YWD Success Story: She Got The Job!

When I started Young Women in Digital, my hope was to connect peers and to open the proverbial marketing doors for others to see that “wow, she’s really just like me!” The ultimate goal of course was to empower YWDs to move up in their careers, and to land their dream job through a peer connection. I didn’t know how fast this would happen, but at only our 3rd event, “Cupcakes and Careers,” one YWD took the cake (or cupcake I should say.)

Find out how Meghan scored her dream gig after attending our event.

1) How did you hear about YWD?

I heard about YWD from my friend Kate (www.andtheycookedhappilyeverafter.com) who had attended your event at Sonsie and said that it was a great networking opportunity to connect with other women who are in the digital marketing world. As someone who had recently lost their job in April, I was looking for new ways to meet new people in the industry.

 2) What sparked your interest in attending out last event, Cupcakes & Careers?

Thankfully, I had the availability and Kate was helping out the event, so she encouraged me to attend. Little did I know that a HR rep from Tripadvisor was going to be there.

 3) You’re a YWD success story! So, tell us how the story of how YWD event helped lead you to your new position at TripAdvisor.

I had applied for a position at Tripadvisor right around the beginning of my unemployment. I thought I was a good match and the job seemed right up my alley, so I sent in my resume, cover letter and portfolio and waited. And waited. And heard nothing. On the night of the event, a HR rep from Tripadvisor spoke about how you can get your resume noticed and in front of the right people. After she was finished speaking, she was chatting her way around the room, and with a little encouragement from my friend, I went over and mentioned how I had applied there a month before and didn’t hear anything. She told me to find her on LinkedIn and send her an email with my resume, and she would try to get it to the appropriate recruiter. That following week, I did just that. One day after sending my email to her, I received an email from a recruiter who had reviewed my information and wanted to schedule a phone screen with me. After two phone screens, two in person interviews and one more phone screen, I received an offer for the very same position I had originally applied for. Had I not attended the event and chatted with Jennifer, I most likely never would have heard anything from them.

 4) What are you doing at your new position?

My official title at Tripadvisor is a Brand Marketing Designer. I have my hands in all kinds of work that range from online (banners, landing pages, UX) to traditional marketing materials (magazine ads, tradeshow materials, promotional items). I love that I have so much variety in my day, and I can say that I am sincerely loving my new gig.

5) What do you think made the YWD event the prime place to network and ultimately land a new job?

What was so great about the event was having the right people there. People who know the industry and want to help other women succeed in the growing digital world. I can’t say that if this was a traditional networking event with men and women, I would have still gone. I think by just having a women’s group, makes everyone more approachable and easier to make those connections. It’s great to see women empowering other women! So I’ll end this with just a little thank you. Thank you for having such a great event, that led me to a really fantastic job opportunity.

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Young Women in Digital: Marketing & Mingling Event April 23

I couldn’t be more excited to announce our second Young Women In Digital Event! After the success of our first Speed Meet & Tweet event, I got right to thinking about what to do for the next one. Since I love to add a creative twist to anything I do, our “Marketing & Mingling” event will have just that, in the form of chocolates, gift cards and speakers.

We’ll have three of our very own Young Women In Digital speak about a specific campaign they’ve run, from idea to execution to results. Attendees will first mix and mingle, then listen to these great up-and-comers speak.

Plus, lucky for us, Eventbrite is sponsoring our get together and helping bring some of the extra creative ideas to life. They will be bringing a candy bar–a full assortment of various delicious candy for attendees to enjoy and snack on while they chat digital. They’ll also be sponsoring our “Golden Tickets”–fun gift cards for attendees to win if they tweet or instagram throughout the night using #YWDBoston. We’re bringing a little Willy Wonka to the digital world, and I can’t wait!

Want to join? Sign up here!

Why Can’t I Be Like YOU?

Lately, I can’t help but compare myself to everyone around me. Other bloggers, coworkers, random people on LinkedIn, high school acquaintances and so much more.

It always feels like someone is doing something MORE than I am. No matter how hard I try, they’re better, a bit cooler,  more experienced, friendlier, funnier, more exciting, more interesting and the list goes on.

They breathe sparkles and pink fire.

Their tear drops are filled with resume builders.

And everytime they sneeze creativity comes out.

Let’s be real, there’s always someone better out there. But, it doesn’t mean you can’t try your little hiney off to be just as good if not better.

