Kelly Boykin: June 2009 Archives

(from Julia Thahar, Recruiter)

With all the social media sites available, you would think that Recruiters and Hiring Managers would have an easy time finding great candidates by what each is blogging or Tweeting about, right? Unfortunately, when someone runs keyword searches they will find hundreds of prospective candidates, more than anyone could ever hope to contact.

So you might be asking, "How can I have Recruiters find me through Facebook, or Twitter, or LinkedIn?"

At Mashable.com, Search Firm CEO Boris Epstein shares his tips on how you can "pass the social media recruitment test" and have Hiring Managers and Recruiters find you instead of the other way around!

Pop over here for the rest of the story.

As an Actress and Model often used in stock photos on flyers, medical brochures, and government documents, I hope you realize I am not the best choice for answering your questions regarding emphysema, higher education savings plans, or big savings on meat products at your local grocery store.

I know you will appreciate that these are merely advertisements where my image has been used to generate your interest in a product or service and that these are not subjects on which I am expert.

While I have a strong interest and knowledge on subjects such as knitting, dressing on a budget, and geological formations in Mono Lake (I watched the special on PBS), I know virtually nothing about Taco Twos-Day at your local Mi Carne Loca restaurant.

Similarly, I have no idea how to have medication shipped to your door, as I have never met anyone from BestMeds.com and am not responsible for them flooding your e-mail account with discount offerings from their Canadian headquarters.

Just because you saw me wearing glasses and pointing at a chart on a time management training brochure, please don't ask about my preference for office calendar programs in a Windows environment. I can't remember where I dropped off my schnauzer, Pickles, for grooming.

I've never even worked in an office.

Which means, except for the photoshoots in which I was involved, I have never had someone lean over my shoulder to comment about an item on my computer screen, worn a hard hat, directed coworkers to the nearest exit wearing an orange safety vest, or tried to sneak a smoke while in the lavatory.

Yes, I travel. But when I do, I never leap into the air with my briefcase in the airport (an image used on the JetAmerica brochure). I'm not even sure you could do such a thing anymore without being approached by the TSA.

I don't have kids, but if I did I wouldn't let them eat a hamburger as I let my "children" do in stock shot #6580, as I am a devoted vegetarian.

I am not married to the model who looks like an older version of Ashton Kucher, which means our marriage couldn't possibly suffer from the sort medical of dysfunction indicated in that brochure.

I have not been diagnosed with eczema, bipolar manic depression, and/or bunions, nor do I need a course in remedial English or need to be educated on the proper handling of raw food in the kitchen.

So please stop pestering me with your inquiries.

In fact, all of us at the Stock Photo Model Union Local 544 hope there will come a day when you won't stop us in the grocery store because we seem vaguely familiar, then keep us from buying our food while you rack your brain, trying desperately to figure out why you know us.

We're letting you know right now: you don't know us at all.

We're the Models who play the people who have your chemical imbalance, buy your favorite car, and deal with the same child rearing issues as you do.

Remember that when you see a picture of two of us "sealing the deal" by shaking hands in an office, that the office is, in fact, made of plywood.

We're your Local 544.

And we ask you to leave us in peace so that we can go about our lives as normal human beings.

Thank you so much for your time.

And don't forget to see our show, staring a full cast of Models from our union,"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Garage Theatre, 1845 W. Broxton, N. Hollywood on Thursday and Friday nights through July 10th.

Tickets are only $18!

As an Actress and Model often used in stock photos on fliers, medical brochures, and government documents, I hope you realize I am not the best choice for answering your questions regarding emphysema, higher education savings plans, or big savings on meat products at your local grocery store.

I know you will appreciate that these are merely advertisements where my image has been used to generate your interest in a product or service and that these are not subjects on which I am expert.

While I have a strong interest and knowledge on subjects such as knitting, dressing on a budget, and geological formations in Mono Lake (I watched the special on PBS), I know virtually nothing about Taco Twos-Day at your local Mi Carne Loca restaurant.

Similarly, I have no idea how to have medication shipped to your door, as I have never met anyone from BestMeds.com and am not responsible for them flooding your e-mail account with discount offerings from their Canadian headquarters.

