Hello to my followers. I hope you are well today as we move coser to the holiday season. With the holiday season comes stress. Stress can be our worst enemy especially in long line ups either at the post office or at the mall.
That got me to thinking that those that are out of work will around the holidays will most likely be even more stressed. I urge you to take time out and destress. I also suggest that when you are out on your shopping excursions that you be mindful of how you treat others. You never know who the sales clerk you are getting frustrated at is related to.
When you are on a job search, please be respectful at all times to everyone you come into contact with. That includes online contact. Before you post anything on your blog, facebook page or twitter account, think if what you are posting is professional or not. Ask yourself that quesiton before you post to be on the safe side. I have heard of cases where people have either been fired on not been hired because of their online image or even just a simple post that wasn't appropriate.
When you go for lunch, be nice to the sandwhich artist at Subway. When you take a taxi, say thank you and smile politely. Remember to leave enough of a tip. When you are in the line up to mail your greeting cards, make a new friend. You never know who this new friend could be or what they do until you ask!
More people will be out and about than ever right now doing similar things that you need to do. Take this opportunity to meet strangers by the art of small talk. That stranger could be your potential boss or someone who knows of an opportunity you can apply for. It is amazing how much job searching really impacts all seasons and every aspect of life.
Thank you to all my followers for tuning in today. Happy searching!
Kindly,
Anrea
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Dressing Professionally In Snow
Hello Followers!
For those of you who live in Winnipeg, I hope you managed to get around today with our first big dump of snow for the season.
I was thinking, with snow comes the winter coats, boots, hats, scarves, gloves etc. It makes me wonder if people who are on career searches keep in mind that they need to dress professionally even with their outer wear when going on interviews. Wearing huge witner boots for example with a hat with a pom pom on the top may not be the wisest choice to ensure you make that killer first impression.
For interviews, I ask that you please think of your outfit to include outer wear. Don't wear the power suit and kill the look with Sorels. Both men and woman are able to invest in a nice wool or leather coat. I know they are costly and you probably don't have the funds right now if you are looking for work. However, being resourceful is always handy. I suggest that if you find the item you like, see if the store has layawy options. With Christmas around the corner, add it to your wish list. There are also stores like the Clothes Closet, Redeemed, Value Village that are excellent options to keep you professional looking and warm this winter. They may be second hand clothing, but most of the clothing is in great condition. Why not even take a trip across the line. My friend went to Fargo last weekend and was bragging how many great deals she found.
Try to find a professional pair of gloves that match a hat and scarf. This will tell the employer that you care about your appearance and took the time and it also makes you look more together and organized. With the winter comes the wind. I don't know about you, but I always have watery eyes in the wind. On interviews, I always take tissue with me so I don't have tears running down my face in front of the receptionist. If you can, arrive a few minutes early to go to the batheroom to fix yourself up. I always reapply a bit of lipstick, comb my hair and take my jacket off in the bathroom so it is draped over my arm as I walk in to where the interview will take place.
Interviewing is a bit more challenging in the winter no question. There is nothing like arriving to a potential employer huffing and puffing with red rosy cheecks.
Hopefully, you will also remember to check where your references are for the winter months as well. Touch base with them and find out when they will be going on their winter holiday. Maybe some of them have turned into snow birds and are gone to Arizona for six months out of the year. If you are asked to present references, the employer will appreciate it if you have insight on how to get a hold of your references if they are having difficulties reaching them. It saves them time after all and speeds up the process of you landing that job!
There, are a few tips I can offer the career searching individual as winter is upon us. One thing to take notice is that around the Christmas months, the career sections in the paper are pretty dismal. Don't be discouraged. I know it can get you down and be frustrating. Sometimes, you may wonder why you even bothered buyiing a Saturday's paper. My advice to you to combat this is creative networking! Get out to as many social functions as you can over the Christmas Party season and make those contacts.
