Archived entries for life
Conversation or Broadcast?
A number of companies in London Ontario have started talking about social media and subsequently offering their services in the field.
While I’m glad to see a broader understanding of what social media is and how it’s useful for business and marketing, I’m also disappointed by some of the thoughts and attitudes coming from these companies.
First and foremost; social media is about creating a relationship with your customers. Bottom line. You can use it to sell them something, or find out what they think about your product, but that’s all a result of having a dialogue with them and earning their trust.
Instead of focusing on the message, or the tools, or the audience; focus on engagement, reputation building and an ongoing rapport. When you do that you’ll have a successful social media agency.
Popularity: 18% [?]
Cartoon Explanation
This drawing by Hugh Macleod has done the best job of explaining the whole reason for the internet:
Popularity: 18% [?]
Social Media Training – Free Guidance Courses
In my first few weeks at rtraction I have already given several presentations on social media at various events.
On Tuesday November 10th I will be providing a free introduction to social media for businesses. This will be a elementary session that will attempt to answer the what, the why and the how. No prior experience is expected, but all knowledge levels are invited to attend.
The course is going to be offered from 9 to 10:30 AM in the boardroom at the base of the Talbot Towers (148 Fullarton St London)
For more information and to attend please register here
Popularity: 17% [?]
Employment Announcement
I’m pleased to announce that starting today I have joined the team at rtraction as a Social Media Strategist!
This is a great opportunity for both myself, rtraction, and businesses in Southwestern Ontario. There is now a full fledged social media agency that can take care of all your new media needs. My job description is still being finalized, but I will be primarily helping clients to understand and apply themselves to social media platforms. We also have some training courses planned for later in the year.
As many of you know, this is a space that I have been heavily engaged in for many years. I don’t want to blow my own horn too much (I’ll leave that for the guys at rtraction), but my involvement in Podcamp London, LOLA and the upcoming SMarts Conference, illustrates how much I “get it”.
If you have been wondering how your company or brand should take advantage of this new space, but have been holding back, be sure to drop me a line
Popularity: 24% [?]
Working From Anywhere
Since I’ve started to work more on my own, due to my unfortunate termination, I’ve realized the benefits of being able to work anywhere.
While I have an office set up at home, it is nice to be able to leave for somewhere else. That way I’m not distracted by the many things there are to do around my house. So instead I grab my MacBook, notebook and phone and head out, usually to a local coffee house.
In my opinion, the best thing that any entrepreneur or freelance consultant can do is learn to work anywhere, at any time. I’m sure this is nothing new to most people, but it has made the world of difference to me.
Popularity: 44% [?]
Security Concepts: Job Interview
Update July 2010: Well I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but this company has repeatedly failed to improve their standing in the community, or reign in their employees. I strongly urge any prospective employee to reconsidering pursuing this company as an option.
Update November 2009: Since I wrote this post I have had a chance to visit the new Security Concept offices on Wellington St. While what follows is an accurate representation of what I experienced in July 2009, I can honestly say that the company has changed many of their practices since then. I would urge you not to judge the company on my experiences alone.
It’s taken me a bit of time to get to the story of my job interview on Monday, but I promised.
Like I mentioned, I totally forgot about applying for this job, which should have been warning sign number one. The interview was scheduled for 2:30 at 149 King St, the corner of King and Richmond in downtown London. The company was Security Concepts, and they claimed to be an authorized ADT dealer. When I called to confirm the interview I was told I was interviewing for a sales position, warning sign number 2.
So at 2:20 I parked at Covent Garden Market and started looking for the office. It took me a while because it was hidden in a rundown building, between two nicer looking office towers. There were temporary signs throughout the building directing me to the Security Concepts office, warning sign number 3.
I walked through the door into a room 10 ft by 10 ft with about 15 people in it, there was a women sitting behind a crappy looking desk who directed me to another room when she heard I was there for an interview. Warning sign 4.
There were 17 other people in that room, all there for an interview, that was going to take place as a group.
There was a man in a Security Concepts polo shirt giving a powerpoint, no, reading a powerpoint presentation about the company.
We had to go around the room and introduce ourselves and tell our work experience. You could tell that any hopes, dreams or ambitions that anyone in that room had ever had were long gone.
