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The Top 10 Must-Read Newsletters for Digital Marketers

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If you’re looking to stay on top of the latest trends in digital marketing, these newsletters will help you do that. Here are some of the best ones.

As a digital marketer, you face the dilemma of needing to stay on top of the latest industry trends and innovations, but also not having the time to dive into rabbit holes researching every trend.

Marketing newsletters are a handy solution to this problem. They bring marketing information straight to your inbox in an easily digestible format, saving you time and energy. However, since several such newsletters are in circulation, how do you know which one to choose? To help you pick, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best digital marketing newsletters you should subscribe to immediately.

1. Convince and Convert ON

Screen of webpage from Convince&Convert

Convince and Convert describes its newsletter as “marketing’s most relevant email.” Its 90,000-plus subscribers are proof enough to back up this claim. New issues are released every two weeks, each containing trends and insights hand-selected by the Convince & Convert team to help you stay on top of the marketing industry.

The newsletter primarily focuses on content marketing, social media, email, amplification, word-of-mouth marketing, customer service/experience, and analytics. It also contains advice from a Convince and Convert expert on what trends to watch, as well as fun surprises in each issue.

2. The Daily Carnage

Screenshot of webpage of Daily Carnage

Don’t be thrown off by its questionable name. The Daily Carnage is one of the industry’s most relevant and beloved marketing newsletters. It is the brainchild of the folks at Carney—a digital marketing, design, and development agency. Subscribing will ensure that you are always the sharpest marketer in the room.

Every day, you’ll receive a hand-picked list of content useful for all the best digital marketing careers that will help you learn about your field in a fun and relevant way. You can also rely on the Daily Carnage for motivation, affirmation, and inspiration to start your day strong.

3. Buffer–Social Media for Business Newsletter

Screenshot of Buffer webpage

Buffer is a popular social media management app that helps marketers build their brands and grow their businesses on social media. They also have a newsletter with more than 45,000 subscribers, which is still growing.

Through this newsletter, the Buffer team shares blog posts, tips, trends, experiments, and news that will help you succeed in social media marketing. You can also get inspiration for your next idea from stories of businesses that are leveraging social media to grow their presence.

4. Marketing Dive

Screen of Marketing Dive webpage

Marketing Dive covers various topics, including marketing technology, advertising, social media, video marketing, and analytics. It also takes things a step further by providing in-depth journalistic insight into the day’s marketing headlines, news, and trends.

By devoting just 10 minutes in the morning and evening to Marketing Dive, you can stay on top of all the developments in the marketing industry. There are three subscription options for marketing dive: Daily Dive, which publishes daily; Mobile Weekly, which publishes every Thursday; and Agencies Weekly, which releases on Mondays.

5. Sketchalytics

Screenshot of Sketchalytics webpage

If you’re more of a visual rather than verbal learner, then Sketchalytics is the perfect marketing newsletter for you. Instead of reading lengthy articles, you’ll receive a marketing micro-lesson in the form of a sketch each week. By pairing the sketch with the brief explanation accompanying it, you can learn and be entertained simultaneously.

There is no sales pitch, fluff, or unnecessary content. Each issue is just pure marketing lessons on new topics presented in a fun and easy-to-understand format.

6. Search Engine Land Daily Brief

Screenshot of Search Engine Land webpage

In the ever-changing landscape of search marketing, there’s no better newsletter than Search Engine Land’s Daily Brief. The newsletter is published every weekday and gives you daily recaps of the latest news, analysis, and insights on search marketing topics.

Its conversational format and up-to-date content have already captured the interest of thousands of marketers, and many testify that it has helped them grow as digital marketers and gain confidence in their skills.

7. Think With Google

Screenshot of Think with google webpage

Digital innovation is changing how we do marketing, transforming it into a data-based industry. Think With Google helps you adapt by putting Google research and data behind your thinking.

This fortnightly newsletter is your free resource for consumer insights, marketing strategies, and useful tools. You’ll find within it data and trends, forward-looking perspectives, and behind-the-scenes looks at successful marketing campaigns to guide your own marketing efforts.

8. Neil Patel

Screenshot Neil Patel and a bio of him

Neil Patel is one of the most recognizable names in digital marketing. He’s founded multimillion-dollar companies such as CrazyEgg and Kissmetrics, runs his own agency (NP Digital), and has been featured in top magazines like Forbes, Inc., and Entrepreneur.

