Archive for July, 2008

Good stuff I’ve stumbled upon while packing up my office

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

I’m starting a new job next week. This has meant that the last two weeks I’ve spent a lot of time wrapping up projects, cleaning out my desk, organizing, and cleaning up files on my laptop. It also has meant that I’ve had a much slower pace at work than I am typically used to. It’s been a nice change of pace, though I fully realize it’s merely the calm before the storm. This time next week I’ll be up to my elbows with meetings and introductions as I begin to settle in at the new place.

This atypical lull has left me feeling slightly uninspired, as most of my blog fodder comes from my work and the fast-paced thrill of it all. Then it hit me — during this time I’ve become very good friends with my Google Reader. I’ve nearly doubled my subscriptions since boxing up my desk and hauling it all home.

So this is some of what I’ve been reading lately. It’s all beautiful, useful stuff, even if it’s not directly related to professional writing. I’ve found that some of the fashion and interior design blogs are a great source of inspiration for color palates and patterns.

Here are five of my favorites:

black eiffel
black*eiffel

death by kerning
Death by Kerning

Oh Happy Day
Oh Happy Day

Girl Meets Business
Girl Meets Business

Damsels in Success
Damsels in Success

What new (or just interesting) blogs or sites have you come across? Please feel free to share in the comments.

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Posted in Career, Design, Trends, Web | 1 Comment »

Farewell, Angela

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

We have some exciting news to report.

Angela Shetler is moving to Japan! She leaves this weekend for Tokyo, where she will begin orientation for her new job teaching English at a senior high school in Koriyama, Japan. I’m very excited for Angela, although I will miss her while she is gone for one year (maybe longer) abroad.

Angela and I have been colleagues for sometime, starting way back when we were both interns for the creative non-fiction journal Fourth Genre and consultants at the MSU Writing Center. I’m very thankful that we were able to keep in touch and eventually launch beyondwords. Luckily, the internet allows us to forget time zones and we can continue our professional development together despite the miles.

Angela has already begun chronicling her journey, so I hope you will check in on her adventures from time to time.

Please join me in wishing Angela well on her new endeavour!

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Survey for People Who Make Websites

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

A List Apart has opened its second “Survey for People Who Make Websites“, which is a fantastic opportunity for professional writers, editors, designers, students,  and hobbyists who have a role in web design to share their experience with the field.

Calling all designers, developers, information architects, project managers, writers, editors, marketers, and everyone else who makes websites. It is time once again to pool our information so as to begin sketching a true picture of the way our profession is practiced worldwide.

There are 44 questions for the survey (which may vary slightly depending on your answers) and it took me less than five minutes to complete. So take a few minutes today to contribute to the field of web design, and then be sure to keep an eye on A List Apart for survey results. In the meantime, you can also check out last year’s survey results to see what was learned.

2008 Survey Participant

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Social Media Summit

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

Those working in PR and corporate communications may be interested in the Social Media Summit to be held in Chicago this September. The event will feature how-tos and best practices to put social media (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace) to work for your organization.

You may also find interesting information on Ragan.com, a web site offering “news, ideas, and conversations for communicators worldwide.” 

The site also features an interesting interview with University of Michigan communications professional Jessica Soulliere, who discusses how her team developed video podcasts (vodcasts) to promote the work of faculty at the medical school.

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Upcoming networking opportunities

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

Grand River Connection, a networking group in the Lansing area, has monthly opportunities for young professionals to come together and socialize. This month’s event will be Tuesday, July 22, from 6-8pm in the Stadium District. Check out the Grand River Connection website for more details.

Blog Indiana is a two-day conference about blogging and social media. Sessions topics include blogging for beginners, using blogs in your business, monetizing your blog, and political blogging. Anyone with an interest in technology and new media is welcome to attend. The conference will be held August 16-17 at the IUPUI Campus Center in Indianapolis, IN. Check out the conference website to learn more and register.

Tweet-ups are events where fans of Twitter meet in real life to keep the conversation going. In Michigan, there has been an active tweet-up group in Detroit for a while now, but Lansing and Grand Rapids are new to the scene. Below are upcoming tweet-ups for all three areas.

