Link Roundup – 2.8.2015

Borrowing a page/blog concept from Seattle Transit Blog, one of my favorite blogs. Below is a collection of links from the week which made stop think about emerging trends and adjust my perspective about topical issues.

Technology Pebble sells a million smartwatches and reveals plans for 2015
Microsoft continues to improve its mobile productivity options by acquiring Sunrise for $100 million
Rumors has it that Amazon might be interested in buying RadioShack’s stores for its retail expansion
Google’s self-driving cars may provide new competition for Uber

Data
Rush hour varies by geography; this beautiful infograph reveals commute times by state
The vaccination debate is hot again, here’s a chart to help navigate the issues

Cities
Seattle is growing (fast); the newcomers are changing the town and brining a new energy to the city
A Detroit commuter walks 21 miles to work everyday
Mini city set lets urbanists build their own city

Inspiration
Perspective to get through a rough patch in life
The important lessons learned from failure
Checking off an extra to-do item each day can help make a dent in long term goals

[Photo courtesy of Flickr user Yohan]

Status Update – 1.30.2015

Closing out the first month of the New Year. It’s off to a good start. I’ve made a few steps towards my goals for the year. Below are some updates on my progress.

Dreaming of Social Media Success – Thoughts from #Sreeattle 2015

"Can you make me Twitter-famous” or as referenced occasionally by the younger crowd “Instafamous?” I often hear this question from friends and some brands. The rise of social media platforms in the last few years has spawned the idea of instant validation and a podium to express point of views and beliefs. While there is a bit of validity to this idea, taking a step back and examining social media closer, the truth is much like other communication platforms – success doesn’t happen overnight and the “gurus” and “mavens” of the digital world often obtain their status after months if not years of dedicated cultivation and practice.

Last week I had the opportunity to listen to "Sleepless in Sreeattle - A Night of Social Media," a lecture hosted by UW Comm Lead at the Seattle Art Museum. The talk featured renowned social media expert Sree Sreenivasan, Chief Digital Officer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and former professor at the Columbia School of Journalism. He’s been named one of AdAge's 25 media people to follow on Twitter and one of Poynter's 35 most influential people in social media. In his current role Sree oversees a team of 70 people on the digital side - video, apps, mobile, social, geolocation, web, data, e-mail, and more. Sree describes his current role as telling “a million stories about a million pieces of art to a billion people.”

The talk focused on how to get the best use out of time invested online and how to build more fans and followers and how to do so in a smart, strategic, and sustainable manner. As Sree joked near the beginning of the talk, the premise alone is enough to warrant a hefty conference fee type of price tag. Yet thanks to Hanson Hosein, Sree, SAM, and UW Comm Lead it cost less to attend than a drink at Starbucks.

Wide spread use of social media has created an interesting challenge, how do you get heard in the midst of all the shouting? Sree provided a powerful answer to the question, “Where everyone is a content generator, those who are trained will rise to the top.” Social media has created an unprecedented opportunity to be heard but it’s not as simple as turning on your smartphone and snapping a few pictures on Instagram or sending some tweets. To get to the expert level, consider Sree’s ABC and SAA rule: Always be collecting; share as appropriate.

An excellent example of sharing as appropriate arose early in the talk as we all paused for a moment of silence to open up the lecture in honor of those who lost their lives in the Charlie Hebdo shooting. This brief act of respect stemmed from Sree’s earlier pledge to temporarily stop tweeting and posting following the shooting. His intention was to do his part to reduce the amount of “noise” being produced that day and allow the truly important information to rise to the top. As he put very eloquently during the talk, “don’t promote yourself when the world is falling apart.”

It’s no secret but social media similar to a resume should always be up-to-date and reflect the best most current you. Relevant accomplishments or tasks even if temporary should be part of your digital footprint. For photographers this might mean highlighting one of your best photos or for writers it might be a link to your most recent post. This tip applies to all social networks but is particularly important for sites like LinkedIn or Twitter which are often used as a basis for your digital identity.

Whether it’s Anthony Weiner’s dick pic or the epic lewd tweet by US Airways. Social media provides users the power to engage with larger audiences but it can also be the gateway to trouble.

With this in mind, it’s important to be deliberate, strategic, and smart in all social media usage. Sree mentioned during the talk he spends 3 to 6 minutes composing his tweets. Why? “It’s the only thing that could potentially get him fired or divorced,” Sree joked.

Social media at times seems much removed from reality but as we’ve seen countless times since its invention, it has real world impact and consequences.

