Digital Marketers & Big Thinkers Take Over Squamish, BC March 28-29th for the Canadian Internet Marketing Conference

FreshGigs.ca Team

On March 28^th-29^th just a short hour and a bit drive away from Vancouver up in the beautiful mountain town of Squamish, BC the Canadian Internet Marketing Conference is happening! The conference promises to be full of inspirational and cutting edge talks on Internet Marketing given by over 25 world class speakers including high level marketers and thought leaders from companies such as Google, 1-800 Got Junk, Hootsuite, DDB Canada, and even our very own Michael Zipursky, Co-founder of FreshGigs.ca!

Today we’re sitting down with Christian Thomson who is one of the Co-founders of this event to ask him a few questions about the Conference and of course what his favorite creative food and drinks are!

So Christian, first up welcome to the FreshGigs.ca blog! Briefly introduce yourself and also tell us how you founded this conference, the big idea behind it, and any other cool info we should know…

Hey thank you for having me! As the owner of Marwick a Vancouver based Digital Marketing Agency I was searching around the internet looking for conferences I personally would want to go to and learn the very latest from the experts in their sector. I found conferences for marketing in general or specific to social media but nothing that took a broader look at modern day digital marketing. At least not without travelling to the US.

We all want to learn from our peers, be inspired by the latest case study and generally hang out and network.

So I started to connect with people I wanted to learn and be inspired from. The response was ace. I met with my friend Darian Kovacs who runs a digital PR firm in British Columbia called Jelly Marketing and said “hey I’ve got this idea, are you in” in true Darian style he said yes let’s do it. Darian and his team at Jelly Marketing have been amazing to work with.

The conference has since grown into what many people are calling the go-to marketing event for 2015. We have over 25 speakers, panel experts and bloggers over the two day event.

If you’re a business owner, work in a marketing department or within the industry (SEO/Marketing/PR consultant, web designer, blogger etc) then this event is for you. Continue reading →

3 Ways To Increase the Likelihood of a Promotion

Neil Wadhwa

Why do some people get promoted, while other, seemingly more “deserving,” people get left behind? The answer lies in the way people (incorrectly) perceive promotions to be granted—that if you work hard, you’ll surely make your way up the corporate ladder. While there is an element of truth to this, you need to do more to ensure you get promotions.

There’s a simple step you can take to communicate your successes without appearing arrogant: send a simple email to your manager, every week.

Janet Choi, author of Why Some People Get Promoted (And Others Don’t), explains that success isn’t a straight line. If you want the promotion you deserve, you can’t sit back and wait for it to happen solely based on the fact that you do great work. Janet notes that the key to increasing your odds of a promotion is to communicate your successes with others. It’s simple: you do things, you tell people.

Here are three ways to tell colleagues about your accomplishments to help get that promotion you deserve:

1. Send a Quick Email

Most people have reservations about communicating their accomplishments to others. When done incorrectly, it comes off as arrogant and annoying, and can even alienate your colleagues. The problem is, you need to tell people about all the work you’re doing, and all the projects you’re completing, otherwise it might go unnoticed. You manager isn’t a mind-reader, and it’s especially problematic if you tend to work in teams, as your manager won’t be able to distinguish between everyone’s individual contributions.

There’s a simple step you can take to communicate your successes without appearing arrogant: send a simple email to your manager, every week.

By sending a simple, informal, description of all you’ve done that week, your manager will be able to see your progress—something that gets lost when looking at successes on a day-to-day basis—and won’t be kept in the dark in regards to all you’re doing, or wondering if you’re even doing your job. Sending a simple email turns an act of self-promotion into a friendly and ordinary update. It keeps you top-of-mind with your manager, and gives your manager a laundry-list of your weekly accomplishments he or she can turn to when determining who in the company should be promoted.

