Happy New Year

May your days be bright and your nights warm. May each day bring you the love of friends and family and the kindness of strangers. May your life be filled with blessings and good health. May you know the comfort of a home to provide serenity, food to nourish your body, and beautiful things that feed your soul. May you enjoy the wonders of nature. May you find work that challenges your mind, encourages your creativity, and allows you to live comfortably. May you find peace.

3 Months Until Christmas...and 91 Degrees in the Shade

Another hot, humid Saturday in the DC area so this Job Acquisition Specialist is always on the lookout for low-cost, interesting things to do. For several years I have wanted to visit the Kreeger Museum in northwest Washington, an architectural gem, designed by Phillip Johnson, filled with 19th and 20th century art, including impressionist paintings, sculptures, African masks, and modern art.

I had read that Saturday, September 25 is Free Museum Day at designated museums around the country, so I registered for tickets to the Kreeger (it's normally only $10). Love saving money!

Our informative tour guide provided information on the design and construction of the house/museum as well as about certain paintings. From his insights, one could really glean a sense of the couple who collected these pieces of art and the passion they felt for their collection.

This was a great diversion on a hot Autumn day when I started feeling the year rushing by much too quickly. I'm looking forward to visiting the Kreeger again since the work on display is switched out periodically.

Opera in the Outfield

Thanks Washington National Opera and Washington Nationals for opening up Nationals Park last Sunday for a wonderful event featuring the opera Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) by Giuseppe Verdi. This story of royal love, murder and betrayal, set in Sweden, offered fabulous music and singing from a live presentation simulcast from the Kennedy Center.

My photos, taken with my iPhone from the stadium seats, certainly do not do justice to the spectacle on the screen.

This was the third annual Opera in the Outfield event that Washington National Opera has sponsored. A not-to-be-missed event next year!

Art=tranquility=refreshing the mind

House Boat by Claude Monet

How does art stimulate your thinking?

I adore visiting museums, art galleries, historical sites, gardens, and old homes. I almost always learn something and am entranced by the beauty of the surroundings. I also find that the art calms my soul and stimulates the brain cells. It fuels my thinking.

Recently, I finally visited the magnificent Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, home of one of the largest collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the world. The artwork is spectacular, from the Renoirs and Matisses to the Van Goghs, Rousseaus, Modiglianas, to African masks and more. The artwork is hung in striking visual arrangements to draw attention to different aspects of the art or lines, shapes and color. The paintings are interspersed with beautiful, old iron fragments such as hinges, doorknobs, and more to further illustrate aspects of the art.

I could barely force myself to move on to the next room since there is so much art in each gallery. The Barnes Foundation is an easy day trip from the Washington area and is a must-see for any art lover.

It was the perfect creative re-energizer for this Job Acquisition Specialist.

Summer's End

I love summer but this year was unusually hot in the mid-Atlantic region, so an end of summer trip to New England was the absolutely perfect way to get re-energized for Autumn. Yes, I know the official end of summer is still 10 days away, however with Labor Day weekend and the neighborhood kids back in school, it feels like the seasons are a-changing. I love these blue skies, cooler mornings, open windows and fresh air. Just like I saw in New England.

The tranquility and beauty of New England...aaaahhhh.

Covered bridge at Shelburne Museum, Vermont

Relaxing spot on Orr's Island, Maine

Boats on Lake Champlain, Burlington, Vermont

Vermont countryside

Beautiful goats at Fat Toad Farm, Vermont

White Mountains, New Hampshire

Presidential Range of the White Mountains, New Hampshire

Cog Railway chugging up Mount Washington, NH

Church in Bennington, Vermont

How to Use Twitter to Find a Job

I love Twitter and think it's a great source of information, access to articles, and opening my thinking to new people, ideas, technology, jobs, and opportunities. I'm able to stay on top of what's happening in advertising, marketing, social media, and business. I'm alerted to discounted flights and specials at Whole Foods and Starbucks.

I found this article for job seekers particularly relevant and concise (both for Twitter newbies and those who have been Tweeting for a while) : How to Use Twitter to Find a Job | Digital Pivot

Enjoy and happy job search!