Get your phone ringing with interviews and make sure to buy professional winter out wear. Here is the online address for the Clothes Closet and Redeemed.
http://www.swfic.org/closet.html
http://redeemed.ca/
Good luck and happy searching! Stay warm and look great.
Kindly,
Anrea
For those of you who live in Winnipeg, I hope you managed to get around today with our first big dump of snow for the season.
I was thinking, with snow comes the winter coats, boots, hats, scarves, gloves etc. It makes me wonder if people who are on career searches keep in mind that they need to dress professionally even with their outer wear when going on interviews. Wearing huge witner boots for example with a hat with a pom pom on the top may not be the wisest choice to ensure you make that killer first impression.
For interviews, I ask that you please think of your outfit to include outer wear. Don't wear the power suit and kill the look with Sorels. Both men and woman are able to invest in a nice wool or leather coat. I know they are costly and you probably don't have the funds right now if you are looking for work. However, being resourceful is always handy. I suggest that if you find the item you like, see if the store has layawy options. With Christmas around the corner, add it to your wish list. There are also stores like the Clothes Closet, Redeemed, Value Village that are excellent options to keep you professional looking and warm this winter. They may be second hand clothing, but most of the clothing is in great condition. Why not even take a trip across the line. My friend went to Fargo last weekend and was bragging how many great deals she found.
Try to find a professional pair of gloves that match a hat and scarf. This will tell the employer that you care about your appearance and took the time and it also makes you look more together and organized. With the winter comes the wind. I don't know about you, but I always have watery eyes in the wind. On interviews, I always take tissue with me so I don't have tears running down my face in front of the receptionist. If you can, arrive a few minutes early to go to the batheroom to fix yourself up. I always reapply a bit of lipstick, comb my hair and take my jacket off in the bathroom so it is draped over my arm as I walk in to where the interview will take place.
Interviewing is a bit more challenging in the winter no question. There is nothing like arriving to a potential employer huffing and puffing with red rosy cheecks.
Hopefully, you will also remember to check where your references are for the winter months as well. Touch base with them and find out when they will be going on their winter holiday. Maybe some of them have turned into snow birds and are gone to Arizona for six months out of the year. If you are asked to present references, the employer will appreciate it if you have insight on how to get a hold of your references if they are having difficulties reaching them. It saves them time after all and speeds up the process of you landing that job!
There, are a few tips I can offer the career searching individual as winter is upon us. One thing to take notice is that around the Christmas months, the career sections in the paper are pretty dismal. Don't be discouraged. I know it can get you down and be frustrating. Sometimes, you may wonder why you even bothered buyiing a Saturday's paper. My advice to you to combat this is creative networking! Get out to as many social functions as you can over the Christmas Party season and make those contacts.
Get your phone ringing with interviews and make sure to buy professional winter out wear. Here is the online address for the Clothes Closet and Redeemed.
http://www.swfic.org/closet.html
http://redeemed.ca/
Good luck and happy searching! Stay warm and look great.
Kindly,
Anrea
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Power of Open Ended Questions
Hello to you, my wonderfully charming followers. I hope you had a nice weekend. I was supposed to blog on Friday but I didn't. I aplogize to you for that. I did attempt to write but I had a horrible dose of the writer's blog block. I just didn't want to write for the sake of writing. I wanted to ensure I had something to say. My topic came to me just now and I do believe it is an interesting one that we can all mull over.
Think back in your lives when you first started learning about open ended questions. Open ended questions are those that do not stimulate a yes or no answer. Think about how you converse with your family and friends. Think about how you ask questions to foster two way communication with people in your lives.
When was it for you? For me, it was working retail for close to a decade. In all customer service training I had, I was always told to use open ended questions to start conversations with customers. In retail these questions are called probing questions. Examples of some probing questions are, "Who are you shopping for today."
Now that I am taking a jounalism couse in the Creaive Communicaons program a Red River college, We have been told to use open ended questioning in our interview process.
When you are on job searches and in an interview, open ended questions will be asked. "Tell me about a time when," is a good example of an open ended interview question.
