Archive for May, 2021

Tips for Hiring Freelancers and Contractors

Friday, May 28th, 2021

While Uber and Lyft have popularized the concept of the gig economy, the truth is that gig, freelance, or contract workers have been around for a long time. In fact, I’ve been a contract worker or freelancer since 1981, when I first started writing business articles for a wide range of trade and business publications. I’ve worked remotely with publishers and editors for years — most of them I’ve never physically met. My interest in the gig economy, which traditionally had been referred to as telecommuting, led me to research and write a book on the topic some years ago. Last year I updated that book as the concept of remote work, or telecommuting, really took off during the pandemic. Suddenly employers realize that yes, they can effectively manage remote workers. It’s a trend that is likely to continue long past the pandemic.

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Graduates: Some Important Tips for Building Your Personal Brand

Tuesday, May 25th, 2021

A hot topic in recent months, perhaps due to the pandemic and sudden interest in pursuing new job and career opportunities, seems to be “building a personal brand.” We work with a wide range of entrepreneurs, independent consultants and others who are adept at building what they refer to as their “thought leadership.” In truth, though, what they’re really doing, is building their personal brands. We help them do that and we also speak and write regularly about the topic.

Building your personal brand doesn’t start after you’ve already established yourself in your career, or at least it shouldn’t. As we like to say “your reputation precedes you.” And, for good or ill, it precedes you whether you’ve been paying attention or not. (more…)

An Evergreen Question: How Can I Get Media Coverage?

Thursday, May 20th, 2021

It’s a question we hear frequently and, fortunately, one that we never tire of answering: “How can I get media coverage?”

Businesses of many kinds recognize the value that getting their name in the news can hold. After all, it’s a third-party, non-biased, source of information about them, their organizations, products and services that, if positive, can generate goodwill and business. Fortunately, it’s not really that difficult to get great media exposure. The process, though, is quite a bit different than it was years ago. (more…)