Do Employers Really Know What They’re Looking For?

I have seen scores of job postings for positions that seem to encompass multiple functions, skills, and backgrounds into one role within a company. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, corporate America and nonprofits, but you are highly unlikely to find anyone who has the skill sets to do everything from media relations to graphic design to copywriting to design of websites to strategic planning to media planning to social media well. The key word here is well.

I think it’s a great attribute for people to be generalists and to know a little about a wide range of topics. I may be familiar with how to use a drill and a hammer, but I don’t think anyone would want to hire me to design and build a house. Knowing how to use the tools in business isn’t quite the same as being knowledgeable about processes, communicating to your audience effectively, quality work, expertise based on years of experience, training, and understanding the rationale behind decisions.

Here are examples of some of the “Qualifications Needed” from recent job postings (these have been edited for brevity):

Director of External Affairs:

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in communication, business, marketing or other relevant field; supplemented by 3+ years of accomplishment in a multi-faceted external relations position.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite & Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Acrobat). Graphic design skills required.
• Web and Social Media experience required.
• Knowledge of media sources.
• Capacity to create consistent messaging and to manage events for cultivation, awareness building, and celebration.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Preparation and periodic submittal of columns, letters to the editor, blogs, news releases and other public relations communications to ensure enhanced public visibility.
• Ability to comprehend and correctly use informational documents including budget reports, surveys and trends, and other reports and records.
• Ability to write for publication, conduct research on individuals and organizations, prepare statistics, and other job related documents using prescribed format and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction and style.

If you’re not looking for a job, it’s almost humorous. I envision one person with about 12 arms and a head that is constantly spinning. It’s one thing to oversee and manage others responsible for a tremendous variety of skills; it’s stupidity to imagine that one must be skilled in it personally in order to get the job done. Here’s another example:

Marketing Communications Specialist

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop, create, implement and manage communication and demand generation programs.
• Negotiate with, brief and manage external agencies
• Manage multiple campaigns across diverse channels, ensuring they are delivered on time and within budget.
• Collect, analyze and report metrics, including program effectiveness, lead generation and ROI

Requirements:

• 3+​ years of experience of designing and implementing successful B2B campaigns
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Experience in communicating benefits of technical products to internal and external audiences.​
• Knowledge and experience of multimedia development and editing capability (Adobe Suite, InDesign, etc)
• Excellent project management skills
• Creative experience:​ In-Design, video editing/​production
• Excellent English writing skills
• B2C writing experience is preferred but not required

And one more:

Marketing Manager

Marketing Manager will:

• Juggle dozens of projects, head off issues and put out fires at the drop of a dime
• Translate needs and ideas into workable solutions and effective programs; act with diplomacy and manage expectations
• Be comfortable managing relationships with all employees from entry-level staff to executive stakeholders
• Think out of the box and know how to make a big impact without blowing a budget; personally like to research and stay up to date on the latest marketing trends
• Possess excellent copywriting and creative skills, web 2.0 expertise, ability to navigate the Adobe suite and have print production experience

You Must:

• Possess at least five years of experience working within a corporate marketing department
• Demonstrate a track record of performance managing multiple marketing programs; bring your writing or design portfolio
• Be highly collaborative, you understand creative services and work well on team initiatives
• Have experience in strategic planning and execution
• Play in the interactive space; you Facebook and Tweet, of course you’re Linkedin and you’re always on the lookout for the next great web 2.0 experience
• Possess a Bachelor’s Degree

I'd be interested in hearing the comprehensive or unusual job postings you're seeing in your fields, too. Maybe that's a business opportunity...helping companies to write job descriptions and job postings.

Mission Impossible?

Sometimes I feel as though I’m on a mission. Seriously.

Some days, my mission seems to be to catch all the grammatical errors and typos in the newspaper (and sadly there have been many in the past year or so). That usually leads me to a rant about the decline of newspapers and decent writing in this country, which then leads to the decline of a good, comprehensive basic education in the U.S.