In his many years exploring digital marketing, he’s developed unique insights and proven marketing tactics unknown to your competition. He shares this as well as tips for becoming a successful content writer, creating better-paid campaigns, SEO, and social media, in his newsletter.

9. Product Hunt Daily Digest

Screenshot of Product Hunt webpage

Sometimes, marketing success boils down to finding the right tool, and Product Hunt can help with that. It is a curation of the best new products across several industries, including email, social media, and influencer marketing. You can use it to find the best chrome extensions for digital marketing or unreleased apps with promising new features.

Additionally, by following your favourite topics and subscribing to its newsletter, you can receive mail alerts on all the newest and best digital marketing product arrivals before anyone else.

10. Really Good Emails

Screenshot of Really Good emails webpage

Email marketing is still one of the most potent advertising channels, and Really Good Emails ensures you do it right. It is a showcase of over 10,000 hand-picked email designs and resources to help you understand the ins and outs of product email and customer email cycles.

You can browse its categories, designs, and resources when you need tips for making beautiful email newsletters. When you subscribe to its newsletter, you can get all of this inspiration straight to your inbox every week.

Which Marketing Newsletter Is Best for You?

There is no one-size-fits-all marketing newsletter. Each one has a unique selling point and caters to a specific need. Instead, try out several newsletters and stick with the ones that are most useful to you. You’ll discover, as you cycle through these newsletters, that you are always in the loop on industry happenings without needing to sacrifice too much of your time.

Who knows, eventually, you may become a marketing expert and start publishing your newsletters. If that’s the case, look for tips to ensure your newsletter succeeds and makes the list of must-read newsletters.

By Joshua Adegoke

Joshua Adegoke is a talented writer with a year of professional writing, editing, and optimizing internet content experience. As a tech enthusiast, Joshua is passionate about the dynamism technology is bringing to the future of work.

Sourced from MUO

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The 8 Best Careers for Extroverts

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If you’re an extrovert, you probably love being around people and interacting with others. Here are some careers which are best suited for extroverts.

Your personality trait plays a significant role in your career choice. Being extroverted or introverted determines, to a large extent, the job that suits you and how well you will thrive in it. If you are often described as energetic, charismatic, outgoing, and a social butterfly, you are most likely an extrovert.

Extroverts have amazing qualities that, if channelled in the right direction, can help them attain excellence. However, the issue lies in identifying a career that suits you in the job industry. We have put together eight high-paying careers that are great fits for extroverts. Let’s discuss them below.

1. Social Media Influencer

Social media apps on a smartphone

Social media influencer is one of the next big careers in the entertainment industry. As a social butterfly and one who loves being in the spotlight, you can build large, organic followership. This could consist of different audiences on several social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

You can also use your natural charisma to influence your audiences’ buying power and build trust. Of course, this attracts brands to utilize your social engagements and promote their products and services that appeal to your audience. Furthermore, the average annual pay for a social media influencer is $41,047 per year, according to ZipRecruiter.

Nonetheless, you can still set your own fees and terms of engagement by yourself. In addition, you can simultaneously leverage more than one niche, such as fashion, travel, education, and lifestyle. However, if you are diving into the lifestyle industry, which requires you to use your life as content, take note of things you should never share on social media for content’s sake.

2. Customer Support Specialist

A person in black blazers with a microphone headset.

A customer support specialist is a direct link between a company and its customers. This position requires social and people skills, which makes it suitable for extroverts. In the face of conflict, you can use your interpersonal skills, like quick decision-making and problem-solving, to resolve issues before they escalate.

You can work as front desk personnel, call centre agent, or concierge. Meanwhile, the average salary for a customer support specialist is $47,400 per year, according to Payscale.

3. Public Relations Manager

A man in a gray suit holding a microphone

Extroverts are naturally more given to public relations than their introverted counterparts. They can steer discussions physically and virtually. And being a PR personnel might be the best choice for you. A public relations manager is responsible for internal and external communications, public affairs, and all forms of media coverage in a company.

In other words, your primary responsibility is to improve a brand’s image and oversee campaigns for products/services. You can be part of an organization’s workforce (profit or non-profit) or an independent PR specialist. According to Payscale, public relations managers earn an average of $72,604 annually.

4. Sales or Marketing Manager

Being a sales or marketing manager is one of the best careers for extroverts because it involves a lot of socializing and networking. As a sales manager, your major role is to oversee the sales team in a company, organize training, and ensure your team meets the sales quota for a period.