It i good to create the questions that you will ask your potential employer in the open ended style as well. This way you are encouraging two way communicaion, look interested in the company and allow yourself the oppotunity to stand out from the rest as this technique will build rapport.
Before you head out to your next inteview, I suggest that you think of a few open ended questions to ask. Once you get used to thinking in open ended questions, they will pop of your tongue!
Good luck and happy questioning!
Think back in your lives when you first started learning about open ended questions. Open ended questions are those that do not stimulate a yes or no answer. Think about how you converse with your family and friends. Think about how you ask questions to foster two way communication with people in your lives.
When was it for you? For me, it was working retail for close to a decade. In all customer service training I had, I was always told to use open ended questions to start conversations with customers. In retail these questions are called probing questions. Examples of some probing questions are, "Who are you shopping for today."
Now that I am taking a jounalism couse in the Creaive Communicaons program a Red River college, We have been told to use open ended questioning in our interview process.
When you are on job searches and in an interview, open ended questions will be asked. "Tell me about a time when," is a good example of an open ended interview question.
It i good to create the questions that you will ask your potential employer in the open ended style as well. This way you are encouraging two way communicaion, look interested in the company and allow yourself the oppotunity to stand out from the rest as this technique will build rapport.
Before you head out to your next inteview, I suggest that you think of a few open ended questions to ask. Once you get used to thinking in open ended questions, they will pop of your tongue!
Good luck and happy questioning!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Creative Networking
Hello my fantabulous followers. I hope you are enjoying the exceptionally nice weather for November. For those of you who are working, you will probably wish you had the day off!
For those of you who are not working, enjoy today and get outside. That is one thing I forgot to do when I was unemployed. I was so worried about finding a job or finding the new direction my life would take that I forgot to appreciate the free time I had. I wouldn't allow myself to enjoy this time because I was too determined to get back on track. When I wasn't determined, I was usually depressed and moped all day.
I remember what I did get a high out of was creative networking. I remember that I cold called people that I thouht would be able to help me with my career search. I cold called Bob Silver who since 1980 he has been the President of Western Glove Works, a Winnipeg based private company involved in the manufacturing and merchandising of casual apparel and co-owner and director of Western Glove Works and Warehouse One (a Winnipeg based retail clothing chain).
How this came to be was, Mr. Silver was saying a speech about the power of a university education and that there is no reason why anyone with a UofW degree couldn't succeed. We were both at a fundraising dinner for The University of Winnipeg. I was very inspired by his speech but jaded at the same time. I am a University of Winnipeg graduate twice over with an undergraduate degree from the main campus along with a management diploma from the division of continuing education. I listened to his words and thought, why am I struggling and unemployed when I have done all the right things.
I decided to cold call Bob Silver and ask him that very question. I remember this vividly. My hands were trembling when I dialed the numbers on the phone. I knew what I wanted to say but I wasn't sure how the words would come out. I thought I would get a gatekeeper but I didn't, he answered the phone. I took a deep breath and introduced myself. I informed him that I was at the dinner he spoke at and was inspired by his speech and hoped his words were true. I told him that it wasn't true for me at this stage in my life and was wonering if he would be interested in meeting for coffee to assist me on my career search. Low and behold, Mr. Silver agreed. I met him at Western Glove and brought my resume with me. He looked it over and we had a nice chat.
I wanted to share this story with you because this is what I call creative networking. This will happen to you on your career search if you are open to it. When you are out at events, be aware of what people are giving speeches, mark down their names, titles, parts of their speech you liked or didn't like. Afterwards, google them and find their contact information. Research where they work so you know a bit about their background. Try to make a connection between you and the person you are wanting to cold call. When you are successful at that, try to think about what you are going to say before you dial or email. Have the points in front of you before you make contact. Don't do what I did and risk it.
I promise you, that if you do this on your career search, you will get a high from it and impress yourself. It feels great when you make contacts that you never thought were possible. You have to make these possible.
