Marketing & Creative Jobs in Canada Blog - Part 11

So…you totally suck at social media (but you don’t have to)

you-suck-social-mediaImage of woman using phone from Shutterstock.

Whether you’re a newcomer getting accustomed to the nuances of different social platforms or constantly active on multiple social platforms, it’s important to keep in mind your personal reputation and maintaining professional business etiquette as a brand. Guest Author Meira Khosla, Social Media Manager for Outsite The Box, explains.

As the manager of multiple social media accounts across various platforms, I’ve had the opportunity to witness various ways people present themselves through their online personas.

I could go on and on about the dos and don’ts of social branding, but so as not to bore you, I’ll just  Continue reading →

Creative Cultures: Anomaly stands out from the crowd

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In our Creative Cultures series, we spend a day inside companies to learn how hiring, onboarding, and company culture play a role in employee happiness. From start-ups to design firms and all in-between, we’re pulling back the curtain on what it’s like to work in inventive and productive environments. Today, writer Helen Bullingham is at Anomaly.

Anomaly is a new model creative agency that gets things right on so many levels. The agency functions like a smooth set of lungs, breathing in the local art, music and social scene and simultaneously exhaling a very significant contribution to the art, culture and start-up scene in Toronto.

My interest in Anomaly was piqued by their unique IP (Intellectual Property) investment structure; part of their business model is to trade marketing expertise for an equity stake in businesses with potential. Continue reading →

Man against machine: is your career automation-proof?

man-vs-machineImage of man at ATM from Shutterstock.

As larger shares of our work processes and workforce are being handled by machines, writer Dayton English gives an examination of the consequences and impact of the systems that were once deployed to make our lives easier are now replacing us, and provides strategies to ensure a robot doesn’t steal your job.

Every day the boundaries of possibility with technology are pushed to new horizons. Advances offer exciting innovations – it’s truly a wonderful time to be alive!

You can summon a driverless car from your smart phone. After a day out you’re free to go home and immerse yourself in a world of virtual reality, and stretch out Continue reading →

Creative Cultures: The sweetness of working for Purdys

creative-cultures-purdys

In our Creative Cultures series, correspondent Crystal Henrickson spends a day inside companies to learn how hiring, onboarding, and company culture play a role in employee happiness. From startups to design firms and all in-between, we’re pulling back the curtain on what it’s like to work in inventive and productive environments. Today she’s with the sweet people of Purdys.

British Columbians, think back to some of your favourite holiday memories… chances are Purdys plays a part. Purdys is an institution in BC. From its origins as a single chocolate shop on Robson Street in Vancouver in 1907. 110 years later, Purdys has retail stores across BC, Alberta, Ontario (and soon Saskatchewan!) and boasts numerous awards — including Best Employer, Best Managed and Canada’s Best Workplace Culture. Continue reading →

How to tell you’re about to get fired

freshgigs-blog-about-to-be-firedImage of employee getting fired by boss from Shutterstock.

At this point in my working life, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t lost their job – either through layoffs, outsourcing, or being fired. I myself lost a job as part of company-wide layoffs.

Losing your job sucks, there’s no way to sugar coat that. I’ve worked at several companies since my layoff experience and they’ve all gone through job cuts of one variety or another.  So while losing your job isn’t completely preventable, there are some warning signs you can look out for to better prepare yourself. Continue reading →

Bad romance: when co-workers copulate

office-romanceImage of co-workers kissing from Shutterstock.

Your eyes meet over the photocopier, otherwise, early morning dull rides in the elevator morph into an exercise in stomach churning anxiety. “Coffee?” becomes code for “quickie?” in all its flirty, eyelash-fluttering intensity.

Office romances: the last surviving relic of the Madmen era workplace, and a very, very bad idea.

Yet, they are still incredibly popular, Bridget Jones had her Daniel Cleaver, Jim from The Office had Pam and of course – and perhaps most infamously of all, Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Continue reading →

We’ve done away with the brainstorming, so now let’s talk strategy

creating-a-killer-strategyImage of businessman working on laptop from Shutterstock.

Trying to lead an initiative, but getting nowhere fast? Maybe your strategy needs an overhaul. Writer Emma Bullen has tips on how to create a strategic plan that will knock your boss’s socks off.

Chinese General and author of the Art of War, Sun Tzu once said, “All the men can see the tactics I use to conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which great victory is evolved.”

In the office, as on the battlefield, a brilliant strategy can often lead to a great victory. The critical element is making sure your strategic plan is as bright as day to your work colleagues so they can help you implement and execute on it. Continue reading →

You’re lucky to have a mentor: 10 tips to keep in mind

freshgigs-lucky-you-have-mentor-tooimage of young woman and man from Shutterstock.

Whether it’s finding a mentor willing to take you on, or finding one who fits your needs, consider yourself lucky if it all works out. So, if you’ve got one, and you’d like to keep him or her, for the love of God, don’t piss them off. Writer Fiona Tapp is gonna tell you how to keep your nose clean.

When I started teaching, I was mentored by an amazingly creative and experienced educator, he taught me so much and made me cry a few times, but I will be forever grateful for his tutelage. Over the course of my career, I have been on the other side of the equation and have personally mentored 10 trainee teachers. Continue reading →

Moving up isn’t the only way to advance your career

dont-move-up-the-ladderImage of young man crossing the street from Shutterstock.

Want success in your career? It used to be that you could just stick with the same company and advance through the ranks with experience and age. These days, employees have to forge their own career paths by seeking out opportunities that showcase their skills and net them experience. Writer Corrie Alexander explains.

Over the course of seven years, I managed to work my way up from an entry level position to a leadership role within the same company. Although I really liked my job and colleagues, I began to feel like there was no more room to grow.

Not to mention, the 60-75 minute commute each way was a killer. Continue reading →

Do this now to turn your internship into a full-time gig

from-coffee-getter-toImage of female intern from Shutterstock.

Internships are an interesting sort of professional crossroad. Part indentured servitude, part atypical job interview, they can be a revealing and character-building way to get to know an industry, meet the players and generally get your hands dirty with some real experience. Writer Colin Gibson shares his story.

Internships can be frustrating dead-ends, wrought with the most trivial of labours and the most distasteful tasks. But if you take some time and strategize when you enter an internship, you may find yourself upstairs meeting with some elite managerial power who can offer you a new job on the spot.

Want to make that happen? Continue reading →