It’s tempting after signing-up for your first social network to jump atop the soap box and start spouting your perspective and point of view. Social media is powerful beyond its broadcasting capabilities however. One of the elements which has made social media such a unique medium in modern day is its ability to facilitate listening and create conversations. With this in mind it’s important to consider those on the other end of your bullhorn. Pausing for a second you’ll notice everyone all of a sudden has a bullhorn similar to yours, even if it’s spouting a point of view which deeply conflicts with your own.

Here lies the true challenge of becoming a social media “expert” or “guru,” it’s all tied to authenticity and people.

Often what’s common sense in real life is common sense on social media. Like the real world, social media has etiquette. Sree spent a good portion of his talk commenting on it and how it affects your performance online. One of his most salient tips, “don’t be an ask.”

Similar to how in real life, you can’t walk up to someone and just start asking for favors or requests. You can’t do it on social media either, despite the countless random LinkedIn invitation requests you might get that say "Since you are a person I trust, I wanted to invite you to join my network on LinkedIn.” To avoid being an “ask” on social media consider the following Sree tips:

• Don’t just cold call or ask for favors
• Build relationships with people online
• Reshare and Retweet (RT) other people’s content but also add value
• Don’t just promote yourself; be a pointer to other people’s content

Instead of being an “ask,” strive to be authentic and connect. As I’ve personally experienced, sometimes you can meet people who will transform your life and perspective. A few great folks I’ve met online include @bethevans, @seattletallpopp, @lukobe, @leah_motz.

Sometimes connecting for no particular reason is the best way to start and can lead to unlocking opportunities and conversations you never considered.

Ultimately social media is an exercise in being human and continuing to learn and grow from interactions with others. As someone who’s been active on social media for a number of years, it was refreshing to hear Sree share tips on how to succeed on digital platforms and most importantly for my point of view be a better communicator and person. So while it’s possible to become “Instafamous,” social media at its core is about so much more than being an internet celebrity, it gives people the power to connect, engage in meaningful dialogue, and create relationships outside of their immediate network.

Special thanks to UW Comm Lead, SAM, Hanson, and Sree for the presentation. Curated tweets from the presentation below along with a link to Sree’s presentation.

Sree's Slides

Status Update – 1.11.2015

Sticking to my New Year goal of blogging once a week. In the process of working on a longer more thoughtful post but here’s a quick one for now. Stay tuned for a more detailed post later this week. Below is what I’m up to currently.

2015 Goals

Here we go, 2015 is off and running! I’m continuing my tradition of sharing my goals for the New Year on my blog. Different from years past however, I’m revisiting a few past goals (about half) which I didn’t quite hit the mark OR pursued previously and enjoyed the outcomes.

As a co-worker once shared with me, goals are important to set perspective for the coming year. They help determine a general direction for your life. The alternative as they framed it is often much worse; wandering aimlessly without any sense of purpose or focus.

So here they are, below are my goals for 2015

• Blog once a week (returning goal)
• Run a half marathon (returning goal)
• Read a book once a month (returning goal)
• Take the GRE (returning goal)
• Create a new savings vehicle
• Spend more quality time with my dog Judo
• Develop and maintain a workout routine
• Learn basic JavaScript
• Improve my Spanish
• Invest more in personal relationships

What are your goals or plans for 2015?

[Photo Courtesy of Justin Mier]

Love Lost In Foursquare Breakup

As a hardcore Foursquare user, I hate to admit it but the service has lost a bit of its mojo with the recent update which split the service into two components – Foursquare and Swarm.

The new Foursquare functions similar to Yelp and expands on the service’s previous efforts to focus on local discovery and recommendations. Foursquare continues to deliver on both aspects but now relies on Swarm, its sister app for new location data.

Swarm functions much like the original Foursquare and is faster than its predecessor for check ins. Some of the components migrated over from the original service include the ability to see nearby friends, check in to various locations, and view venue specific info. Added to the service is an increased awareness of your location when you open the app, stickers to represent actions, and similar to Facebook’s recent “Nearby Friends” feature, the ability to broadcast and share your location with friends to increase the chance of impromptu meet-ups.

Core components missing from the new apps include the stat board, badges, points, and Foursquare's popular Mayorships.

The Foursquare breakup while not perfect isn’t a death sentence for the location service necessarily. It’s likely only the beginning of the next chapter.

As a longtime underdog in the social media world Foursquare has adapted and changed with the times. It has proved it can be resilient and focused on an established vision. All being said however with its increasing age, it runs the risk of losing ground to newer apps on the market. One of the most notable is Move. It was recently acquired by Facebook and tracks movement and location without the need for user driven check ins. Paradoxically, it’s powered by Foursquare for location data.