You also practice your cold calling skills and keep them fresh by doing this exercise. In my opinion, creative networking is another tactic to use to tap into the hidden job market. Next time you are at a luncheon, or a fundraising dinner, bring a pad of paper with you and write important names and points down that interest or inspire you. Put your investigative hat on and you never know who you will end up meeting! This is how to make your career search exciting.
Take care,
Anrea
For those of you who are not working, enjoy today and get outside. That is one thing I forgot to do when I was unemployed. I was so worried about finding a job or finding the new direction my life would take that I forgot to appreciate the free time I had. I wouldn't allow myself to enjoy this time because I was too determined to get back on track. When I wasn't determined, I was usually depressed and moped all day.
I remember what I did get a high out of was creative networking. I remember that I cold called people that I thouht would be able to help me with my career search. I cold called Bob Silver who since 1980 he has been the President of Western Glove Works, a Winnipeg based private company involved in the manufacturing and merchandising of casual apparel and co-owner and director of Western Glove Works and Warehouse One (a Winnipeg based retail clothing chain).
How this came to be was, Mr. Silver was saying a speech about the power of a university education and that there is no reason why anyone with a UofW degree couldn't succeed. We were both at a fundraising dinner for The University of Winnipeg. I was very inspired by his speech but jaded at the same time. I am a University of Winnipeg graduate twice over with an undergraduate degree from the main campus along with a management diploma from the division of continuing education. I listened to his words and thought, why am I struggling and unemployed when I have done all the right things.
I decided to cold call Bob Silver and ask him that very question. I remember this vividly. My hands were trembling when I dialed the numbers on the phone. I knew what I wanted to say but I wasn't sure how the words would come out. I thought I would get a gatekeeper but I didn't, he answered the phone. I took a deep breath and introduced myself. I informed him that I was at the dinner he spoke at and was inspired by his speech and hoped his words were true. I told him that it wasn't true for me at this stage in my life and was wonering if he would be interested in meeting for coffee to assist me on my career search. Low and behold, Mr. Silver agreed. I met him at Western Glove and brought my resume with me. He looked it over and we had a nice chat.
I wanted to share this story with you because this is what I call creative networking. This will happen to you on your career search if you are open to it. When you are out at events, be aware of what people are giving speeches, mark down their names, titles, parts of their speech you liked or didn't like. Afterwards, google them and find their contact information. Research where they work so you know a bit about their background. Try to make a connection between you and the person you are wanting to cold call. When you are successful at that, try to think about what you are going to say before you dial or email. Have the points in front of you before you make contact. Don't do what I did and risk it.
I promise you, that if you do this on your career search, you will get a high from it and impress yourself. It feels great when you make contacts that you never thought were possible. You have to make these possible.
You also practice your cold calling skills and keep them fresh by doing this exercise. In my opinion, creative networking is another tactic to use to tap into the hidden job market. Next time you are at a luncheon, or a fundraising dinner, bring a pad of paper with you and write important names and points down that interest or inspire you. Put your investigative hat on and you never know who you will end up meeting! This is how to make your career search exciting.
Take care,
Anrea
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Transition Tips
Hello my wonderful followers. I hope you all had a great week. Thank you for checking in with my blog and spending your valuable time with me. I thought of an organization that I wanted to inform you about today. Some of you will probably have heard of it or even utilized the programs and services they offer already When I was unemployed, I went through their programs and really enjoyed them.
Tho organization I am discussing today is the Winnipeg Transition Centre. They offer an Employment Assistance Resource Service known as EARS. This program is funded by Employment Manitoba and can help you find work for free if you are unemployed. I found the staff at the Winnipeg Transition Centre to be very positive and informed. The Employment Councillors there make your job search an uplifting experience.