You will also continuously have to engage in small talk and use your natural enthusiastic charm to propel people to purchase a product or service. Meanwhile, you can major in business-to-business sales (B2B), business-to-consumer sales (B2C), direct, SaaS, or affiliate sales. Besides, you can expect to earn up to $63,359 annually, according to Payscale.

5. Counsellor or Coach

A person talking to a counselor.

Typically, an extrovert is compassionate, a great communicator, and loves being involved in other people’s lives. This makes counselling a suitable career path for one. Counsellors help people achieve positive changes in different aspects of their life, such as careers, relationships, and academics.

While you still need to acquire specific counselling techniques and certifications, your natural extrovert traits already give you solid grounds to flourish in the industry. You can render your services independently or work with a psychotherapy company. Meanwhile, the average annual salary for a licensed professional counsellor is $50,298—according to Payscale.

6. Human Resource Manager

Human resource managers act as a liaison between employees and employers. They often oversee the hiring of new employees, alongside staff training and management. In addition, they help organizations develop their work culture and benefits, payroll, and handle workplace disputes.

These responsibilities and more require high-level people skills to enable you to connect with diverse personalities on different levels, making it a great fit for extroverts. According to Payscale, human resource managers earn up to $74,000 annually.

However, your pay can be above or below, depending on your skills and certifications. You can work as a freelance human resource consultant or limit your services to one company.

7. Event Planner

A woman in a brown suit jacket standing and looking at a laptop on a table.

Event planning involves creating and developing small and large-scale personal or corporate events, such as weddings, conferences, concerts, and festivals. Having the innate ability to manage interactions with a variety of people—including clients, vendors, and the event workforce—gives you an edge in pulling off successful events.

You can also leverage different mobile apps for event management to streamline your responsibilities. Moreover, you can be a contractor and set your own rates or work for an interior decoration firm. According to Payscale, the average annual salary for event planners is $51,596. The demand for event planners is on the rise. So whichever path you choose, you can be confident of earning well.

8. UX Designer

A man scribbling on white paper.

UX designing is a people-oriented career that involves developing and managing a digital product’s user experience. Most times, the role requires you to work directly with the marketing team in an organization to understand customer needs and demands and integrate the brand message into the product.

Besides, it’s a versatile profession, not limited to one industry. In other words, you can work in the health, finance, education, or blockchain industry. You can also work as a freelancer or a full-time on-site employee. According to Payscale, the average salary for a UX designer is $76,341 per year.

Know Your Personality Type Before Choosing Your Career

Choosing your target industry and career path can be challenging. Therefore, we suggest you first analyze your personality and identify your interests, strengths, and weaknesses to help you make rational decisions about your career. You can see a psychologist or use apps to learn about your personality type to erase every iota of uncertainty.

By Joshua Adegoke

Sourced from MUO

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9 Tips to Streamline Your Online Job Search

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By Aarthi Arunkumar

Job searching can be tedious. Use your time wisely by focusing on the best strategies. Follow these tips to simplify your online job search.

Trying to find a new job is not always easy. From preparing resumes to writing cover letters and keeping track of the applications, job hunting can be daunting. The best way to take the stress out of your job search is to streamline the process and be prepared.

With these simple tips, getting hold of your dream job will no longer be a far-fetched dream.

1. Be Mindful of Your Time

Searching for a job online can soon become a full-time job if you are not careful. Set aside a couple of hours to actively search for a job and wisely utilize the rest of the time. You can learn something new, get certified, watch career development Ted Talks, or listen to podcasts on personal growth.

Searching with proper keywords is crucial to finding relevant jobs. If you’re using generic words like Writer or Photographer, you will be wasting a lot of time shuffling through the irrelevant jobs. Instead, use proper keywords like Real Estate Photographer or Marketing Copywriter.

Also, you can save time if you use the filter options in the job search websites. For example, add details like your experience level, preference for on-site or remote working, salary estimate, distance from your home, etc., to narrow your search results.

3. Search Niche Job Websites

You can find most job listings on LinkedIn and Indeed job boards, but you can access specialized jobs on niche websites. For instance, if you’re looking for remote or part-time employment, FlexJobs and We Work Remotely have various opportunities worldwide. For NGO and charity jobs, Idealist can be your best bet.

