What to Do When Someone Asks You to Work for Free

What to Do When Someone Asks You to Work for FreeWhat to Do When Someone Asks You to Work for FreeWhen close friends have career conundrums, Im quick to ask more questions. Like a good friend should be, Im eager to help. But other times, Ill get messages from people who I barely know or havent spoken to in years. The most astonishing are the ones from people Ive just met or, in fact, have never met. They usually start with some polite greeting, move into a realization that Im a career counselor, and then make a direct request that I have a look at their resume or talk (read counsel) them about their careers- for free. Its a bizarre experience when someone asks you to work for free. Its flattering at first to be recognized for your expertise, but it doesnt take long to grasp that they dont appreciate it enough to actually want to pay you what its worth. In the end, it feels pretty awful. Sadly, it keeps happening- and its not just career counselors. This seems to be a rampant problem in creative industries, especially. Graphic designers, writers, photographers, and more all experience this on a regular basis. So, how do you respond when someone asks you to work for free without screaming, Would you ask your dentist to work for free? Ive spoken to a few more seasoned career counselors, and this is what Ive come up with.1. Assume the Best IntentionsIts always easier to respond when you assume the best. In this case, assume that the rolle does want to pay you. If youre interested in having someone as a client, respond with, Id be happy to help, then go ahead and launch into your services, corresponding fees, and next steps. Of course, these inquiries might not be the best place to be developing clients, since their initial assumption was that your work wasnt worth payment. With this in mind, you may want to consider declining your services.2. Say NoThe next step, then, is to just say no. A mentor of mine suggested something along the lines of, Im flattered that you re seeking my advice (or services), but unfortunately Im not taking on additional clients at the moment. This way you are clearly declining the request, but youre also assuming the best in people by responding to them as if they were seeking to be your client. 3. Offer AlternativesTo ease the blow a little bit, since many times you will want to preserve what little relationship you may have had with this person, offer up other professionals who might be able to help. Ive frequently directed people to other career counselors whose work Im familiar with. This way, not only are you offering another solution, you might also have the opportunity to educate this contact about the value of your work (if, for example, the other recommended professionals have their fees posted on their website).4. Throw in a bonbonFinally, depending on your profession, you might be able to throw in a free resource to show that you care, you just cant work for free. Ill sometimes direct people to specific art icles on The Muse or to a particular career assessment that Ive seen help others in a similar situation. While Ive seen others handle this in a much more statement-y fashion, I cant bring myself to retaliate against someone who is probably going through something unpleasant at his or her job, or worse, doesnt have one. All that said, I still wouldnt work for free, and I hope you wont either. Ive written quite a few of these uncomfortable emails, and theyve all worked out. May your conversations go as seamlessly as possible, too. Good luck. Photo of man with empty wallet courtesy of Shutterstock.

Free Contemporary Marketing Resume Templates

Free Contemporary Marketing Resume TemplatesFree Contemporary Marketing Resume TemplatesFor an innovative-but-polished finish, look no further than the contemporary marketing resume templates. This style allows you to highlight your personality while presenting relevant information. Read on to see if its right for you.Create ResumeContemporary Marketing ResumeCustomize ResumeIndustry SnippetsBy using our free contemporary marketing resume templates, you will gain insight into the things your competition may be sharing already. Contemporary Resume Pros and ConsOur style is ideal for job seekers who want to showcase their professional history, but also include dashes of their own personalities to stand out among the sea of candidates.Pros This is an effective way to brand yourself for the long runPros Creative companies will appreciate the efforts you took to perfect this styleCons The graphics make for a pretty resume, but eat up valuable spaceCons Not all employers will appreciate th is contemporary styleResume TextDANAMEYERS123 Street,City, ST, 12345 H (123) 456-7890 C (123) 456-7890 emailleisp.comProfessional SummaryE-Commerce and Digital Marketing Manager with a 9-year history of success in developing highly-effective omnichannel marketing strategies to drive business development, brand development, and customer acquisition. Accomplished in leveraging analytics to uncover opportunities for growth and operational improvement. Strong leader with the capacity to unify teams and align strategic goals. Skill HighlightsDigital and Omnichannel MarketingCustomer Acquisition Google AnalyticsCampaign DevelopmentStrategic PlanningBrand DevelopmentProfessional ExperienceE-Commerce and Digital Marketing Manager1/1/2014 7/1/2016BubblePop, Inc. Chicago, ILDirected day-to-day operations, marketing, and merchandising for online sales channels, including company website and Amazon page.Spearheaded development and maintenance of omnichannel product and marketing assets. Faci litated implementation of order management and order fulfillment processes.Generated reports on key business metrics, and interpreted trends to uncover actionable opportunities for sales and operational improvement.Administered promotional content creation from conceptualization to konzeption and execution to yield maximal response.Identified, evaluated, and managed customer acquisition programs for profitable reach to new customers.Digital Marketing Manager11/1/2009 12/1/2013dscout Chicago, ILCreated and managed digital media strategies and campaigns to build brand awareness, nurture leads, and drive account signups.Formulated and managed event strategy to engage existing and prospective customers participated in conferences, speaking engagements, meet ups, and sponsored events.Helped to create and publish content for company blog and related digital channels administered Hubspot content, workflow, and campaigns.Executed and tuned awareness building initiatives and audience devel opment campaigns across social and content platforms, and launched effective email campaigns.Managed, compiled, and reported marketing KPIs using Google Analytics, Hubspot, and proprietary reporting tools and dashboards.Marketing Manager10/1/2007 11/1/2009Windy City Marketing Chicago, ILManaged day-to-day communications with major clients and internal project management processes, including liaising with third party agencies and internal stakeholders.Directed and supported business operations while ensuring adoption of best-in-class process across partners and programs.Drove internal communications program and informed management of critical issues.Past experience includes Marketing Associate and Marketing Team Lead.Education Bachelor of geschftlicher umgang Administration, MarketingLoyola University Chicago Chicago, IL