A funded workshop with trained facilitators help you with your transition provding you with training exercises that really get to know your strength and weaknesses. Free interview coaching and job search skills are also provided. I participated in a one week workshop and really enjoyed the interview coaching aspect. What was really useful was that they video taped you while you were on a mock interview. After the interview, you watched how you presented yourself. I found this exercise to be very insightful. At times, I was shy to see the footage but I knew it would only help me better my interview skills.
In the workshop, you also learned about resume writing and how to tap into the hidden job market. The Centre says that 85% of jobs are not advertised. According to WTC, the term “Hidden Job Market” refers to the jobs that are never advertised. Advertised jobs, such as those listed in newspapers, job search sites such as workopolis.com and job boards such as the Government of Canada job bank, only account for about 15% of all the jobs available at any given time. The other 85% are “hidden."
WTC also provides self marketing skills training. With how important networking is to be competitive these days, this is such a necessary skill.
WTC is located at 1836 Main Street and their phone number is 338-3899. Please check them out online at http://www.winnipegtransitioncentre.com/ . You may not need their services now but you never know. You can also help someone who is unemployed by sharing this information with them.
Have a wonderful remainder of the week!
Kindly,
Anrea
Tho organization I am discussing today is the Winnipeg Transition Centre. They offer an Employment Assistance Resource Service known as EARS. This program is funded by Employment Manitoba and can help you find work for free if you are unemployed. I found the staff at the Winnipeg Transition Centre to be very positive and informed. The Employment Councillors there make your job search an uplifting experience.
A funded workshop with trained facilitators help you with your transition provding you with training exercises that really get to know your strength and weaknesses. Free interview coaching and job search skills are also provided. I participated in a one week workshop and really enjoyed the interview coaching aspect. What was really useful was that they video taped you while you were on a mock interview. After the interview, you watched how you presented yourself. I found this exercise to be very insightful. At times, I was shy to see the footage but I knew it would only help me better my interview skills.
In the workshop, you also learned about resume writing and how to tap into the hidden job market. The Centre says that 85% of jobs are not advertised. According to WTC, the term “Hidden Job Market” refers to the jobs that are never advertised. Advertised jobs, such as those listed in newspapers, job search sites such as workopolis.com and job boards such as the Government of Canada job bank, only account for about 15% of all the jobs available at any given time. The other 85% are “hidden."
WTC also provides self marketing skills training. With how important networking is to be competitive these days, this is such a necessary skill.
WTC is located at 1836 Main Street and their phone number is 338-3899. Please check them out online at http://www.winnipegtransitioncentre.com/ . You may not need their services now but you never know. You can also help someone who is unemployed by sharing this information with them.
Have a wonderful remainder of the week!
Kindly,
Anrea
Friday, October 29, 2010
Costume Parties Equal Networking Opportunities
Hello my wonderful followers. I hope all of you are in good spirits and ready for the weekend full of costume parties and potential networking opportunities. When you are out at any social gathering, please keep in mind that you may meet someone that could help you on your job search. You must always be prepared by presenting yourself in a professional manner. I know this can be hard after a few bubblies but all I ask is that you at least try your best.
When you are at a social gathering, the common question that you wll most usually be asked by someone you meet for the first time is "What do you do?" Have you thought about how you are going to answer this question? Please consider what you will say before heading out to your gathering.
First of all, it is okay to say you are unemployed. Please do not let the negative stigma attached to that word make you feel like you are a social disgrace. I know this is easier said than done but the more people that know you are looking for work the better. Try saying I am unemployed in the mirror a few times before you leave to get yourself used to the feelings that come along with saying this.
After you feel you are comfortable with saying you are unemployed, come up with what you will say after this. Try to come up with a sentence that describes your background or how many years of experience you have in the field you were working in before. This way, you will feel better and boost your confidence up again. Try saying something like the following: "Currently, I am unemployed. My background consists of five yars experience in the not for profit sector in volunteer management and fundraising roles. I really enjoyed this type of work but am looking for something more permanent." This is the line I always use and it realy has seemed to work for me. I always feel proud of my experience after I say this and it usually prompts my listener to ask further questions. Try to have specific examples of what you have done where you have been successful at your previous job. Talk about how you streamlined operations, organized an event that generated so much revenue or identified new partnerships that you created that increased revenue. Don't be afraid to toot your own horn.