Do you compare yourself to others sometimes?

Why Didn’t I Think Of That?

Welcome to my new series on marketing and social media called “Why Didn’t I Think of That?”

Each week I’ll be sharing marketing campaigns that are cutting edge, fun and unique. They all have me wishing that I had thought of the idea myself!

The first marketing campaign that I’m obsessed with this week is is the new Febreze “Breathe Happy” campaign. This campaign takes people off the street and asks them to take part in a scent test while blindfolded. Febreze takes them into disgusting places like sketchy motel rooms, a second hand store filled with dirty clothes and more, with each setting treated with Febreze.

In the following commercial, two women approached on the street in the SoHo section of Manhattan agree to be blindfolded for a scent test. Here’s the amazingness that follows when asked to describe the scent of room.

Enjoy!

I Love Link Love

Ahhh…I feel so refreshed. Last week I traveled back home and saw all my favorite people in Boston. I had the best time and realized the comforts of where I grew up will truly never fade away. Now I’m feeling a mix of happiness and nostalgia–fully appreciating the ups and downs of making important decisions in your 20’s. So, I hope you enjoy these easy reads that are keeping me balanced and inspired during the rollercoaster ride we call growing up.

This week I’m loving…

Marketing/PR

Intense Fence: Surprise! A Lesson in Superior Customer Service

I Want Her Job: Lesley Cardec: Always Do More Than The Person Sitting Next To You

PR Daily: Owner of PR Agency Speaks Out Against Unpaid Internships

Spin Sucks: What is Your Personal Tagline?

Summer Deliciousness

latartine gourmande: Summer Fruit Papillotes with Lavander Ice cream

So, You Want A Job After College?

I’m lucky enough to be a recent college graduate who actually got a job in the field I want to be in. But, this job wasn’t handed to me. I worked for it, and there were key things I did along the way that really put in the position to be “hire-able.”

I thought I’d share some tips for others looking to land a position after they turn their tassels and head into the land of competition, resumes, and interviews.

1.  Do As Many Internships As You Can. And Find The Good Ones.

Internships allow you to find out what you like and what you don’t like. This way, you can put your energy into a specific aspect of your field that you know you ENJOY doing–you may also find out what you thought you wanted to do, turns out to be a lot different than you expected. Internships also show future employers that you’re dedicated to the field, and took the time (free, even) to learn about the business and get your feet wet.

A senior executive at a world-renowned ad agency once came into my marketing class and told us “I don’t care if you’ve been a waitress, a camp counselor or an office assistant, I want to see that you made the effort to get into this field, and the skills you learned from that experience.”

Now, that’s just one perspective, since having a job while in school is great in itself (shows responsibility, ability to balance, etc) but, any type of work in the field you eventually want to get into is the BEST kind.

RESOURCES- Use THEM! Internship coordinators at your school, career counselors, job + internship fairs, professors and family connections are all there for you–go to them, use them, abuse them!

But, how can I FIND an internship?

1. Get on your internship coordinator’s email list.

2. Instead of going on general sites to find internships, figure out which companies you want to work for, and go to their website. Many of them don’t list opportunities on larger sites, but always list them on their own.

3. Search for a niche website that lists jobs in the field you want. EX: If you’re in Colorado and looking for a job or internship in the marketing/PR/advertising/communications field, the website, Andrew Hudson’s Job List, lists jobs (from entry level to senior level) and internships focused in these specific fields.

4. Talk to your teachers. If you have a teacher you respect and you enjoy being in their class, LET THEM KNOW. Go to office hours, meet outside of class, grab coffee–they know people and can help you find what’s right for you, help point you in a direction (and maybe even become a reference on your resume). This leads me into my next tip:

2.  Make Personal Relationships, Find Mentors, Stay in Touch With Them.

Your biggest resource are the people you create relationships with–if they feel personally connected to you, they’ll feel personally responsible to help in any way they can in your success.

1. If you do an internship, create personal relationships with your bosses. Once a week go out to lunch, ask them questions about how they got to where they are (people LOVE talking about themselves, remember that). Ask them advice, find out what they did when they were in college, what clubs they were involved in, what internships they landed, and what they think you need to do in order to be hired at their organization.

2. STAY IN TOUCH! After the internship is over, the relationship is just beginning. Email them every month, show them relevant coursework your doing and how it relates to the internship, talk about things you’re learning at your new internship, in your classes, or just write a quick note–saying hi, I’m thinking of you, hope all is well, hope the XXX project you were working on when I left ended up being a success, etc. Personalize, let them know you listened.

