Sunday, December 15, 2013

Status Update – 12.15.13



Short post this week. I’m…

Learning:
New recipes
New exercise routines

Experimenting with:
Vine videos
Instagram videos

Playing

Watching:
Amazing Race
Mindy Project
Seahawk Games

Attending:
Family holiday events

Thinking about:New Year’s Eve
The year of 2013

Working on:
Becoming a better home chef
Refreshing joshuaholland.co
Constructing a “personal CRM”
Setting goals for 2014
Developing a steady daily rhythm
Improving Seattle Goodwill’s internal newsletter
Reinvigorating Seattle Goodwill’s social presence
A longer blog post…

Sunday, December 8, 2013

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? JOSHUA HOLLAND MAKES HIS OWN PATH AS A DIGITAL STRATEGIST

Article Originally Published on COMMunity Building 
Joshua Holland graduated from the UW in 2009 with a degree in Communication and a minor in Diversity. During his undergraduate years, he was actively involved with Delta Lambda Phi and the United Greek Council. He also participated in an Exploration Seminar to Paris that was organized by the English Department. While there he researched and reported on the impacts of the city’s cultural sites on minority groups.
Here’s what he been doing since then and some advice to those soon-to-be graduating students:
What have you been up to since graduation? My career started at Nyhus Communications – a medium-sized public relations (PR) shop. While there I was a part of the agency’s creative services team where I focused on content strategy for the company, developing new media pitches and strategy for clients, and organizing special events. After a few months I was moved into the organization’s technology practice where I focused on traditional PR. Shortly after this transition I was laid off due to a lack of available work at the company.
During the downtime between Nyhus and my next employer, I traveled to Malaysia for 28 days. A majority of my time was spent in Kuala Lumpur – the country’s capital and home of thePetronas Twin Towers. During the trip I explored much of the city and met with a number of Malaysian businessmen to get a better understanding of the country’s business and culture. I also snuck in a fair amount of regional travel during my trip; I visited Malacca and Langkawi.
Following my trip I returned home and interviewed at Waggener Edstrom – a global PR firm which specializes in technology PR and is Microsoft’s agency of record. The interview was setup by a friend following a brief Twitter conversation we had about my job hunt. After the interview I was offered a position with the agency’s Developer Platform Evangelism team. I worked on a number of international events including TechEd Europe and Build 2012. Unfortunately after a few months I learned the world of high tech PR was not for me and missed my prior work with digital media and content strategy. At the end of 2012 I left the agency and started freelancing following the advice of a close friend/former boss.
I was a little unsure about my prospects during the beginning of my freelancing career but after some persistence and good networking I landed my first client, Citizen University – a civic engagement event held at Seattle Center. Following this initial win I hit a short streak and won business from Marx Foods – a specialty food shop in Lower Queen Anne, Tripcierge – a startup focused on trip planning, and Seattle Goodwill.  I’m currently looking for a full-time role.
In addition to my work life I’ve actively volunteered my time to a number of organizations over the years including the American Society for Public AdministrationDelta Lambda Phi, and Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Seattle Career Jumpstart. I’m also an active networker and proponent of continuing education; you can often find me at local events or enrolled in some sort of class. In 2012 I participated in the Institute for Democratic Future, a political fellowship focused on learning the ins and outs of Washington State’s political system.
Describe your typical work day: In the summer of 2013 I began working extensively with Seattle Goodwill Industries as the organization’s temporary Digital Communications Coordinator. No day was ever the same. I worked closely with the Communication Manager to help distribute information about Seattle Goodwill to external audiences on our social media channels, managed web updates for seattlegoodwill.org, and created content for the blog and internal publications. Topics ranged daily as well. One day my team and I were focused on donations, another day we were working on retail collateral, and by the end of the week we may have worked on new internal programs for Seattle Goodwill employees.
How did you get the job you are doing now? After freelancing for almost a year in 2013 I reached out to Vitamin T – an international staffing agency, regarding a part-time position posted on LinkedIn. Following a series of interviews with Vitamin T and Seattle Goodwill, I started working part-time with the organization in the summer of 2013. My other contracts have been acquired through a mixture of networking and personal contacts.
Do you have any tips on finding a job for those still in school? Network. Job boards are a good start to any job search, but real success comes from creating a direct connection with people in the community and field you’re interested in working in. Shortly before graduating in June 2009, I utilized the Husky Career Network to reach out to UW alumni in the area and get advice about job hunting and general career tips.
This initial step helped me meet Anne Tillery, partner at Pyramid Communication. At the time her agency wasn’t hiring full-time for entry level positions but she offered to connect me with people in her network and helped me build out my basic network. To this day I still consider her one of my best mentors and a good friend. She also alerted me to the world of “secret job boards” and signed me up for the one she manages.
What is the single most important thing to do while in school to prepare for the real world? Intern. Real world experience will teach you so much about the field and help connect the dots between what you learn in class and practical application. It will also help you discover what type of work you want to do and the kind of work culture you fit best into.
Now that you’ve had some time to reflect on college, what advice had you wished you received while in school? Never stop learning and don’t be afraid to learn disciplines outside of the traditional scope of communication roles. The field of communication is always changing and employers are very eager to have someone on board who has a variety of skills in their wheel house. I skipped out on taking some of the UW’s free software classes and engaging with more technical concepts such as basic programing.
Where do you hope to be in five years? In five years I hope to have a master’s degree, be married to my fiancĂ©, and working on issues related to urban planning.
Anything else you would like to add?
1) Never be afraid to ask someone to coffee, i.e. info interviews. As a new graduate info interviews are one of your most powerful resources during your job search.
2) Send thank you cards. A thank you card goes a long way in being remembered by a potential employer or business contact. Just remember, be sincere, short, and stay-in-touch.
3) Don’t be discouraged by missteps. Some of my best life experiences and learning moments have come from detouring from my “master” life plan.
Visit his website: http://www.joshuaholland.co/