Ask your listener what they do for a living and be interested and engaged. Ask how he or she likes their job, how he or she got into the industry, what schooling is necessary and most importantly, ask for a business card if you are interested in staying in touch. People do not hesitate in giving business cards. Make sure when you get a business card to put it in your purse or wallet right away so you don't lose it throughout the evening. Don't put it in your pocket because it is likely to end up in the washing machine. Even though you are unemployed, a good idea is to make your own business cards so you can still have something to hand out in return. On your business card you can display all of your contact information and then say your line of work or what you are looking for. It is a good idea to invest in a nice business card holder that is easy to carry and open. There is nothing worse than not being able to access your business cards professionally. It will be even harder with a drink in your hand!
Even though you may be feeling down in the dumps because you are unemployed, push your comfort zone and get out there and go to that costume party this weekend. The phone won't ring with a job offer if you don't get out there and make it happen.
So my fellow job seekers, get your networking face on as well as your costume. Oh, one more piece of advice, make sure your costume is in good taste. This will be your first impressionl. If you are going to wear a mask, make sure you can see properly and ensure people can hear you when you wear it. Even more importantly, take it off when you meet someone that could potentially help you on your job search. You want them to see you, not the mask.
Good luck this weekend!
Kindly,
Anrea
When you are at a social gathering, the common question that you wll most usually be asked by someone you meet for the first time is "What do you do?" Have you thought about how you are going to answer this question? Please consider what you will say before heading out to your gathering.
First of all, it is okay to say you are unemployed. Please do not let the negative stigma attached to that word make you feel like you are a social disgrace. I know this is easier said than done but the more people that know you are looking for work the better. Try saying I am unemployed in the mirror a few times before you leave to get yourself used to the feelings that come along with saying this.
After you feel you are comfortable with saying you are unemployed, come up with what you will say after this. Try to come up with a sentence that describes your background or how many years of experience you have in the field you were working in before. This way, you will feel better and boost your confidence up again. Try saying something like the following: "Currently, I am unemployed. My background consists of five yars experience in the not for profit sector in volunteer management and fundraising roles. I really enjoyed this type of work but am looking for something more permanent." This is the line I always use and it realy has seemed to work for me. I always feel proud of my experience after I say this and it usually prompts my listener to ask further questions. Try to have specific examples of what you have done where you have been successful at your previous job. Talk about how you streamlined operations, organized an event that generated so much revenue or identified new partnerships that you created that increased revenue. Don't be afraid to toot your own horn.
Ask your listener what they do for a living and be interested and engaged. Ask how he or she likes their job, how he or she got into the industry, what schooling is necessary and most importantly, ask for a business card if you are interested in staying in touch. People do not hesitate in giving business cards. Make sure when you get a business card to put it in your purse or wallet right away so you don't lose it throughout the evening. Don't put it in your pocket because it is likely to end up in the washing machine. Even though you are unemployed, a good idea is to make your own business cards so you can still have something to hand out in return. On your business card you can display all of your contact information and then say your line of work or what you are looking for. It is a good idea to invest in a nice business card holder that is easy to carry and open. There is nothing worse than not being able to access your business cards professionally. It will be even harder with a drink in your hand!
Even though you may be feeling down in the dumps because you are unemployed, push your comfort zone and get out there and go to that costume party this weekend. The phone won't ring with a job offer if you don't get out there and make it happen.
So my fellow job seekers, get your networking face on as well as your costume. Oh, one more piece of advice, make sure your costume is in good taste. This will be your first impressionl. If you are going to wear a mask, make sure you can see properly and ensure people can hear you when you wear it. Even more importantly, take it off when you meet someone that could potentially help you on your job search. You want them to see you, not the mask.
Good luck this weekend!