Could your writing get you fired

Could your writing get you firedCould your writing get you fired6 reasons your anfhrer wont tolerate bad writing skills.If you want to land and keep a job in todays market, communication is the name of the game. From your first job interview to your daily geschftlicher umgang interactions, your job performance will rely on what you say and how you say it. And, as organizations become more connected with their clients and peers through the Internet, excellent written communication will become one of the most important job skills you learn.But why is writing so important to keeping your hard-won job? Here are just a few of the reasons why your boss wont tolerate poor writing skills.1. Lolz make you look badWhile text lingo and Twitter speak may save you some characters in your personal life, it really damages your bosss reputation. Its hard to take someone seriously who spells the word, srsly. In most offices, there is a professional etiquette when it comes to writing letters to client s or interoffice communication. Writing in shorthand or slang makes you look less educated, disrespectful, or ignorant. In turn, that makes your boss look like an idiot for hiring you.2. Disorganized ideas = disorganized mindEven if you know how to use language effectively, if you dont know how to organize it, you wont get your ideas across effectively. If you cant write a logical and cohesive summary of a project, paper reviewing a new strategy, or a personal note to a client, you have a very short career ahead of you. The ability to explain an idea without confusing the reader is one of the most vital collaborative skills. If you are unable to create a simple essay with a concrete thesis, body of supporting evidence, and conclusion, you will be at a severe disadvantage in the job market.3. Dont take that toneIn many customer-related businesses, written communication is one of the areas that causes the most trouble. If you dont have the ability to write for a specific audience and recognize the tone of your writing, you can potentially offend people, drive away business, or even get yourself fired. Take this follow-up letter for example.Dear SirIm sorry that you decided not to show up to our appointment. Im sure you had much more important things to do than to save $1000 on your annual car insurance.Not only is this apology condescending and sarcastic, its likely to lead to the loss of a potential client. The writer failed to consider the feelings of the reader, and will now have to deal with an irate customer and manager.4. Editing mistakes lead to lossAnother area that can get you into big trouble is editing. Without completing the editing step on your writing, embarrassing mistakes can accidently be shared with important clients or colleagues. While this makes you look less competent, it also can lead to serious miscommunications that can damage the reputation of the organization or cause significant financial loss.For example, if you write, 10,00 will be refunded to your account, instead of 10.00 will be refunded to your account, an irate customer may claim that they deserve $1,000 instead of the $10.00 that you meant. After a few of these kinds of mistakes, a manager will consider whether your employment is really worth the amount of money your writing skills are costing the company.5. Plagiarism and penaltiesOften, weak writers resort to copying when they dont know exactly what to say. In college, this can lead to a poor grade or loss of credit. In a business setting, you can easily lose your job or damage your companys reputation. If you borrow more than six words from a colleague or competitor, you need to share that with your management and cite your sources. Otherwise, both socially and legally, you are putting your company in jeopardy of copyright infringement or other potentially damaging legal recrimination.6. Missing deadlines leads to distrustFinally, time management is a key element of good writing. Excellent writers are able to know and meet deadlines, often days in advance. If you dont learn this skill now, it could significantly impact your job performance later. In fact, missing deadlines is one of the most common reasons for disciplinary action in a professional setting. Missing deadlines makes managers feel that you are unorganized, undisciplined, and disrespectful. Although you may not be fired for missing one or two, consecutively missing assignment deadlines will negatively impact your job performance and can permanently damage your career.