Other days my mission is evil drivers; mostly, those people who don’t stop at stop signs. In my neighborhood, walkers, children on scooters or bicycles, people pushing baby strollers, and joggers have to watch out for the “slow down and go” drivers (most of whom seem to be on their mobile phones). Maybe this relates back to poor driver education?

But now my mission is bad advertising. I wrote an email a few months ago to the “We Want to Hear from You” contact for a particular organization in Washington, DC after seeing a particularly egregious, hard to read, and even harder to comprehend print ad. They must not have appreciated my feedback (or offer to help them) because I didn’t receive a response.

But today I was stopped by an ad in the August issue of Washingtonian Magazine (believe me, there are many ineffective, hard to read ads in this publication). Advertisers, you may as well not even waste your money advertising if:

• Consumers can’t read the copy because the type is too small and fine to reverse out of the background photo.
• A potential customer can’t easily distinguish the name of the restaurant (or any business) in the logo…again, because it’s too small and insignificant in the ad to be noticed.
• I may already be familiar with your business, but you’ve hidden the reasons I might want to go there again (in other words, the benefits to your customers, your key selling message, your unique offering) by listing four hard to read bullet points, none of which are compelling when selecting a restaurant. For example, “ A hot spot among the city’s elite.” Please.
• You select a photo that shows part of an empty restaurant and stairs leading…where, to the kitchen, the restrooms, the bar? I adore great architecture, well-designed spaces and serene environments, however all I’m getting from this photo is “dull.”

People, sometimes understated does not serve your business well. Think before spending your precious money. You’re advertising for a reason… does your advertising effectively communicate for you?

I fear I may be getting a bit curmudgeonly but I am a girl on a mission...and I love it.

Ford Fiesta or Siesta?

Anyone else get this commercial for the new Ford Fiesta? I first saw it this evening and was confused by the "Hands Free" sign at the end. What?

I know I am not the target audience for this particular car and I surmise that they are trying to reach a younger, hip audience, but I have lots of issues with how they are trying to do this:

• It's a complicated presentation of the benefits of the car (did you catch the 40MPH message and the full tank signage?). Come on, who doesn't want a car that gets 40MPH; that's a pretty big message that should be shouted from the rooftops.
• It appears less urban and more old fashioned (resembling a scene from "Singing in the Rain" or another old, classic movie). Does anyone want anything less than the most up-to-date, most effective technology when buying a new car?
• And what is the deal with people dropping from the roofs?
• We aren't really seeing the car or any features that make it look like it would be sweet to drive.

The car ads have been hitting the airwaves over the past few months, as car manufacturers are trying to boost sales. I am very happy that Ford (which did not request nor take any government economic bailout money) is doing well, increasing sales and market share this year. They are all battling for your dollars and hoping to lure you into a new car purchase.

But as Leo Burnett said about advertising:

Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.

What car ads have you seen that are right on target or captured your attention and admiration?

Health Insurance Options

Check out the government's new site to provide information for people seeking health insurance: healthcare.gov.

The site launched last month and explains very simply what is happening as a result of the landmark healthcare reform law that went into effect earlier this year.

You can find out which private health insurance plans (or public options) are available to you state by state. Once you see the health plans available to individuals (or families), you can go to each insurance provider to review individual plans, coverage and costs. I found this a great resource. It still means sifting through a lot of information from each insurance provider, but it allows you to compare the give and take of deductibles, co-pays, coverage, and monthly cost in order to make the best decision for you.

Happy, healthy shopping.

Separated at Birth?

Anyone else notice the resemblance between Tony Hayward, CEO of BP, and Michael Sheen,actor, who played the roles of Prime Minister Tony Blair in the movie “The Queen,” David Frost in “Frost/Nixon,” as well as Liz Lemon’s very short term romantic interest in “30 Rock."

Every time I see a photo of Tony Hayward, I immediately think of the movie "The Queen." I have to imagine a movie about the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster is in the works (if not, someone needs to get started on a screenplay), and who else could better play Tony than Michael Sheen? After all, it's a story rampant with greed, bribes, people out of jobs, sexual liaisons, endangered animals, children worried about their parents, a terrible fire, death and destruction, a threatening storm...wow, it's a lot of drama for one film.