Just because you saw me wearing glasses and pointing at a chart on a time management training brochure, please don't ask about my preference for office calendar programs in a Windows environment. I can't remember where I dropped off my schnauzer, Pickles, for grooming.

I've never even worked in an office.

Which means, except for the photoshoots in which I was involved, I have never had someone lean over my shoulder to comment about an item on my computer screen, worn a hard hat, directed coworkers to the nearest exit wearing an orange safety vest, or tried to sneak a smoke while in the lavatory.

Yes, I travel. But when I do, I never leap into the air with my briefcase in the airport (an image used on the JetAmerica brochure). I'm not even sure you could do such a thing anymore without being approached by the TSA.

I don't have kids, but if I did I wouldn't let them eat a hamburger as I let my "children" do in stock shot #6580, as I am a devoted vegetarian.

I am not married to the model who looks like an older version of Ashton Kucher, which means our marriage couldn't possibly suffer from the sort medical of dysfunction indicated in that brochure.

I have not been diagnosed with eczema, bipolar manic depression, and/or bunions, nor do I need a course in remedial English or need to be educated on the proper handling of raw food in the kitchen.

So please stop pestering me with your inquiries.

In fact, all of us at the Stock Photo Model Union Local 544 hope there will come a day when you won't stop us in the grocery store because we seem vaguely familiar, then keep us from buying our food while you rack your brain, trying desperately to figure out why you know us.

We're letting you know right now: you don't know us at all.

We're the Models who play the people who have your chemical imbalance, buy your favorite car, and deal with the same child rearing issues as you do.

Remember that when you see a picture of two of us "sealing the deal" by shaking hands in an office, that the office is, in fact, made of plywood.

We're your Local 544.

And we ask you to leave us in peace so that we can go about our lives as normal human beings.

Thank you so much for your time.

And don't forget to see our show, staring a full cast of Models from our union,"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Garage Theatre, 1845 W. Broxton, N. Hollywood on Thursday and Friday nights through July 10th.

Tickets are only $18!

Being someone who:

a) lives with a vegetarian
b) works closely with the design industry
c) buys a lot of organic items on a weekly basis

I have to say how surprised I am that:

a) the organic movement has taken off the way it has
b) many organic foods I see are still sold in non-recyclable containers

I always thought that if the organic/green movement grabbed hold, it would follow that many of the companies selling these organic items to consumers would naturally (ha!) choose recyclable materials to package their products. But that doesn't seem to be the case, especially in the organic food aisle. Baby carrots, bagged lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, garlic, etc. all shipped and sold in non-recyclable plastic bags.

And yes, I cringe every time I crumple one up and throw it away. (Thanks, Olivia.)

According to the "one of the world's leading authorities on plastic pollution," Dr. Anthony Andrady, Sr. Research Scientist at North Carolina's Research Triangle, "Except for a small amount that's been incinerated, every bit of plastic manufactured in the world for the last 50 years or so still remains. It's somewhere in the environment."

That figure might not be so scary until you realize we only started making plastic 50 years ago.

Anthony is, I believe, one of the people who has been talking about the island of plastic the size of Texas (yes that Texas), floating in the South Pacific.

I'm not sure what the disconnect is, quite, and maybe any of you Packaging Designers can enlighten me - why would a company that sells organic produce not think about the waste generated by their packaging?

I don't think it's cost. It doesn't take a business whiz to figure out that the people who buy organic foods are willing to spend a lot more for their food products - a couple pennies more on packaging wouldn't make or break the sale.

A few years ago, I got to see Chris Hacker, former Creative Director for the ultra-eco company Aveda, and to see some of the amazing, creative (and yes, outside the plastic bag/box) thinking his team was coming up with for packaging their products.

Maybe, like organic farmers themselves, it will just take a few rugged companies to be brave enough to set the standard for selling their produce, start the revolution, and have everyone else follow in their green tracks.

Otherwise, I'm afraid that track is now heading toward a giant floating island of polymers floating somewhere in the Pacific.