4. Find Connections on LinkedIn

You know how important LinkedIn is for your career growth. So, make sure you actively find connections and follow them. You can learn about the happenings in the industry and find job opportunities through them. Remember, your new connection can be the ticket to your new job.

Spend a considerable time on LinkedIn to build your network. It is imperative if you’re just starting or trying to switch careers.

5. Tailor Your CV

Are you sending the same resume to different employers? If so, it’s time to change that. Hiring managers expect you to customize your resume for each job you apply for. You don’t have to start from scratch, but make sure to tweak your summary and bring attention to the relevant skills and experience.

Before you apply for a job, follow these steps.

  1. Read the job description from end to end
  2. Think of how you can add value to the job.
  3. List down the appropriate experience and skills.
  4. Edit the summary, skills, and experience sections of your resume.
  5. Apply with your customized resume.

It’s a good idea to keep your resume in a standard format like a Word or PDF document to make the edits quickly. You can make a template and keep it handy, or try a customizable template online. If you’re using an infographic resume, it may be time-consuming to edit, plus you’ll need special software and expertise.

6. Learn More About Your Future Employer

Instead of following the spray and pray strategy, where you apply for several jobs and wait for something to work out, spend time researching and shortlisting the companies you strive to work for. Go to each company’s website and browse the About Us page to learn more about its principles and values. Likewise, check out the Social Media pages and get to know the top management.

Researching about your future employers will also give you pointers to add to your cover letter.

7. Write a Killer Cover Letter

It can be time-consuming to write a cover letter for each job you apply for, but when you write one, it will show the employer that you’re highly interested in the position and took the time to market yourself. In addition, a well-written cover letter will give you an edge over the other applicants by urging the recruiter to look at your application more closely.

When you write a cover letter, it is vital that you don’t just repeat the information in your resume. Instead, your cover letter should have details that are not in your resume. You can also add more elements about a particular skill or experience that is only briefly listed in your resume.

Your cover letter is also a place to explain your career gaps and relevant hobbies. Give your address and contact details clearly at the top of the page. Keep your cover letter short, proofread it many times, and ensure it’s error-free.

8. Follow Up With the Hiring Manager

So you’ve found your perfect job and applied for it. You watch over your inbox like a hawk for days and days, but nothing happens. But before you throw in the towel, it is better to send a gentle reminder to your hiring manager. It will show your hiring manager that you’re seriously interested in the opportunity, and your resume will get closer attention.

You can either call your hiring manager or follow up with an email. Wait for at least two weeks before you do a follow-up, and confirm the application deadline before you do so. Usually, hiring managers will need a few days to shortlist the exciting candidates. Keep it professional, brief, and to the point when writing a follow-up email. You don’t have to repeat your entire cover letter. The same goes for the follow-up call too.

9. Check With Your References

You know how it usually goes: You apply for a job, attend the interview, get the job, and when it comes to reference checks, you scramble to find someone at the last minute. It will save you time and energy if you find at least three references before diving into your job search. It is also wise to call or email them and ask for their permission before doing so.

Your supervisors, managers, and co-workers know you well enough to vouch for your skills, work ethic, and character traits. You can also use your mentors and professors as your reference. However, avoid listing your friends and family members as your reference–it may look unprofessional and hurt your chances of getting the job.

Find the Job You Want

Streamlining your job search with proper planning will make your job search easier and may even help you enjoy the process. You will land your dream job soon enough if you’re confident, prepared, and patient.

By Aarthi Arunkumar

Aarthi Arunkumar is a writer and photographer based in Toronto. Once upon a time, she was a software developer. After trying both corporate and creative jobs, she is now happy to be sitting at the sweet spot between art and technology.

Sourced from MUO

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10 Work From Home Careers You Should Know About

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By Gargi Ghosal

If you’d like to work from home but aren’t sure which careers let you operate remotely, here are some of the best ones you should know about.

Even a couple of years back, work from home seemed like a perk for freelancers—not the rest of us. However, with the steady evolution of technology, more and more jobs can now be executed remotely.

Though you can’t extinguish fires over Slack or repair cars on Zoom, there are a number of remote jobs that you can do. If you’re hoping to work remotely, here’s a look at some work from home careers that are in-demand because they pay salaries comparable to on-site jobs.

1. Blogger or Writer

You no longer need to choose between a profitable career and your love for writing. With most companies striving to develop an online presence in the digital world, writing jobs are in high demand.