3. If you really want to go far, visit them, take them out to lunch. I had an internship in Boston (went to school in Colorado) and when I went back to visit for Thanksgiving, I asked my supervisors if we could go out to lunch to catch up. Face to face is always better. We got to talk and I reminded them, “Hey I’m still here, this is what I’ve been up to since we last spoke!” (and here is that charming girl/guy you loved last summer, remember?). They will really appreciate this, and remember, someone helped them once, and they are happy to return the favor.

3. Create A Portfolio Of Your Work

One of the main reasons I got the job I have now is because I created a portfolio of relevant work displaying my strengths, published works, creative skills & writing samples.

– SAVE EVERYTHING YOU DO. EVERY WRITING SAMPLE, EVERY GRAPHIC, EVERY IDEA YOU’VE EXECUTED.

– Going into a job interview with a hard copy of your portfolio is essential, and is even better if this goes along with a nice online portfolio too.

1. Buy a nice binder (leather is always good) to display your work. Buy presentation sleeves ( @ Staples, Office Max) to put your work inside.

2. Figure out an overall theme for your portfolio (ex: If you’re a graphic artist create a signature logo to go on every page, if you’re a marketing major, figure out YOUR brand (like you would a client) and use that as your theme. Here are some fantastically creative work portfolios from Smashing Magazine to help get your juices flowing.

3. Choose your best work–class projects, internship projects, writing samples, anything that shows off what you can do.

For every piece you put into your portfolio, ask yourself “why is this important?”

4. Next to your work, have a page that describes (briefly) what it is, the results that you saw from it, etc.

Ex: On my portfolio, on the right side of the binder I put a press release I wrote for one of my internships. On the left hand side, I wrote how many placements the release received in the media, how many more people came to the event I wrote about this year vs. last year, etc.) 

So, are you ready to start the first day of the rest of your life?

Why Should I “Like” Your Brand?

I’m going off my spirited rants for a minute and going back to my real passion: marketing.

After working at a social media agency for a few months as what many would call a “Social Media Manager” or “Community Manager”, I’ve explored my niche, and learned quite a few things along the way.

Thanks to measurement and hard work, I’ve  been able to see some positive results, patterns and trends in social media channels. I’ve seen increases in fans and engagement by implementing a few key tactics.

Here’s my take on increasing fans: Offer fans something creative and strong enough that will make them “like” your brand, talk about you with their friends, and cause them to be an informal brand evangelist- your advocate, your voice out their on the streets, your best friend- only the best marketing tool EVER.

(this is minus all the other very important tactics like being customer service oriented, responding to customer needs, and engaging in convo with fans: CARING.):

WHAT WORKS FOR GOOD OLD ME:

FACEBOOK TABS: Specially designed Facebook tabs are like gold. Since they can be interactive, visually appealing, and a fun extension of the brand personality, the offer on the tab will hold much stronger than any coupon you can get in the mail.

For one client, we offered a Free Meal to fans on their birthday every year if they “like” the brand and sign up for the email club. We saw the number of Facebook fans go up by almost 3,000 people in 3 days. What better offer than a free meal at a higher priced restaurant that people love? Nada.

When fans feel like a brand is offering an EXCLUSIVE deal, they’ll be more inclined to use the deal. It’s their special prize for following you.

A simple “like” for a fan isn’t hard commit to in order to get an offer. However, the more steps you add for getting the offer, the less chance you have of acquiring the fan (having them put in their email, answer questions, put in demographic info or go off the Facebook page etc.). Really, they should never be taken off the Facebook page. However, with a good offer, these steps won’t be a hassle for the fan.

Giving an offer where EVERYONE can win, is the ultimate. The CHANCE to win is also a thrill, but knowing you will absolutely get something out of it will make you much more likely to “like” or follow a brand.

Basically, a brand can really grow their reach on social media when they have something exciting going on. Something worth your time. Something to spark your curiosity…

Something to take you away from Facebook stalking your “friends.”

I Can’t Wait Until I Can Tell Someone What You’re Telling Me…

The trend on Twitter right now, #tweetyour16yearoldself, inspired me tonight. This trend could not be more relevant to my life. It made me realize I’ve always been that person that can’t wait until I stop going through what I’m going through, and just make it out on the other end. And on the other side, I envision myself telling the person that’s going through exactly what I’m going through, “you’ll be okay. Everything ends up working out.”