You can adjust the timeframe as needed, sending an email every two weeks or just once a month, incase you feel that once a week is too frequent. Continue reading →

8 Career Skills You Need in 2015 To Land Your Next Role

Lori Franze

Back in November we posted an article about the new roles available in the marketing space with the changes in technology driving the change. As the year wraps up it is time to take assessment of your skills and look to the New Year and what employers are looking for. The team at Hubspot recently posted an 89-page deck (don’t worry, it is a quick read that is easy to digest) on the top skills a marketing person needs in 2015 – for those of you who don’t have the time to invest in reading the deck, we’ve summarized the 8 skills below:

1. Data Science

I am sure you’ve at least heard of BIG DATA, well it isn’t a trend or fad; it is here to stay and that is good news if you know what to do with it. By 2020, we will be creating 50 times the amount of data that we did in 2011; that is a staggering stat that you can translate in to a very promising and lucrative career if you know how to find the nuggets of information and turn them in to recommendations for action.

A brand is no longer just a product but also the experience they provide across multiple platforms and companies need people to design those unique and rewarding experiences to improve customer loyalty and differentiate from their competition.

2. Agile Marketing

Things need to happen ASAP! Marketing teams no longer have a year to plan a campaign. It short time frames you will plan, test, learn and make improvements.

3. Consumer Behaviour

Think of yourself as a consumer and how you make decisions before you purchase; how has this process changed as you’ve grown older, as you’ve changed income brackets, maybe became a parent? Understanding how to take the information available on the target audience and their behaviour and action it for each segment will be invaluable.

4. Marketing Technology

A marketing technologist will use the data available coupled with the technologies that are in the hands of consumers to plan the brand story in a creative way. This marketer will map buying journey of target audience and provide content and visuals more individual level to engage them.

5. Content Promotion

Being a content promoter is being able to see the big picture – how the content is should be packaged for each target audience, how to get the word out about the content so that the audience is aware and interested and how to continually optimize for conversion. Continue reading →

Stay Focused with These 5 Pieces of Creative Wisdom

Neil Wadhwa

Sometimes you need inspiration to keep you going. It’s hard to see the light at the end tunnel when battling through a creative funk, questioning your career path, or just struggling with a work-related project, especially if you’re trying to figure things out on your own.

As a writer, Paul Jun, author of 7 Pieces of Wisdom That Will Change the Way You Work, knows that the creative path isn’t always smooth. From uncertainty to confidence issues to simple writer’s block, there’s a lot to deal with, and sometimes a word of encouragement is needed to keep going.

Building your solid routine helps you focus on what you need to be doing versus what you actually do at the moment.

Here are five pieces of wisdom that Paul has picked up over the years, and which he uses to move forward and thrive as a writer:

1. Study the Work of Other Artists

Paul picked up on this piece of wisdom from Robert Green, author of the book Mastery. In Mastery, Robert notes that studying the work of other artists is an essential building block for improving creativity and mastering a skillset. More importantly, you shouldn’t limit yourself to just studying artists in your field, as this might only re-enforce your pre-existing ideas.

“Learning does not entail the study of one domain but rather a diversity of them,” says Paul.

“This facilities the process of cross-pollinating ideas and concepts, introducing you to new methods and ways of thinking.”

2. Build a Solid Routine

Building your solid routine helps you focus on what you need to be doing versus what you actually do at the moment. Once you’ve built a solid routine and are in your groove, you realize what really matters in your schedule and, as a result, give it your undivided attention. A solid routine actually gives you more time for what you need to complete, as you’ll be less inclined to break the routine to complete a meaningless, ad-hoc task.

3. Keep Things in Perspective

Working in a creative field—especially if you’re a freelancer, contractor, or solopreneur—requires real dedication to what you do. It can be a challenge to reach the levels of creativity you want to achieve, and do so while being profitable, and emotionally fulfilled. It’s for this reason you need to prioritize what’s really important, and to not squander time when looking to meet your goals. Fully commit to your actions, so when you’re debating between pushing through 30 more minutes of work, or stopping to watch that Seinfeld repeat, you know what your only option is. Continue reading →

Win a FREE Ticket to Art of Sales in Toronto on January 26th

FreshGigs.ca Team

Introducing The Art of Sales Conference in Toronto January 26th

It’s time for another episode of “The Art Of” conferences! This round is in Toronto on January 26th for their Art of Sales Conference

If you’re a FreshGigs.ca member and into sales and marketing this is sure to be an inspiring event! Check out this list of talented speakers! Greg McKeown, Mark Bowden, Joey Coleman, Jackie Huba, Jon Jantsch, and Scott Stratten.