USPS: What About Advertising on Stamps?

We're all familiar with the financial constraints of the US Postal Service. Postage prices rise, jobs are cut, post offices are eliminated, and there is talk that in all probability one day of home delivery will be eliminated each week. 


Anyone can see that email, electronic banking, online shopping, and the economy have taken a toll on the number of pieces of mail that get sent. I know in my home, I receive fewer catalogs (thankfully), fewer credit card solicitations (although Capital One and American Express remain relentless in their efforts to get me to spend money), smaller magazines (less advertising = fewer pages), and less mail each day. 


So I have just two questions:
1. USPS, why the heck did you spend millions of dollars to sponsor the US Pro Cycling Team (in other words, Lance Armstrong's bike team) in the late 1990s and early years of this decade?


2. What about selling advertising on stamps? Many of the stamps now feature beautiful artwork, famous Americans, or places of historical significance. At one time, the USPS introduced a program in which customers could create their own personalized stamps featuring a photo of your choosing...your face or someone else's. 

But what about offering that space up to businesses with deep pockets...or even smaller local businesses?  I'd like a book of 44 cent stamps sponsored by Starbucks or Bloomingdales or Hallmark. They could still be visually attractive, a good fit with the sponsoring brand, and the USPS reaps a double whammy...revenue from the advertiser and from the stamp purchaser.

Don't laugh. I am getting ready to mail two birthday cards today and will be adhering the very boring Liberty Bell "forever" stamp to the upper right corner. But I would love if I had Mad Men stamps, sponsored by AMC to correspond with the launch of the show's new season, to lend a little pizzazz to each envelope.

Running the numbers:
In fiscal year 2008, 37 billion U.S. stamps were printed.
If one advertiser sponsored one million stamps at 10 cents/stamp, the USPS reaps $100,000. If they can get ten sponsors at the same rate, then the USPS earns $1 million.
Small potatoes, but a start...

Top 10 Things Learned This Week

When one isn't working, one can still learn something new every day. Things may not be as intellectually stimulating, but inspiration is all around us. Here are the Top 10 Things I’ve Learned This Hot Summer Week:

1. I learned that stores will always post banners boasting their 75% off Clearance Sale, but when one gets inside, most things are only 25% off the regular price. That one thing that’s 75% off must be left from 2 years ago. Don’t fall for something that appears to be too good to believe.
2. I learned that storm clouds rolling across the sky, with the promise of a huge rainstorm to come, are energizing on hazy, hot summer days. Summer in the mid-Atlantic = wilted me. The clouds in a dark sky help rev me up to actually get work done. 
3. I’ve learned (actually I already knew this one but it was reinforced this week) that patience is a virtue. When heading home after an art show Tuesday evening, traffic was completely stopped due to a fallen tree across the parkway. My first inclination was to wish I had listened to the traffic reports so I could have chosen an alternate route, but it was too late. However, dear friend, cool car, quiet evening and good conversation meant waiting for the road to be cleared was enjoyable.
4. Peaches are the best food ever. I always thought I was a strawberry girl, but the beautiful, juicy, perfect peaches from Kingsbury Orchard are pure summer heaven (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack time). 
5. I am fortunate to have an abundance of friends – new friends and old (okay not old but long-time friends) – who go out of their way to share ideas and information, provide a sense of humor, plan outings, share meals, recommend books, commiserate, open a bottle of wine, and give welcome advice and encouragement. I learned we must be grateful for these friends in our lives and tell them so. 
6. I learned that to be a job seeker, one must be a risk-taker, too. It’s no time to be shy, modest, or quiet about looking for a job. 
7. I learned that if there is someone I really don’t enjoy spending time with, then life is too short to spend more time than is absolutely necessary beyond being cordial. 
8. I learned that I actually do like tomatoes (those growing in pots on my patio). As a child I loathed tomatoes but somehow I now think they’re pretty swell and a terrific lunch with fresh basil leaves, cottage cheese, and lots of ground pepper. 
9. I’ve learned that it’s beneficial to print out a cover letter and resume to proof before submitting online for a job application (trust me). Reading these things in print makes it much easier to catch errors than reading on my laptop screen.
10. I’ve learned that the best time of day is the very early morning, when no one is out and about in the neighborhood, the air conditioner sounds are silent, the sun is up but only just, the birds are not quite stirring, and I can sit outside, read my paper and sip hot, hot coffee while it’s still slightly cool on a July morning. I sense a hint of the light changing, not so bright at 6am, summer ending and Fall on its way.