If you want to get your foot through the door, starting off with blogs might be a good idea. If you’re persuasive, you can try copywriting, and if you’re well-versed in technology, technical writing might be a good fit. With digital products on the rise, UX (User Experience) writing is a booming field. Your problem-solving skills and technical proficiency can come in handy.

Interestingly, there’s one skill that binds together all successful writers: they must be proficient in the use of technology and in a position to leverage it through and through.

2. Digital Marketing Consultant

A digital marketing consultant develops, implements, and monitors a business’ online marketing strategies. They focus on building marketing initiatives and play a crucial role in understanding a company’s target audience and their behaviour.

Their job is to create a high-converting sales strategy that helps grow your business through strategy, planning, and the efficient use of digital tools and techniques.

3. Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant does everything from conducting research, scheduling appointments, to creating presentations. While some positions can focus solely on administrative tasks like invoicing clients and managing calendars, others can require copywriting and social media management skills.

Most virtual assistants work with a number of clients at a time, from a location that fits them the best. In that regard, the career offers flexibility and versatility to job-seekers.

4. Web Search Evaluator

A number of companies hire web search evaluators to give feedback on internet search results. To elaborate, a web search evaluator helps companies assess whether internet search results are accurate, timely, and comprehensive. Mostly popular as a work from home position, web search evaluator roles don’t require a lot of experience.

a person browsing the web

It can be quite a rewarding option for people interested in computer science, research, analytics, and market trends. They rate websites, videos, web pages, maps, and images based on a key performance indicator (KPI) to demonstrate how effectively the rated website or image ranks in internet search results.

5. Captioner

As captioners, your job is to transcribe pre-recorded audio, video, and live television programs. You must be able to type accurately as well as quickly to become a captioner.

While some of your work involves transcribing parts, captioning involves specialized transcription and is perfect for individuals who’d like a work from home career that’s not entirely mainstream. Also called steno captioners, captioners use stenotype machines and phonetic keyboards for accuracy.

6. Web Developer

Web developer roles used to be on-site roles, not long ago. However, with the popularity of digital nomads and remote roles, web developer positions are now suited best for a work from home career. As a web developer or a programmer, your job is to create software and applications by writing code, debugging it, and deploying it.

You employ one or more programming languages to build a product or service, or specific parts of it. While web developers operate in agile teams, everyone has specific tasks they are assigned to.

7. Social Media Manager

With almost all companies now having dedicated social media accounts, social media managers are in demand. Companies hire them to maintain their accounts or develop a complete social media strategy involving everything from social media campaigns to brand voice development.

If you’re creative, have fresh ideas, and are great with new tools and digital mediums, social media management could be a good fit. You’ll be responsible for increasing engagement, social media traffic, and building brand recognition. Many social media managers work for a number of companies, as the position is flexible and remote.

8. Online Educator

The role of an online educator is identical to traditional teachers in developing curriculums, monitoring student performance, and providing instruction on specific subjects and specializations. The key difference lies in the medium in which the educators operate.

Perfect for anyone with a teaching degree or specialization in core competency, online educators teach students via online platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams.

9. Graphic Designer

As most companies are trying to increase their digital presence, the demand for good graphic designers in computer systems designs and related services is on the rise.

RELATED: The Top Free Graphic Design Tools You Can’t Live Without

Almost all graphic design jobs are going remote, thus giving designers the flexibility to work from a place of their choice. You can also create and sell templates, be a design consultant for a number of companies, or design fonts, pre-made logo packages, and printable items.

10. Product Reviewer

a woman reviewing products

You can make a decent living, and that too from home—reviewing products that you use. So, you must begin by picking a niche and registering yourself in a site that provides product review gigs. You have to come up with ideas for new products, review products, provide opinions on advertising campaigns, and more.

Companies also hire product reviewers to review products that are in the testing phase. They ship you the products and pay you an amount that’s mutually agreed upon in return for real user feedback.

Work From Home Careers Are Fast Becoming the Norm

Work from home careers are only expected to rise as they are being preferred by employees and employers alike. They increase productivity, decrease stress, and allow a better work-life balance for employees, while they increase revenues and decrease costs for employers.

The jobs listed above are only some popular work from home careers that are gaining traction. You must choose the one that best fits your skill sets, relevant experience, and interest areas.

By Gargi Ghosal

Gargi is a writer, storyteller and researcher. She specializes in writing compelling content pieces on all things Internet for clients across countries and industries. She’s a Literature Post-Graduate with a Diploma in Editing & Publishing. Outside work, she hosts TEDx shows and Literature festivals. In an ideal world, she’s always a minute away from heading off to the mountains.