How to Enter The Contest

To enter this contest and win 1 of 2 tickets is quite simple, you only have to be willing to do the following 2 things:

1. Tweet This: I’m itching to go to @TheArtOf Sales in Toronto on Jan 26th – Come on @FreshGigsca let me hit it up!

2. Be willing to write a summary or blog post of the day’s findings. Example from past conference here

Guarantee Your Spot – Buy a Ticket Here & Get $50-$100 OFF (Only For FreshGigs.ca Community)

FreshGigs.ca has teamed up with The Art Of to offer our members $50-$100 off per ticket if you buy your conference tickets on this page: http://info.theartof.com/st15/fg32

Not Motivated At Work? Here Are Some Tips On Staying Happy

Lori Franze

I know, it’s hard – you feel unappreciated or you are not challenged. Maybe you have a bad boss (we have some tips for how to handle one of those) or a colleague of yours is out to get you. All of these things make it hard to be a happy person; but there are things you can try, despite your circumstances that can have a positive impact on your happiness. And admit it, when you are happy your work product is better and the day does go a bit smoother.

Health.com’s Ellen Siedman has shared 14 Ways to Be a Happier Person that you can do each day to add a bit of “happy” to your life. Here are some of the, easier to implement, strategies that you could give a try:

Just decide to be happier and just do it. While being happy shouldn’t feel like work it should be something you put on your to do list and keep top of mind as you go about your day. Researchers believe that genetics make up 50% of your happiness levels, circumstances of life another 10% leaving 40% up to you and your efforts and determination.

Don’t sacrifice financial stability for happiness and don’t use this strategy as often as those that come at no cost or you will just add the stress of debt to your unhappiness list and that is obviously counterproductive!

Think about your happy place. What makes you happy? Where are you most happy? Who are you usually with when you feel the happiest? Make a list and when you feel like misery is creeping in, take a break and pull out the list. Reminisce about those happy times and maybe even think about planning to do one of the activities on your list.

Buy some happiness. Of course this activity should only happen if you have the financial means to purchase some happiness. Don’t sacrifice financial stability for happiness and don’t use this strategy as often as those that come at no cost or you will just add the stress of debt to your unhappiness list and that is obviously counterproductive! Continue reading →

The Art of Sales Conference in Toronto January 26th! $50-100 off for FreshGigs.ca Community

FreshGigs.ca Team

Join us at Canada’s top sales event returning this January 26^th, 2015 in Toronto.

The Art of Sales conference, sponsored by Microsoft, brings world-renowned sales leaders and bestselling authors for a full day of cutting edge thinking and real world experience on today’s most critical sales strategies.

Connect with over 1,300 of Toronto’s most notable sales professionals and gain insights from:

GREG MCKEOWN – New York Times Bestselling Author.
MARK BOWDEN – Communication Expert, Performance Trainer.
JOEY COLEMAN – World Renowned Expert on Customer Experience Design.
JACKIE HUBA – Customer Loyalty Expert & Bestselling Author.
JOHN JANTSCH – Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author.
SCOTT STRATTEN – Bestselling Author of UnSelling, UnMarketing.

Take advantage of our PREFERRED RATE, use promo-code “FG32” and save up to $100 when registering!

Click here to register: http://info.theartof.com/st15/fg32

When:

January 26^th, 2015 8:30AM – 5:00PM

Location:

Metro Toronto Convention Centre
John Bassett Theatre
255 Front Street West
Toronto, ON
M5V 2W6

3 Ways to Control Your Ambition

Neil Wadhwa

How often do you compare yourself to others? With Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and more, it’s easier than ever to keep tabs on what your friends are up to in the professional world. While the motivation gained from seeing the success of others can act as a driving force for you, it also causes you to needlessly create goals that are never ending and constantly changing. Your ambition is stronger than ever, but you’re never satisfied.