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Thinking Outside of Job Boards


There are many ways to obtain a job; searching job boards is just one of many solutions to consider. Networking is often the best strategy for finding a new position. The common adage, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” is becoming increasingly true in today’s competitive market. When considering candidates to hire, employers often reach out to their personal networks first and then resort to job boards if they are having difficulty filling the position.

While it may seem daunting, networking is easier than you think. To get started, take a moment and examine the personal relationships in your life. While often understated, we all wear a variety of hats which we interchange frequently depending on the situation. These roles include friend, club member, child, and neighbor to name just to name a few. Each role provides us with a different set of connections which can be used as a good starting point for networking.

After evaluating your own network you should meet with new people in order to expand your reach. A few good ways to do this include cold calling or emailing potential employers requesting an informational meeting to learn more about their organization or my personal favorite, networking events. Meetup Eventbrite, and community aggregated lists are great resources to find events matching your industry and interests.

Now that you've gotten over your initial fear of networking, it's time to dive in! When networking, it's important to keep a few basics in mind to ensure you leave new contacts with the right impression. 

When Meeting Someone for the First Time You Should:
  • Look them directly in the eye
  • Give a firm handshake - no "dead fish" or "test of strength! "Say your name slowly and confidently when introducing yourself
  • Be friendly and smile often
  • Ask for a business card after meeting for the first time. It will show your interest and provide a way for you to contact the person at the end of your encounter
Entering Conversations
  • Wait for a natural break and then calmly introduce yourself to everyone in the group
  • Establish eye contact with someone to  gain acknowledgment 
  • Ease yourself slowly into new conversations
Leaving Conversations
  • Wait for a natural break and then excuse yourself
  • Two common lines to consider are "Thanks for your time. I'd like to catch-up more later. I'll shoot you a message via email/text" or "It was great speaking with you! I just saw someone I want to say hi to. I'll talk to you again later"
After a networking event pat yourself on the back. It's no small feat to put yourself out there and meet new people. Following your short celebration, it's time to make note of the people you met and reach out with any potential follow-up items. Also, be sure to add them on LinkedIn

[Photo courtesy of Flickr user CieraHolzenthal]
 

Lessons from the Movie "Disconnect"




Not sure why but “Disconnect” flew by my radar when it was first released. I briefly remember hearing chatter about it shortly after its release but given the film’s dark subject matter – negative effects of digital media, it wasn't a blockbuster. Oddly, I viewed the film isolated from my digital networks during an international flight from Seoul to San Francisco.

The digital divide is often discussed primarily as an issue related to education but “Disconnect” takes the idea a step further and positions the issue as a basic necessity in today’s world. Characters without a strong grasp of digital media find themselves confronted with tragedy in the film while those who understand it easily manipulate others.

“Disconnect” connects the lives of four families through a series of interconnected events. In this group narrative the film examines a number of issues related to digital literacy including cyber bullying, online sex trafficking, and identity theft to name a few of the big ones. Each story unfolds innocently but winds up leading the characters to the doorstep of personal tragedy while taunting the audience with a hint of “it could have been avoided.” Hollywood style tragedies are absent from the film. Instead, “Disconnect” reaches for a few real life horrors such as attempted suicide, financial ruin, and modern day “slavery.”
The film is held together by the promise of relationships in the digital age. Once stitched together primarily by dotted line relationships, e.g. parent-child, partners, and neighbors, “Disconnect” brings to light the power of digital media, the ability to create new relationships outside of established networks. While harmless on the surface or when conducted in full transparency, misuse can lead to tragedy as shown in the film.

Traditional relationships also exhibited a noticeable amount of strain in “Disconnect” due to the creation of “digital networks.” Characters exhibit an inability to maintain common ties with family, friends, and significant others. Reasons for the strain manifested in the form of smartphone addiction, 24-hour work cycles, and digital realities. One strain which struck a strong chord with me was a fleeting memory. Shortly after one of the character’s brother goes to the hospital for attempted suicide she has her grief interrupted by a friend’s text conversation. The scene plays out as follows

“He was just hanging there, cold and blue… I tried to yank him down but it was too late. He was already unconscious.” Main Character
“I’m sorry to hear about your brother. Do you think he’ll be okay?” Supporting Character
Supporting Character’s phone buzzes
“OMG, Bobby invited me to his party! Can you believe it!?” Supporting Character
There is an uncomfortable pause in the room.
The main character in the scene breaks the pause by violently throwing her lunch on the supporting character and then storming off.

Overall the movie is solid and should be on the required watch list for people working with digital media and used as a teaching device to illuminate the dangers of our new reality. Now over a decade into the age of interactive media, government policies and social etiquette have fallen behind technology. In its wake can be found ruined lives and trampled connections; digital media is no longer “child’s play.” It has serious implications which can disrupt the real world. Explore the web with caution and skepticism, everything isn’t what it seems.