For now I’m still in, even if it means I can’t be the Mayor of my favorite spots.

Orting – Hometown by Default

I’m never really sure what to say when people ask me where I’m from. The short answer is always, Orting, Washington. This answer used to get a couple of pauses and a brief, “awe, where is it located exactly?” Like I frequently do after receiving a puzzled look, let me give you my Orting pitch to help you understand this little town nestled arguably dangerously close to Mount Rainier.

Orting is a picturesque town in a lot of ways. As it was once described to me it’s an island of sorts which sits between two major rivers – the Puyallup and Carbon. Both flow down from Mount Rainier. On clear days the mountain will take your breath away with its scale and varying colors which change with the sun and weather conditions.

As a former rail stop between a few mining towns further east, Orting has a distinctive “downtown” core which spans a few blocks located near the old station. While no urban metropolis, it offers up a mix of amenities including a local drug store, library (my name is actually engraved on a clock located here), Mexican restaurant, and a few other small shops. The downtown is split in half by the City Park. When I was growing up the park was the place to be during Orting’s few city specific festivals such as Red Hat Day, Summer in the Park, and the yearly Daffodil Festival.

My favorite part of the town is the extensive bike trail which runs all the way from Puyallup to South Prairie. When my older brother and I became farm hands one summer on a local raspberry farm we used the trail to commute. In the early mornings after we were done picking berries my brother and I would race down the trail back home and then eventually to Blockbuster to rent video games.

Past the town parts of Orting the rail reaches back into the woods and runs adjacent to the Puyallup River for miles along an old railroad track. The calming nature of the woods is enough to make even the most stressed person relax.

And I can’t forget about the Lion’s Club field located just on the outskirts of town. It’s not much more than a giant patch of grass with a few lines setup for soccer but it’s an amazing place to be during the Fourth of July. The whole town usually comes out for the event and you start to ask yourself, “is this town really so small?”

While I spent my high school years in Orting it’s not my original home. Throughout childhood my family lived in many places along the Puget Sound including Seattle, Federal Way, and Kent. Orting was our final destination. While I often hate to admit it at times, wishing I was from somewhere “cooler,” more “cosmopolitan,” or “famous,” Orting is where I hang my hat and call home.

It’s the place I became a “track star,” my father achieved his dream of becoming a city councilmen, and my family established a name for itself. Like many things in this world, meaning is derived from context; for me that means where I’m from has varying degrees of complexity but the short of it is, I’m from Orting.

Diving Into The Deep End

After a year of stringing together a series of short term contracts, I’m happy to announce I recently signed a long term project with NetHope. As the organization’s core Marketing and Communications Specialist. I’ll be responsible for helping develop NetHope’s communications strategy, managing its digital properties, and planning the organization’s big member summit in the fall.

Like many of life’s adventures I’m terrified and excited for this new opportunity. It will allow me to work at the intersection of a number of issues I’m interested in and use my complete communicator tool box. All being said, the role will also force me to quickly acquire new skills and operate at my very best all the time. Being a solo communications shop as I’ve discussed with other friends is a double-edged sword in many ways. It presents endless opportunities to explore various projects without worrying about red tape but can quickly devolve into chaos if managed incorrectly.

Accepting this offer was difficult at first because it meant closing the door for now on a traditional and stable career path. Initially I found this idea very unsettling. The common question I frequently ask myself, “what’s next,” had no simple answer. Instead it’s filled with a lot of mystery and vagueness.

So with that I’ve made up my mind. I’m taking a step back from the ledge, jumping high in the air, and doing a cannon ball into the deep end of the independent pool. The best way to learn is by doing. A quote I recently stumbled upon on LinkedIn describes this idea best, “sometimes you have to build the plane on the way down.”

[Photo Courtesy of llstalteri]

Status Update – 4.19.14

Unexpectedly these last few weeks have been a little fast paced. I recently started a new contract role with NetHope, a nonprofit focused on increasing connectivity in the developing world and helping NGOs use technology smarter. At the same time a few volunteer projects came online. Juggling a few balls these days but I’m enjoying being fully active again. Hoping to share a longer post in the future about these changes.

Until then, below is a status update about what I’m currently working on.

###

I'm...