Easy to Watch, Easy to Read

I was entranced by this TV commercial for the Amazon Kindle. 

The first time I saw the spot a few weeks ago, I was drawn in by the slow beach reveal and the low-key, non-intrusive song…I was curious to discover what was being advertised.  Who doesn’t want to be at a quiet beach, looking at the turquoise water, feet in the soft sand, reading a good book in the summer?

Then Kindle hit the hot button benefit, since (not being a Kindle owner) I would have wondered if it’s even readable at the beach; the words on the screen reinforced that it’s readable even in bright sunlight. Great advertising and memorable!

Lyrics/sung by: Annie Little

Dollar Wise and Pound Foolish?

I am not an economist. I am simply a Job Acquisition Specialist who is (who has been) looking for a job, following layoffs at my previous employer. And based on the tepid results of my job search and that of many, many other friends, colleagues, and acquaintances who are in the same boat, I believe that many of the nation’s unemployed will not be able to be employed again. There is a shortage of jobs as companies and governments have eliminated jobs and scaled back hiring.

I have also been concerned with some of the political rhetoric in this country that seems to be based on self-centered, emotional preservation of personal principle (and one’s own job) rather than on sound, educated research and considered analysis.

Paul Krugman, a Nobel-prize winning economist, wrote recently in the New York Times:

"So I don’t think this is really about Greece, or indeed about any realistic appreciation of the tradeoffs between deficits and jobs. It is, instead, the victory of an orthodoxy that has little to do with rational analysis, whose main tenet is that imposing suffering on other people is how you show leadership in tough times.

And who will pay the price for this triumph of orthodoxy? The answer is, tens of millions of unemployed workers, many of whom will go jobless for years, and some of whom will never work again."

Mr. Krugman also wrote that cutting back on unemployment benefits for millions of Americans will only worsen the economy as spending, which stimulates manufacturing, business, and growth, will be cut back even further. No spending = less money being spent at groceries, local businesses, and Target = further cutbacks on hiring = more people being unemployed = fewer charitable donations = more people and organizations in need. So extending unemployment benefits for the reported 15 million unemployed Americans (and most economists believe the number is even higher since so many people have simply dropped out of the job market after a long period of being unemployed OR they are under-employed, having taken part time jobs while waiting for the economy to improve) may seem counter-intuitive, but history indicates that is not the case.

From Mr. Krugman’s July 4 op-ed in the New York Times:

"One main reason there aren’t enough jobs right now is weak consumer demand. Helping the unemployed, by putting money in the pockets of people who badly need it, helps support consumer spending. That’s why the Congressional Budget Office rates aid to the unemployed as a highly cost-effective form of economic stimulus. And unlike, say, large infrastructure projects, aid to the unemployed creates jobs quickly — while allowing that aid to lapse, which is what is happening right now, is a recipe for even weaker job growth, not in the distant future but over the next few months."

I fear that America has sunk to such a partisan, tit-for-tat mentality that there is little hope of coming up with a recovery plan that is in the best interest of the country as a whole. Anyone else have more confidence than I do?

It’s hard to imagine that the economy could worsen, but it seems a very real possibility. And what is the first thing people do when there is fear of a depression: cut spending even more (even the employed will cut spending and find ways to save money). And, of course, this then leads to cuts in manufacturing, sales, and jobs.

Is it too late to go to medical school? I think there is going to be a need for physicians in this country in the next few years.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day, America.