As odd as it sounds, your ambition needs to be managed—otherwise you’ll end up getting lost in a sea of career milestones, always comparing yourself to others along the way. Andrew Dumont discussed the concept of this nagging voice in the back of your mind, constantly telling you to do more, in his article Is Your Ambition Holding You Back?. Here are three ways he mentioned that you could control your ambition by either quelling or satisfying that nagging voice:

Don’t let yourself be in constant awe of what others are doing—you’re capable of doing anything you want, but it seems impossible when you’re always comparing yourself to others.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

The headlines announcing the latest and greatest company, founded by someone a few years younger than you, expected to rake in millions (or billions) will cause the, “What am I doing with my life?” questions to pop-up in your mind. If you keep these comparisons up, all you’re doing is chasing others and creating impossible benchmarks to hit, rather than focusing on realistic goals of your own. The success of others, and what they’re doing with their lives, should not dictate (or block) your path to happiness.

The best way to stop this cycle (comparison > new goals > constant nagging > comparison) is to put the comparison in perspective: acknowledge what others are doing, see if there are any key takeaways that will help you learn and grow, and then simply file the news away. Don’t let yourself be in constant awe of what others are doing—you’re capable of doing anything you want, but it seems impossible when you’re always comparing yourself to others.

Don’t Forget About the “Outside Wins”

Not everything should be about your career. If all your ambition is focused onto your career, you’ll suffer from what Andrew describes as a lack of diversification. You need to find alternate avenues where you can please your ambition. By doing so, you’ll be able to celebrate the “outside wins”. Continue reading →

Happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year

FreshGigs.ca Team

As we wind down yet another big year our team at FreshGigs.ca wants to take a moment to send out warm wishes to you, your friends, family and any other people close to you during this holiday season.

Enjoy the process and remember to give yourself some down time as well to think, recharge, spend time with loved ones, and just to enjoy.

This is a great time of year to reflect on how 2014 went and also to plan and project the upcoming year. Enjoy the process and remember to give yourself some down time as well to think, recharge, spend time with loved ones, and just to enjoy.

We are truly grateful for all of your support and hope to continue to bring the FreshGigs.ca community more Canadian creative jobs and specific content in 2015. 2014 was a great one and let’s continue to all push hard together in 2015 and challenge ourselves to the next level.

Here’s to a happy new year, holiday season, and a great 2015!
Michael, Sam, Vincent, Lori and Neil, and the whole team at FreshGigs.ca

3 Ways You Can Build Your Network Even When You are Not Looking for Work

Lori Franze

Of course if you are looking for work you are probably out there pounding the pavement, making connections and networking, this is especially likely if you are unemployed. Networking isn’t something that you should just be doing when you are looking for your next role but an activity that should be incorporated in to how you operate on a daily basis.

Bobby Umar is one of the top networking coaches in the world and as President of Raeallan he knows that networking is critical to his business success. When I asked him how individuals could improve their network even when they are not searching for a job, he shared the following 3 tips:

So be a mentor, give advice, show up, be responsive and be accessible. Your network will value this and your net worth will increase in value. Someday you can make your net work for you.

1) Always, always, always be building your personal brand: Whether you like it or not, your brand exists. It’s what people say about you or think about you whether in person or online. You need to keep managing it, growing it and building some though leadership around what you do and are passionate about. This includes social media or online, such that the moment you are thrust into ‘transition mode’ you have a solid base to leap from.

2) One foot in the door, one foot out of the door: When you get your foot in the door, you need to work hard to impress, learn, grow and deliver in your organization. But you also need to have another foot out of the door that is networking externally, investing in leadership development, involving yourself in causes unrelated to your employer. That foot in the door can stay there for 5, 10, even 20+ years. It doesn’t mean you have to leave. But too often people with both feet in only invest their time and energy within the organization and once they are let go, have to spend months building a pipeline of opportunity. Continue reading →