Kindly,
Anrea
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Social Network Lab
I went to see the movie Social Network the second night it came out because I saw the advertisements on television and I thought they made the movie look interesting and exciting. I didn't know much about Mark Zuckerberg before I went to see the film. I was told by one of the audience members that the movie was non-fiction so I was interested to see how Facebook came to be.
One thing that I found really interesting was the personality of Mark Zuckerberg. In the film Mark Zuckerberg was a computer genius, but he still had feelings like everyone else. I found it really interesting that many of his actions were in response to his own feelings of low self esteem. I think his social life suffered because of his genius abilities and he was misunderstood by his peers. I think his audiences will relate to him better now because they may identify with Zuckerberg as an actual person who struggled with women and didn't fit in socially all of the time. In the movie, Zuckerberg doesn't end up getting the girl he really wants even though he is the youngest billionaire in the world. It gives the message that money cannot buy you happiness and anything or everything you want.
I think the movie does portray Zuckerberg as a hard working, creative, coding genius. With that being said, he was also still very influenced by other people and forgot who his original friends were. I think he was swept up in his success and hurt some people along the way. This is called forgetting who your friends are. This would make audiences perceive him in a negative fashion. However, money can change and do strange things to people and Facebook is the prime example of that.
One thing that I found really interesting was the personality of Mark Zuckerberg. In the film Mark Zuckerberg was a computer genius, but he still had feelings like everyone else. I found it really interesting that many of his actions were in response to his own feelings of low self esteem. I think his social life suffered because of his genius abilities and he was misunderstood by his peers. I think his audiences will relate to him better now because they may identify with Zuckerberg as an actual person who struggled with women and didn't fit in socially all of the time. In the movie, Zuckerberg doesn't end up getting the girl he really wants even though he is the youngest billionaire in the world. It gives the message that money cannot buy you happiness and anything or everything you want.
I think the movie does portray Zuckerberg as a hard working, creative, coding genius. With that being said, he was also still very influenced by other people and forgot who his original friends were. I think he was swept up in his success and hurt some people along the way. This is called forgetting who your friends are. This would make audiences perceive him in a negative fashion. However, money can change and do strange things to people and Facebook is the prime example of that.
When I went to see the film, the movie theatre was packed. I was really interested in looking at who was attending the movie. The age range in the room was really young. I couldn’t believe it. I found that really interesting. I wondered if the age of the audience would understand the litigation aspect of the film and was curious if the public would be interested in that part of the movie. I remember thinking that the advertisements about the movie didn’t focus on the litigation part which was a huge part of the film.
After reading the interview that Ben Parr had with Mark Zuckerberg, I have come to the conclusion that Zuckerberg is a smart business man. I say this because Zuckerberg realizes that focusing on his business and developing new products is more important than worrying about if people like you are not. He is not hung up on if people like or dislike him after watching the Facebook movie and I admire that. The media could portray that this response to the movie is cold hearted but in reality, it is what is important. Business is business. I think it is a realistic response, especially with how big Facebook is. I don’t think the amount of people that come out disliking Zuckerberg will even make a dent in the value of Facebook now or in the future. It is a numbers game in my opinion.
I visited http://prpost.wordpress.com/feed/ the Zuckerberg, Hears and Hollywood: PR Lessons Learned from the Past section and learned that Zuckerberg appeared on Oprah on the day the movie came out to announce the establishment of his foundation and his first gift of a $100 million which was given to the Newark school system. Zuckerberg says the timing was coincidental, which seems to insult the audience’s intelligence. I agree, underestimating the intelligence of your audience is a public relations nightmare. Personally, I don’t believe that the timing was coincidental with Zuckerberg’s power and influence. With that being said, I think it is important to see the good that is being done by the generosity of a $100 million dollar donation. I have a background working in charities and this type of donation will change many lives. I think the public relations strategy for Facebook now and in the future should be to focus on philanthropic initiatives and the success stories that prevail.
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