In case you’ve forgotten:

• The Fourth of July commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, declaring the 13 colonies’ independence from Great Britain.
• An original of the Declaration of Independence may be seen at the National Archives (free entry). It’s on view along with the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, and one of the few remaining copies of the Magna Carta.
• Congress officially declared the Fourth of July a national holiday in 1870 for federal workers (without pay) and the District of Columbia. Americans celebrated the occasion but it wasn’t declared a federal holiday until 1941.
• Bristol, Rhode Island has the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the country. In 1777, thirteen guns were fired in the morning and the evening to mark the thirteen colonies’ declaration of freedom.

The National Archives is one of the most interesting and historic places to visit in Washington, DC. One realizes what a young country the U.S. is as well as the extraordinary significance of the brave founders of the country who took a stand on basic human rights. 

Enjoy your celebration!

Mid-Week Escapes

Believe it or not, even unemployed Job Acquisition Specialists need a break from reality...especially when the late June thermometer indicates a 72-degree day and there is no humidity in the air. This is the kind of day that tells me I must be outside.
No air conditioning needed. Lunch outside, preferably by the water. A change of scenery. Time away from the computer.






I'm ready for a proper vacation but with time on my hands, no great discount fares found this weekend, and no vaca planned, a couple of perfect days outside playing tourist was the ideal plan. Wednesday meant a beautiful day trip to the Chesapeake Bay and Friday was spent meandering through the activities at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in D.C.






A day at the Chesapeake Bay was the perfect mini holiday. A walk through Annapolis then lunch al fresco at Bridges on Kent Narrows: beautiful view of the water, delicious crabcake sandwich, perfect deck for outside dining. I could have sat there all day soaking up the sun.

It was a great day to check out the Chesapeake Exploration Center while at Kent Narrows to learn more about Maryland's long and fascinating history and the things that have been so important to its culture and economic growth: farming, tobacco, fishing, crabbing, and more. There is a nice observation deck and a path along the area being developed to prevent more erosion along the banks of the Bay.

And late June/Early July in Washington always means the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, with opportunities to check out the musicians, dancers, storytellers, craftsmen and artisans, food, and culture of different countries each year. This year featured Mexico, Asian Pacific Americans and the Smithsonian...unfortunately the weakest lineup I can ever remember (perhaps a result of budget constraints?).

Nothing memorable in the Asian Pacific American area (except for the very beautiful Sri Lankan dancers).

But Mexico had a variety of musicians, artisans and people making tequila (sorry, no samples) -- now that was a fiesta for the senses, too. A mini vacation in Washington, DC.

Mi hermosa hija:

The Government's Got an App for That

I adore my iPhone. It's a mini-computer, telephone, information-provider, music carrying, and family photo sharing, pocket-size, fabulous invention. I love being out with friends and able to look up a movie time, a definition of a word, a street address (along with directions) for a restaurant, or the opening hours for a museum. It also provides me access to news when I'm waiting in long lines and easy connection with family and friends.

So I was pleased to read today that the U.S. government has launched several apps to make useful info easily available when one needs it. From nutritional information to products that have been recalled to wait times at TSA checkpoints at airports (now that's info I can use!) to information for veterans...and more. The apps are easy to find, no wading through bureaucratic gobbledygook to get to the right page, and a great way to get information to me when I need it (like when I need a zip code after leaving the card store). And of course who doesn't need a mobile BMI calculator... 


I think one of the most useful apps they might come up would be for USA Jobs, so applicants can search new job postings, get an alert if a job is posted that matches a submitted resume, or track their applications.


These apps are not just for iPhones but are also downloadable for other mobile devices. Thanks,fed gov,for trying to be more consumer-friendly!

Inspiration and Onion Sandwiches

You may not think these two things go together, but check out this article from this morning's Washington Post about the oldest person to retire from the U.S. Postal Service. Is this a great guy and dedicated worker, or what?

I love hearing stories about someone who keeps on living, who doesn't stop with advancing age and think that life is behind him. Instead Mr. Reed is looking forward to traveling with his son and discovering new countries he's never seen.

I'm guessing Mr. Reed has also been one of those people who just performed a job as well as he could for the sake of a job well done. Not for the accolades, recognition, bonuses, or sense of entitlement, but because wanted to work each day. We can all learn something from his work ethic.

If onion sandwiches helped him to hang-glide in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 93, then I think I'd better switch my diet.