More From Gargi Ghosal

Sourced from MUO

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6 things to consider if you’re thinking about changing careers

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By Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Behavioural science may help you assess potential opportunities for changes, as well as your own readiness and potential to leverage them.

The average person in the U.S. will change jobs 12 times during their life. That figure is even higher for Gen Z. This was measured before the pandemic. The COVID crisis exacerbated career mobility by prompting a large number of people to reconsider their work prospects which led to a great resignation. While this may sound concerning, it’s part of the natural process of economic and skills readjustment in which labour markets reorganize to reduce the gap between supply and demand of talent to better match people’s abilities and interests to available jobs.

Amidst ongoing uncertainty on the future landscape of work and careers, it is easy to feel overwhelmed, confused, and perplexed. But here’s some good news: There is a well-established and practical science around the forces that enable and accelerate success, irrespective of the context and circumstances. This research may help you assess potential opportunities for changes, as well as your own readiness and potential to leverage them.

Here’s what we know about what enables successful career changes:

  1. Your job satisfaction is more likely to increase through meaning and purpose than job prestige. Perhaps this is why engagement levels have been low and stagnant for decades: people pick careers based on pay, glamour, and status, but it’s a sense of meaning, belonging, and genuine interest and motivation that drive both engagement and performance at work.
  2. Your career satisfaction and success will tend to improve with age if you are self-employed or an entrepreneur. Many people transition from full-time employment to self-employment or entrepreneurial careers, often after being disappointed with their employer (or boss).
  3. Your success is largely dependent on your adaptability. This, in turn, is a function of being curious, confident, concerned about improving, and able to control the changes. Luckily, adaptable people are more likely to seek career changes to begin with, which means that people tend to self-select into new careers, just like in any area of life people tend to seek out activities and experiences that are congruent with their personality. So, curious people are more eager to explore new career horizons, which in turn further amplifies their curiosity. So, being curious will make you more adaptable, and if you are not very curious about alternative career paths then you should probably stay where you are.
  4. Who you know is often more important than what you know so find the right mentor. Ideally, someone with experience in your new career destination. This will often require having a diverse network of mentors, and the ability to persuade someone to not just advise and coach you, but also champion you—someone who makes you their protégé. Much of the career success literature focuses on personal attributes (e.g., expertise, intelligence, EQ, grit, etc.), but this seemingly heroic and individualistic bias is at odds with a basic fact about real-world career success.
  5. You are more likely to regret not changing than changing careers. People are less likely to regret changing jobs than changing relationships, which suggests that the average person stays on the job longer than they should. It is somewhat ironic that we always tell people to be more resilient at work, when in fact the solution to people’s job problems may not be to develop a stoic and tough mindset that allows them to put up with unpleasant or masochistic levels of adversity, but find a more rewarding and enjoyable career instead. Yes, resilience has a dark side.
  6. Thinking big, breaking with the past, and truly reinventing yourself, are more likely to pay off as strategies than following conventional and predictable transitions. In that sense, you may as well “go big or go home.” Career changes are a chance to pivot, restart, and venture into the unknown. They are more than a natural progression or transition into the next phase of your career. Allow yourself to be passionately bold and to experiment, learn, and change.

Finally, remember that nobody knows whether a career change will work—not even you. The only way to find out is to try. And even then, it may not be entirely clear whether you did the right thing. This means there will be uncertainty and ambivalence, which renders any conviction you may have—now or later—somewhat delusional.

So be as rational, pragmatic, and calculating as you can be, but remember this isn’t rocket science, it’s human life. Embracing the inevitable element of human serendipity, irrationality, and luck, may increase your openness and elevate your mindset for the future. A perfect plan may not be as good as a pleasant surprise.

By Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is an international authority in leadership assessment, people analytics, and talent management. He is the Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup and a Professor of Business Psychology at both University College London and Columbia University. His latest book, Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (And How To Fix It), was published in March 2019, and you can find him on Twitter at @drtcp or online at www.drtomas.com.

Feature Image Credit: Jason Strull/Unsplash

Sourced from Fast Company

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What Marketing Executives Wished They’d Known When They First Started Their Careers

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By Kimberly A. Whitler

I was recently asked some thought-provoking, career related questions by somebody entering the workforce. It made me pause. While I could provide one point of view, I thought it might be helpful to ask a number of executive leaders the same set of questions. Below is Part One in a series designed to provide insight and advice to aspiring C-level growth engineers (i.e., marketers).

