding on the importance of having a reliable email address. If you change cable companies, your email address is gone. Using an email address from another company or from your university also gives the same message. Use a permanent email address, preferably your own domain. If this isn’t possible I recommend registering for a gmail address. It used to be popular to claim an email address such as beachman21@hotmail or sunshinechick@yahoo, etc. In this day and age it’s important to brand yourself professionally through your email address because often when corresponding to set up an interview, your email is the first impression your employer has about you. Use your real name so the person emailing you back has a reference to remember you before and after the interview.
DURING THE JOB SEARCH PROCESS
5. Save “Advanced Job Searches”- This is an efficient way to learn about new jobs posted that fit your criteria. This varies by website but you’re often able to customize criteria for jobs you’re seeking such as location, keywords in the Job Title, Level, etc under their “Advanced Search”. After typing in your criteria for a new job you’ll often find an option to “Save” the search. Each time you return to the site, rather than searching again, you can go back and review your “Saved Searches” to see if anything new has been posted. Some sites also offer an RSS Feed you can subscribe to for your specific job search. You can add the RSS feed to your browser bookmarks for easy access in reviewing new job postings.
6. Read Blogs about Industry Related Topics- Make sure you do as much research as possible not only about the companies you’re applying for but the entire industry. When you step into the interview, it will be beneficial to understand major news that’s happening in your field. Your knowledge will shine through during the interview process. Blogs provide you with personal insight from people who work directly at the companies and industries you’re interested in.
7. Use Social Bookmarks to Organize Your Job Search- Delicious.com is my social bookmarking tool of choice. It allows you to organize websites you visit, tag pages and take notes about each web page. You can create folders for topics relating to your job search and bookmark all the websites that fit your folder topic such as: Job Search Tips, Companies you’ve applied to, Industry News and Articles, etc. You can access your delicious account anywhere on the web.
8. Tweet about relevant industry topics/articles- As you do your research from reading blogs, tweet/share articles you find beneficial to people in your industry. Also post tips you’ve learned from your research. Even if your employer doesn’t check your Twitter account, the act of posting valuable information makes you more resourceful and knowledgeable.
DURING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS
9. Look up your Interviewers on Social Media Before the Interview- If you understand the career history of your interviewer you’ll be able to speak to things that may related to him/her. You’ll also have insight on their background which will help you understand why certain questions they’re asking may be important.
10. Follow up through Email, Social Media AND a Thank You Card- After the interview, immediately follow up with a thank you email stating your gratitude for the interview and enthusiasm for the position. Also let the interviewer know you’ll connect with them on LinkedIn or another relevant Social Network. This way they expect your request and know you’ll be reaching out to them. In addition to following up digitally, add an old fashioned personal touch by sending a hand written thank you. This is a unique way to stay top of mind and demonstrate your appreciation.
If anyone has additional Job Search tips related to Social Media, please feel free to share! If you have success stories on using Social Media to land your current job, I would love to hear them as well. To all the job seekers out there, best of luck to you and here’s prosperous career ventures in a digital age!