Examples:

As a freshmen, a little 18-year old dreamer going to an out-of-state to college, with no friends, no clue, and more nerves than my stomach could handle, all I could think about was my boyfriend. I had just broken up with him. I was in Colorado, he was in Boston. My first love, my first heart break, my first…well you can guess the rest.

Luckily, my snowboard loving, punk rock listening, girlie girl of a roommate, (all contradictions, I know), ended up being my crying partner in crime. We bonded immediately the first day after spilling our guts about how much we hated and loved our high school boyfriends. For months, we cried and cried, and talked and talked and hashed and re-hashed. Every night I would tell her, “I can’t wait until I’m the girl telling my friend who is crying about her ex-boyfriend that it will be okay. One day you will just get over it. You WILL move on.”

And I did move on. It may have taken a while, but it happened, and when it did, I felt so…free. I now find myself talking to girlfriends who are going through the same thing, the same pain that can only be described as someone turning and turning the knife around in your back until you one day you finally just don’t care anymore. Turn that knife baby, that dazzler isn’t even sharp.

As many times as people told me “it just takes time,” I slowly threw up in my mouth a little as I told myself “Ugh, SO cliche!” But now, I’m gonna do it. IT JUST TAKES TIME.

The same thing goes for my job. I’m minty fresh, as new as they come in the working world. I’m still building relationships, finding my niche, learning who I am, where I fit, and what marketing means to me. When I see people a little bit older than me who are thriving, have moved up in their positions and seem to have it all together, I tell myself “I can’t wait until I’m the one giving the new graduate advice and telling her she will do great. She will make it through.”

I constantly catch myself forcing my heart to live in the moment , while my mind wishes I were living in the easier moment. The later moment when everything is all settled, when I’m successful, well-known, understood, and unwaveringly confident…

As much as I’d like to fast forward, It’s not going to happen. But, going through the hard part, is the only way to get to the other side.

I seriously love…love.

Hopped up on Nyquill. Kind of Enjoying It.

I’ve never taken Nyquil before until tonight. I feel like a druggie. A blogging druggie.

I’ve been struggling for days about what to write, if I even wanted to write, and now, when I’m sick, laying in bed, watching Project Runway and asking myself how Lifetime landed this amazing show, I feel like I’m ready.

My brother just called me and interrupted- so annoying. But, it was a relevant conversation, thankfully. He actually has a very similar job as me, so it’s nice to talk to him and exchange marketing ideas, and remind each other that mom’s birthday is coming up. He wants to get her a snuggie. Amazing. I digress. We may have fought about who gets the remote our whole lives, but I think we’re finally clicking (pun intended).

Should the Nyquil be kicking in right now? I’m the type of person that hates taking anything that changes my natural state. I won’t drink coffee. Well, mostly because I hate the taste. I’ve never taken adoral. Well, mostly because I’m a dorky self-motivated type of lady. And I would’ve never taken Nyquil before. Ever. But having a job, being stressed out, and needing to be on the top of my game all the time, has changed my I-hate-feeling-drowsy-views. I need to feel better, so see ya later natural Mel.

Work has made me sick. Therefore it has made me unnatural. Therefore I am…drowsy. Or at least I think I am.

What awaits me tomorrow? Sending social media plan to client. Check/stressful. Talking to bloggers. Check/love it.  Writing press releases. Check/I don’t have a slash for this one.

I love…love. And Nyquill.

My Life as a Recent College Grad

Being a recent grad is weird. You get thrown into the working world. Your friends start working. You become friends with people who are working. You tell people you just graduated every other day. You see people’s surprised looks when you tell them you actually have a job. You’re a real person.

Here’s how things have changed for me.

1. I pay for my groceries. And gas. And everything else. The good old parentals say I’m making money, and I need to fend for myself.

2. When I get home from work I always want a drink. A stiff one.

3. When my blackberry lights up red, my heart drops a little, as I pray it’s not a stressful email.

4. My lunch breaks are the brightest part of my day. I love them. ❤

5. I find myself talking about work. All the time.

6. Sundays are sad.

7. Mondays are even sadder.

8. A good meeting makes my week. I’m a dork.

9. A new idea excites me. Probably a little too much.

10. Mom bloggers have the ability to determine my mood.

I’m a working woman.

And I still love…love.