What do you wish you knew when you first started your career?

Katie Borger, Vice President of Marketing of Boston Pizza Restaurants

Being “right” isn’t enough. Everyone has to believe you … whether it’s your guests, your stakeholders, your internal team, etc. No matter how good your idea or your point is, building advocacy, trust and ultimately respect will be the smarter play.

Brooke Budke, Vice President of Marketing of TITLE Boxing Club

The more you grow yourself, the more you will grow in the company. Many young professionals are led to believe it’s the company’s job to grow and develop its employees. I believe it’s your job to become obsessed with your own personal development.

Kathy Collins, Chief Marketing Officer of Massage Envy

Everything will be okay if you work hard, respect the people around you and love what you do. Work for companies with a strong culture and a clear vision. Above everything else, be a good person and things will work out.

Amy Halford, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Self Esteem Brands

I loved school. I loved learning and testing my learning. I really liked getting an A. One-hundred percent was always my target. That kind of thinking spilled into my early career, and I would apply the lens, “if I’m not 100 percent, then I’m not ready for X,” or, “if my experience and skills don’t match 100 percent, then I’m not a fit.” I could have been braver.

Eric Keshin, President and Chief Marketing Officer of Great Harvest Bread Company

Marketing is as much a “science” as an “art.” Relying strictly on opinions to persuade others can be a dead end. Relying on data / results and applying judgment to that is the better way to go.

Rebecca Miller, Chief Marketing Officer of Smoothie King

When I first started working, I had my entire career path and timeline all mapped out, but I wish I had been more open to change and trying new things from the start. You never know what doors will open by being receptive to new opportunities.

Christine Pescatore, Director of Marketing of Venture X

I wish I knew that you can plan your career to a certain extent, but experiences, external forces and your personal life can drive you to opportunities you would never have expected. My role now at Venture X, a coworking space franchise, didn’t exist when I started my career!

Derek Panfil, former Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer of Pet Supplies Plus

When I started my career, I thought my career progression would be linear, and that is far from the case. It has had ups, downs, successes, and failures. What I would tell all those just beginning their career: be prepared to handle the ups and downs that you will encounter on your journey, and those that succeed do not let setbacks deter their overall passion to do great things.

Bill Zinke, Senior Vice President of Marketing of BELFOR Franchise Group

You can’t fast track experience. Every success, failure, good or bad decision has made me a better marketer and leader. I wish I’d known how important company culture is. Job-seekers typically focus on a job’s responsibilities and growth potential, but forget about finding a company with a positive, people-centric environment.

Mandy Nowels, Vice President of Marketing & Ecommerce of The Spice and Tea Exchange

Probably how important it is to understand how to motivate and communicate with people. No matter how good you are at your trade, the biggest opportunities for advancement lie in being able to manage more people. Quite often, your growth is determined by how effective and efficient your team is. You can fine tune your craft with yourself and your team every day, but companies want to promote people who motivate others towards the company’s goals and mission.

Join the Discussion: @KimWhitler

Note: The titles, positions, and company affiliations may have changed since the insight was generated.

Feature Image Credit: Wish came true, GETTY

By Kimberly A. Whitler

As a former General Manager and CMO, who worked for nearly 20 years before getting a PhD and working as an Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, I conduct research that focuses on helping the C-suite (and aspiring C-level marketers) better understand, develop, and lead marketing excellence.

Sourced from Forbes

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In News

What The Business World Will Look Like in 20 Years

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It sounds a lot better than now!

By MediaStreet Staff Writers

The Virgin Group have released a document called Future Visions, which explores what the world of business will look like in 20 years’ time.

So what will this future working life look like? Here’s some ideas for you: There will be pre-emptive crime prevention. Offices as we know them will become extinct. And, as artificial intelligence rises so will the need for more “female” attributes such as emotional intelligence.

Says Sir Richard Branson, “It’s a future where AI will assist us in our day to day life. Where battery technology will have advanced so far that we’ll have electric planes and where data will allow us to predict health problems, crime and weather.”

The future will also see the introduction of brain-controlled technology, which would allow doctors to operate on a patient remotely from anywhere in the world. It would also allow architects the ability to visualise their designs instantly.

