Thursday, September 11, 2008

Pecha Kucha Night

I'm off to my first Pecha Kucha Night. I'm really curious to see how this would work and if it could be effective for portfolios or for finding freelance work.

Pecha Kucha Night is special event for designers (or other freelancers with portfolios) where each presenter is allowed 20 images and 20 seconds to make their point about each image. These events are international and you need only check on the website to see if a Pecha Kucha Night is coming up in your area.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

How to decline a job

If you have to say "no" to a job offer, you should say it to a person's face, or if you live outside of the city, by phone. But it should be in your own voice and not on paper or email.

When you say no, you should say, I'm grateful for your offer, but I cannot accept it at this time. You can supply a reason, such as, I have received another offer in this city, or my partner is not able to move with me to accommodate this new job. You don't have to say anything about the offer, if it was full-time, where their offer was part-time, or if the career just fit you better, you can just say, I have accepted another offer--but don't turn around and reapply in less than six months to the same organization.

If you just don't want to accept the offer--there was something weird about the interviewers, or they were rude or inhospitable, and you are afraid to put your career future in their hands, just stop with, I must decline the offer. Don't elaborate with, if you had only brushed your teeth, or your assistant wouldn't validate my parking, or your no flip-flops dress code is too restrictive, just save it. Tirades are for your friends.

You can follow up with a thank you letter, but if you tell them on the phone or face-to-face, politely and with real regret, you will have declined in a way that still leaves the door open for another application at a later date.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Need a tutorial?

If you need a quick fix or a skills brush-up, use Tutsearch to find a tutorial online. It worked for resume writing, job interviews and php (just in case you need a technical skill polishing). Good example of a vertical search engine that you can harness for your professional development. You might also consider submitting your tutorial(s) if you have one.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Keep the light shining

Keep The Light Shining: 3 Unemployment Survival Lessons From Your Canadian English Teacher

I liked the optimism in this piece, but I can also understand the hesitation of the students. Having encountered the same attitude as an ESL instructor (I can't change, I had more before) I can also understand the writer's frustrations. If you suffer from these obstacles (usually called "barriers to employment") realize that everyone has to climb over them.