Reading:

The Happiness Project

Things Fall Apart

Watching:

RuPaul’s Drag Race 

One Piece

Naruto Shippuden
Blue Exorcist

Learning:
Core components of InDesign at the School of Visual Concepts
How to wake-up again with an analog alarm clock
Personal fitness tips
Adobe Illustrator

Dreaming about:
Working remotely in Barcelona
Visiting New York’s Highline Park
Exploring San Francisco’s Fillmore District
Taking a vacation where I can see the stars

Attending:
Easter Festivities with family and friends
5th Annual Institute for Democratic Future Trivia Night
Frozen viewing party
A weekend cruise to Vancouver, Canada

Working on:
My fiancé visa (yes, it’s still going on almost a year later… very long process)
Annual report content for the Delridge Neighborhood Association
Programing for the Greater Seattle Business Association’s (GSBA) Young Professionals with Pride (YPP) event 
LinkedIn updates for SVP Fast Pitch
Increasing my upper body strength
Proactively reengaging with my network
Getting back into a personal blogging rhythm
A longer blog post…

[Photo Courtesy of nomadic_lass]

Status Update – 2.9.14

First status update of the New Year! I’m…

Reading:
Animal Farm
New York Times (Daily)

Watching:
Space Dandy
Nurrutto Shupuden
One Piece
Archer
Chozen
Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

Playing:
Pokémon Y (second run)
Pikmin 3

Learning:
Search engine optimization (SEO) basics
Elements of content strategy and user experience (UX)
The difference between Squarespace and Wordpress

Attending:
Learn to Write Click-tastic Headlines
Spamalot

Thinking about:
New blog formats
The intersection of UX and communications
Best use case scenarios for Tumblr

Working on:
Social media support for Citizen University’s 2014 conference
A recap of Online First in 2014
Securing a new full-time opportunity
Refreshing www.joshuaholland.co
Final components of my fiancé’s visa
A longer blog post…

[Photo courtesy of Sune P]

Talking Transportation, Advice from Communication Professionals

Start talking transportation with people at a cocktail party or social gathering and you’ll likely see their eyes glaze over. As far as topics go, it’s one of the least sexy things you can bring up. While not the first topic on everyone’s mind, it’s a very important aspect of economic development and daily life.

Last week I sat in on the Seattle Chapter of Young Professionals in Transportation’s (YPT Seattle) first meeting of 2014. I was drawn to the event by a post I saw on the Seattle Transit Blog and the speaker panel which included Travis Phelps of WSDOT, Charla Skaggs of EnviroIssues and Mike Lindblom of the Seattle Times. The event was held at Enviroissues and focused on details of sharing transportation project information, how agencies provide information to media outlets, and the impact on the traveling public. The event shed some light on some of the complexities of communicating about transportation projects.

Below are a few notes from the event highlighting key takeaways.

Investment Cost

Most transportation projects involve some type of investment. To win over support it’s important to get buy in from both the public and private sector. The common question often asked is, “What does the investment yield?”

While not a simple answer, using info available from engineers and other technical folks communications professionals can paint a better picture of what the project will entail and explain potential risks involved. The more information available the better; it allows internal communications professionals to strongly advocate for the organization’s point of view to media and influencers.

Preparation is key to executing a successful communications strategy. Travis from WSDOT put it well saying you can only communicate what you know to stakeholders and media. WSDOT particularly prides itself in looking extensively at its projects before beginning construction and is focused on limiting the number of surprises which might occur. Before conducting outreach, it’s important to analyze your story for holes or potential issues.

Use Data with Care

There is no shortage of data these days. Thanks to wired devices and the widespread use of sensors, information about transportation projects is especially easy to collect and share. That being said, it’s important to use data correctly and provide proper context to prevent misinterpretation. This frequently happens with percentages. Mike from the Seattle Times mentioned many people don’t know how to use percentages correctly and when left to their own devices and agendas may use the information to construct stories which may not be 100% true.

To prevent information from being used incorrectly, Travis recommended considering how to display it and keeping in mind your audience. Display types can vary; options include infographs, detailed blog posts, videos, and other creative options. As far as audience is concerned, location matters. The Seattle area is particularly challenging to deal with when communicating highly technical information because of the region’s highly educated population.

A good example shared by Travis was the Skagit bridge collapse. He went on to say many people in the area actually know technical terms such as ‘fracture critical.’ To compensate WSDOT will generally share very detailed information because it knows the audience will likely be able to understand its complexity and many of the media outlets in the region will take the time to drill down into the data and explain the issue in depth.

Storytellers and Gatekeepers

It’s no secret; the media landscape has changed and continues to change. Most newsrooms are adjusting to cuts in staff and the method content is gathered and consumed by audiences. Mike illustrated this point best when he explained that many newsrooms are now generally outnumbered by internal communications folks.