Polo shirt man filled us in on the details of Security Concepts. Did you know that they give you the security system?!?! All you pay is the $99.99 activation fee and then your $34.99 a month afterwards!! And for each system you as a rep sell, you earn $200! Most of their salesmen sell at least one a day, working 5 days a week, thats $1000 a week, or $52,000 a year.
“That’s more money then some of you have ever made”
Warning signs 5,6,7,8……
Then we had to pull out our resumes and on the back give a number, 1 being you don’t want to work with them and 10 being you really did. Then write a paragraph about why they should hire you.
Polo shirt man left the room and would return to do one on one interviews. Before he did that he asked for a show of hands for how many people could start today. He acknowledged one particularily anxious man with a nod and a “thank-you”
I took this as my cue to leave.
Update:
Since I wrote this post I received comments from people on their way to interviews who have thanked me for sparing them the trouble. This was because I ranked quite high on Google searches for Security Concepts and job interviews.
I sent an email to the company informing them of this, and offering my services. They decided to take it upon themselves to comment on my blog. I applaud this move, but they failed miserably.
Security Concepts still has no credibility as an employer. They’ve hid behind anonymous comments, and have engaged in a “he-said, she-said” battle. Never mind the fact that their SEO and SEM is horrendous (or non existent)
Update: Well I thought that the comments to this post were bad enough….Apparently some employees have decided to attack me personally (click to enlarge).
Popularity: 56% [?]
First Job Interview
As I go through the job searching process I made the concious decision to “new media” the process of at least one job oppurtunity.
I’m going to write blog posts, upload pictures, and tweet the eperience as I pursue employment. My first interview is with Security Concepts for a sales job.
To be honest I forgot that I had applied for this job until I got the phone call yesterday. I had to go back to the Job Bank site to see what the job was. I’m kind of interested to see how the interview goes. I do have a couple of questions though; pay and hours etc.
Wish me luck.
Popularity: 38% [?]
Loser’s Town
I just finished reading my first book as part of the Penguin bloggers promotion, Loser’s Town (Amazon). Unlike other book reviews, like ones you may have written in grade school, I’m not going to rehash the entire book for you. Nor am I going to offer a general recommendation to any and everyone reading this.
You will like this book though if you are into gritty, dark, crime and mystery novels.
I can’t say that this is a genre that I am completely familiar with, at least the more modern offers of such. I grew up reading mystery novels of the Rex Stout variety, so this novel was a bit of a change.
That being said I did enjoy reading it. It was the perfect type of book for a long weekend. I can see it being very popular vacation reading.
Loser’s Town appears to be the first in a new series featuring the main character, David Spandau. He’s an interesting character, and I look forward to seeing him developed further.
My one criticism is with the author’s opinion that the reader needs to be shocked into seeing how gritty the book’s setting is. With gratuitous sex scenes, that seem to serve no purpose, and language thatattempts to be “street” but just comes across as stilted and forced, Depp would do better to work on his prose then pure shock.
Popularity: 35% [?]
Some Announcments
This post has been a long time coming, but I have been putting it of for a while now.
As I have eluded in the past, both on here and Twitter, about the “exciting things” taking place in London.
I am thrilled to annouce, finally and publicly here, that I have become involved with the London Ontario Live Arts festival – better known as LOLA. I’m very excited because I have participated as a concert goer in the LOLA festival in previous years and had a great time. Despite the stereotype that London does not have an arts community, LOLA has flourished, and shown both this city and the whole country a different part of Southwestern Ontario.
There is going to be lots of oppurtunity to explore different parts of social media and online promotion as a result of this. I’m interested to see how things develop, before, during, and after the concert. There are ongoing concert series during the year and I will be promoting those as well.
The next bit of news that I would like to share is my involvement with Penguin Canada. As part of their promotions, the book publisher has started to branch out online. I have been selected to help promote various books and authors as part of my blog and online presence.This is a great oppurtunity for me, and my readers. I am an avid reader and I love sharing my opinion.
In all of this though I promise to continue to have a transparent website. I’ll make it clear when I am promoting / working on behalf of someone else. I’m going to share my opnion honestly. If I like something I’ll recommend it. If not then I won’t lie. I think these relationships are going to benefit everyone in the end.
Popularity: 31% [?]