(Recycled milk crate image by SOCIALisBETTER)

There something weird about the span of time between 5 and 7am on Monday mornings.  Strangely, during that time I can forget about the uncomfortable lumps in my mattress that exist because I'm too lazy to rotate it nearly enough, and instead believe I'm sleeping on a brand new pillow-top version.  My sleep is seemingly the deepest I get all week, and I just can't seem to wake up.  Even when at the last minute I try to drag myself out of bed, it's as though my son has played some cruel prank on me and glued me to my mattress, because my body just does not move.

If you're anything like me, you may feel the same way on Monday mornings; having spent two relaxing days at home, not wanting to leave your comfortable confines only to have five days of work staring you down. 

I have, however,  found one thing that helps.  No, it's not a Bloody Mary or even the left-over prescription drugs from the time I threw out my back.  It's a plan.  Yep...that's it.  A plan.  I've learned that when I take time on Friday afternoon to tie up the loose-ends from the week, then sit down and write a plan for the week to come, I can start Monday without nearly the anxiety that I would otherwise have.  I show up to work with my thoughts organized, tasks prioritized, and specifics steps I can take to begin to feel productive.  I don't have to scramble around trying to figure out how to best use my time.

Good luck making your plan.  You should know, however, it's not always foolproof.  That's what the Bloody Mary is for!

エイクエントJapanの宮崎です。エイクエントJapanで運営していたクリエイターズブログからコチラに引っ越してきました。今回はMirroさんからの報告です。

We're all chained to our email, in one way or another.

Whether at the desk in the office or on the train/bus/ferry/broomstick via Blackberry and I-Phone, no other mass communication medium has revolutionised business the way email has.

We can extol the virtues of face-to-face contact and, to be honest, it is and always will be a more effective communication medium, but the fact is that business today runs on email servers, not on coffee meetings in the lobby.

A recent study has shown some interesting statistics on how we use email. The Epsilon's Global Consumer Email Study of 4000 consumers in 13 countries found the average Australian received over 180 emails a week, 10 per cent more than their Asia Pacific counterparts. This is less than those in Europe (200) and North America (300).

The survey, conducted by ROI Research, also found:
 
•    North American (87%) and European (74%) respondents are more likely than their peers in APAC (58%) to use email as their primary online communications tool.
•    In Australia, an average of 85 emails a week are considered spam.
•    Asia Pacific (32%) leads North America (9%) and Europe (7%) in the use of PDA or handheld devices to access email.
•    The idea of spam email had evolved to include irrelevant and 'saturated' contact.

Epsilon spokesperson Dominic Powers explained the challenges facing digital marketing teams in making their messages stand out in a crowded inbox.

 "Marketers need to work harder to create emails which have a high level of relevance, personalisation and ensure that the timing of emails is what the user wants," he said.

What the user wants, it appears, is to stop being harassed to buy pharmaceuticals and cheap diamonds, in addition to being pressured to take part in lucrative business 'opportunities' in Nigeria. 

What about you? How many email accounts do you use and how do you use them? Do you think the volume of spam is increasing?

 

SEO to rise amid other search spending
June 18, 3:53 PM
Becky Sheetz-Runkle


Search is fundamental to customer acquisition. And search engine optimization (SEO) is projected to grow consistently, according to eMarketer's Search Marketing Trends report.
 
One key finding is that brand loyalty is out the window in a down economy. Today's customers are jumping online in search of the best deal. This has major ramifications for B2B companies with longer (thanks recession!) sales cycles that need to work even harder to keep the customers they have.
 
Paid search, or pay-per-click is where the bulk of the search marketing spend is, but eMarketer concludes that marketers are increasingly turning to SEO to acquire new customers. eMarketer isn't alone in this conclusion.
 
They project that paid search will roll back from 15.9% in 2009 to 11.3% in 2013. Contrast this with SEO, which they expect to grow from 17.7% to 20.3%.
 
Find more details on the Search Marketing Trends report at http://www.emarketer.com/Report.aspx?code=emarketer_2000559. 

Look at me!!!  I'm blogging! I'm blogging!

Don't ask me for help with your VCR remote though....