The internal side isn’t immune to the shift either. While it’s now easier than ever to share your own content thanks to social media, influential sources still have a stake in how you’re story is told. In the Seattle media market this shift is particularly evident in print media. The city now only has one major newspaper and is host to a collection of other nontraditional outlets such as the Stranger, Crosscut, and Publicola to name just a few. While the variety is great for internal communications professionals, the function of new media sources isn’t always the same as traditional media outlets. For example, many nontraditional outlets such as the Stranger are often highly opinionated and don’t follow the “rules of journalism,”  i.e. embargos, fact checking, balanced reporting, etc.  That being said, great coverage can come out of outlets like the Stranger which has won a Pulitzer and is often the authority on stories such as the closing of the Orion Center.

There is no perfect coping mechanism for dealing with these changes. Instead, the panel seemed to agree it’s important to strike a balance. For media this means working closely with internal teams to gather the best information and for internal communication folks it’s about picking your outlets wisely – sometimes you can get burned or misinterpreted if you go with the wrong outlet.

Transportation Brands

Branding for transportation is a tricky subject. While it’s tempting to focus heavily on individual projects, it’s best to advocate for the agency as a whole. WSDOT recently experienced this with its deep bore tunnel project along Seattle’s waterfront. Shortly after the start of the project the agency frequently used the machine’s nickname, “Bertha” when referring to the project. Initially this generated interest from media outlets and people on social networks but when the project ran into trouble (literally) a few politicians and naysayers quickly latched on to the nickname and began to use it as a way to bash the project as a whole. Media also quickly stepped away from the cute factor and began to scrutinize it closer.

Mike closed out the discussion about transportation branding well. Stepping back from the Bertha issue, he advocated for viewing the WSDOT brand as an entire agency, not individual projects. He went on to say the agency’s brand is more about information and hyperawareness. This argument can be witnessed across Washington’s highway network. WSDOT provides a wealth of useful updates on the web, digital reader boards and social media (WSDOT’s Twitter account is incredibly helpful and does a good job at making traffic interesting – lots of well-timed jokes).

Closing Remarks 

Transportation may not be as sexy as iPhones or the latest celebrity gossip but it’s an important part of our daily lives. After all the products we use are shipped from somewhere and commutes are directly impacted by the quality of transportation infrastructure.

[Photos Courtesy of bruhsam, seattlemunicipalarchives, teegardin, camknows, wsdot]  

2014 Goals

I’m the sort of guy who counts the hours in the day and is frequently knee deep in the weeds. My fiancé often nags me for over planning but the fact of the matter is I’d get overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks if I didn’t have at least some sort of map handy. In accordance with this philosophy below is my road map for 2014. It doesn’t include the side streets or unassuming milestones.

Happy new year!

2014 Goals

Run the Seattle Half Marathon

Get married 

Take the GMAT

Develop and follow a content strategy for my blog

Refresh joshuaholland.co

Travel somewhere outside of the western United States

Acquire my own place

Participate in a volunteer project

Perform monthly network maintenance

[Photo courtsey of Jack Amick]

Favorite 2013 Making the Connections Blog Posts

After developing an irrational fear of hitting publish at the end of 2012, I challenged myself in 2013 to blog monthly. While I didn’t reach my initial goal of creating a new post every week I did hit publish multiple times a month – averaging about three  on Making the Connections and a few on my Tumblr blog. Working as a professional writer for various businesses over the past four years, it was a refreshing experience to explore personal topics once again and get back to my original passion – telling stories and exploring complex issues through writing.

In celebration of overcoming my fear of hitting publish, below are my favorites from 2013 (self-aggregated).

Enjoy!

2013 Favorites 

Growing Up in Coffee Shops

Searching for Better Content
Discovering Sparks of Brilliance
Obama II: Moving Forward
Sitting in on the Last Lecture
Boudin Blanc History and Recipe  
Which Way is the Gayborhood
Sunrise Reinvigorates the Calendar Management Process
Living the West Seattle Dream

Status Update – 12.15.13

Short post this week. I’m…

Learning:

New recipes

New exercise routines

Experimenting with:

Refresh

Vine videos

Instagram videos

Postmates

Code Academy  – Hour of Code

Playing

Pikmin 3

Watching:

Amazing Race

Mindy Project

Seahawk Games

Attending:

#SeaSocialMen

Brown and Down  

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…

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 Administration, Delta 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 fiancé, 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/

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.