Earlier this month, I offered a former intern that worked for me this summer some advice on interviewing for a copywriter job. I’d just been conducting numerous rounds of interviews for a nearly identical position involving web content and passed on several better-than-decent writers.
The best advice I could give him was to reiterate his interest in the open position, not just to touch on his writing skills or passion for the trade. So many writers come in hoping to find a spot – any job, really – that will allow them to write for a living. Several that I visited with weren’t excited in the least to write the material involved in the role I was hiring for, so naturally, that made it easy to pass on them.
My friend got the job – his first writing post – and I was happy to serve as a reference. No doubt someone else had seen one too many writers who were excited to grace a job with their writing talents, whatever it happened to involve.
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Tags: Business
Recognition is best when it comes unexpectedly. When it’s not the end goal, it’s easier to be open minded and genuine during the creative process.
That point proved itself to me last night when I received an indirect honor at the PRISM Awards Gala at the Sprint Center. I was attending the ceremony to claim an award for PlattForm Advertising’s work on its philanthropic web site and related e-mail campaigns. This is the first time the agency has participated in the awards competition hosted by the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. (more…)
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Tags: Business, Clients, PR
Body of Work
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
Be sure to check out the “Samples” section. I’ve added even more Urban Times articles. This doesn’t represent the entire body of work I’ve done for the publication, but it’s close. (more…)
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Tags: Business, Urban Times
At Ad Club
Friday, September 19th, 2008
Last night, I saw the world between the slats of a wrought iron gate and the sky as pointed to by black spires. The post-six-o’clock sun warmed the front porch and the lost sand particles in with the cement mixture. At that hour, the sun burns off its last heat of the day before the fall nights dip into the 50s and lower – absolute blanket weather for anyone who keeps the windows slid open for a taste of fall. Fire ants and various other species of that kind are usually found in such places in the summer and spring, but either the day’s heat or the overnight fridgedness had driven the insects into hiding.
Casually dressed business men sipped beer and laughed hollowly at the stairs leading up to the historic, two-story house that is the headquarters for the Kansas City Ad Club. I sat, with elbows on my knees, waiting for a familiar face to arrive. I had a beer, too, Boulevard Wheat, in a red plastic cup set on a step between my feet. (more…)
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Tags: Business
I decided to rework the piece below and submit it to the Bonner Springs newspaper, The Chieftan, later this week. Far from masterful work, it’s a fairly decent piece that might be uplifting for the townsfolk who are particularly proud of the quaint downtown environment and its impact on visitors. Also, as a former weekly newspaper editor, I remember what a lack of actual news and content there was in some weeks. Unsolicited pieces like this – if the editor is tuned in – can give the reporters and assistant editors a break from scouring city council, planning and zoning, and school board meetings in search of controversy.
Overall, it’s a little long and there are passages that I’ve included to keep a record of the evening but that do not serve any real narrative value. Those chunks will need to be edited before submittal. Space in weeklies is precious, so my perspective on the town needs to be concise and yet still might not warrant inclusion with the other events of the week. But even so, the night was perfect and, best of all, I’ve done the hard part. There’s no harm in sharing the words.
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Tags: Business