Operations controlled with brainwave technology. A doctor in London can operate on someone in NYC.

The future is often viewed with the doom and gloom of mass-unemployment, marginalisation and poor health which many attribute to rapid technological developments. However, Future Visions lays out a new vision of a more inclusive, intellectual and well-rounded society.

Key findings include:

  • The office will be no more and communities will put increased value on interaction more than ever. It will be a high technology, low geography society as technology removes the need for a fixed location of work. People will work where they want, when they want. You will be able to log into any networked computer terminal in the world to access your cloud based company – you could do the same job in Dublin or Rio.
  • Diversity equals profits. In an increasingly connected global community race, gender and sexual discrimination within the business world will be a thing of the past. Companies with diverse recruitment processes will prosper as they will have a richer bank of opinions, in turn increasing productivity and profits.
  • Haptic technology will allow the controlling of technology through our brainwaves. This means surgeons could perform brain and heart surgery from anywhere in the world or architects could visualise their own designs immediately.
  • Rise in Artificial Intelligence technology will create AI Doctors which, will pre diagnose patients using their cloud based profile. AI will also change the type of skills we need, there will also be greater importance in the workplace for ‘female’ attributes such as emotional intelligence.
  • The internet of things will become the internet of everything. Data points across everything you use will help companies stock up your fridge or send you replacement lightbulbs before you know you need it. This same data will be used by security services to analyse human behaviour and pre-emptively stop possible criminal activity.
  • Companies will put purpose on the balance sheet. Companies will integrate purpose into their business plan, it won’t only be about bank profits but how the world and its citizens can profit. The Trip Advisors of tomorrow won’t just score on how good a meal tasted or how nice a hotel was, but how their food was sourced.
  • Finite resources will evolve. Traditional industries will utilise technology to adapt and conquer current challenges. Farming will revolutionise with vertical above ground and below ground growing which will be aided by the advancement in LED lighting – meaning a rise in inner city farms.

Some visions of the future are already being realised today: remote working has been on the rise, as has unlimited leave with companies like Virgin Management and Netflix offering it to their employees. More and more businesses are putting purpose at the heart of their business models – the corporate world has grown a conscience and this trend is set to explode over the next 20 years.

Says Branson, “Now more than ever before in our history fresh ideas become stale very quickly. New innovations are altering the way we work and live at an unprecedented speed. It is important we prepare our future entrepreneurs for what’s coming round the corner. This is why we gathered six brilliant minds from across industry to come up with our best answer of what the future will be like. We will help guide our future entrepreneurs and pave the way for what lies ahead.”

You can download the first episode here: Acast or here: iTunes

In Episode one, Dr James Bellini explains that human hearts really could come from a 3D printer. Dr Bellini also discusses the importance of the ‘anywhere economy’ a fluid and functioning work/life eco-system which mean through hyper-connect systems you will be able to work anywhere, anytime and for any company. Dr Bellini also notes we’re entering the age of disruption as new technologies will see more innovation in the next twenty years than the whole of the 20th century. Other themes covered will be that of diverse and broad recruiting attitudes further a company’s profits and productivity.

Araceli Camargo – Episode 2 – The Future Is Human: Araceli is a cognitive neuroscientist, with a specialisation on perception. She is the co-founder of THECUBE London and INPUT Lofts in NYC, which are coworking spaces. As a science communicator she has worked with companies like Lloyds TSB, NHS, Bumpass and Parr, and Communicator Group. Recently she co-founded The Centric Lab, which is in partnership with UCL. It is a lab focused on research on how people experience the built environment.

Cindy Gallop – Episode 3 – The Future is Female: Cindy has had a celebrated career in advertising, marketing, branding and future thinking. Her continuous pursuit to challenge and disrupt the status quo has seen her become a voice and contributor to many big debates around hard, topical and challenging topics.

Ben Hammersley – Episode 4 – The Future is Ours: Ben is a British internet technologist, journalist, author, broadcaster and futurist. He is a frequent contributor to many publications including Wired Magazine and BBC.

Tracey Follows – Episode 5 – The Future is Predictive: Tracey is an award-winning futurist and works with client such as Google and Diageo. She speaks and writes regularly on the future of AI, gender, work and culture.

Peter Smith – Episode 6 – The Future is Direct: Peter is the CEO& Co-Founder of Blockchain, a financial technology and data company. He is a regular contributor and speaker on new pioneering technology in the FinTech space.

 

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