Grand Rapids Tweet-up
Thursday, July 17 @ 7pm
Hopcat, Grand Rapids, MI

Mid-Michigan Tweet-up
Thursday, July 31 @ 5pm
Dublin Square, East Lansing, MI

Detroit Tweet-up Network
Friday, August 15 @ 7-9pm
GM Heritage Center, Sterling Heights, MI

What networking opportunities are you taking advantage of?

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Posted in News | 4 Comments »

Freelance resources for professional writers

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

Setting your own hours, being your own boss, naming your price. These are some of the perks I hear about when people talk about why they freelance, and every time I think, “Wow, that sounds fantastic…but how do I freelance?”

Professional writers have a lot to offer when it comes to freelancing because writing, editing, and design are marketable skills. But freelancing also means knowing how to manage yourself and your business. I know I am constantly working to improve my self-management, but I know next to nothing about managing a business. When I set out to explore the idea of freelance, I found some resources that are helpful for professional writers who want to learn about the business side while maintaining the creativity and flexibility that make it so attractive.

(more…)

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Posted in Career | 1 Comment »

Designing your online portfolio: some tips and resources

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

For professional writers, online portfolios can make a difference when it comes to landing an internship or job. Employers want to see concrete examples of your skills, and handing over a branded personal card with your portfolio’s URL on it is one way to make yourself memorable while giving them a glimpse at your talent. Whether you’re a writer, editor, designer, or all three, an online portfolio can help you organize your experience and get a handle on why you love doing what you do.

So how do you go about creating an online portfolio? I would recommend starting off with a piece of paper and a writing utensil of your choice. Jot down class projects, previous job-related projects, or personal projects that you have done that represent your top skills (tip: you can refer to your resume to match up projects with experience).

Before you get to the process of actually designing your online portfolio, you should have a sense of how it will represent you. This means thinking about portfolio sections, sample documents, color choices, typography, and graphics. It also means thinking about what your “about me” statement might include. What are your professional goals? Do you have a writing/editing/design philosophy? Why are you a professional writer? These are just a few of the questions that may guide your statement. Think of it as a cover letter for your online portfolio, one that welcomes visitors and introduces them to you and your talent. (more…)

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Posted in Design, Web | 8 Comments »

In the Workplace with Shauna Nicholson

Sunday, July 13th, 2008

Name: Shauna Nicholson
Title: Marketing Manager at Biznet Internet Solutions
Website/Blog: shaunanicholson.com/blog / biznetis.net
Location: Metro Detroit, MI

Shauna Nicholson

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
My undergrad degree is a BS in Technical and Professional Communication—essentially technical writing; my concentration (saving grace) was Multimedia Writing. I started out as a marketing coordinator running the entire marketing department at a telecom company. Being ambitious, I grew bored with that and started exploring how social media marketing could work/was working… that led me to working solely in web marketing and I couldn’t be happier.

Tell us about your current job.
Essentially, I have three core responsibilities: marketing Biznet, networking, and marketing Biznet clients. I’m often tasked with creating social media plans, networking solutions, and SEO-infused content.

(more…)

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Posted in Career, Web, Writing | 8 Comments »

Best cities for young professionals

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

Forbes just released its “Best Cities For Young Professionals” list, which ranks the biggest metro areas on economic opportunity and appeal for young professionals.

And the top five are…

  1. San Francisco
  2. Boston
  3. Houston
  4. New York
  5. Minneapolis

Check out all 40 cities on the list. I was excited to see Detroit on there, ranked #33 for the low cost of living and top-quartile salaries for college and professional school graduates.

The ranking takes into account the locations of Forbes’ 400 best big companies and 200 best small companies, along with revenue, corporate practices, sales, earnings growth, and stock market performance. Median salaries are also compared with the cost of living for each city to see how much young professionals are able to take home each pay day.

This list is helpful for those who are job searching and would like a robust young professional community. Forbes also offers other resources for recent grads and young professionals, such as making the most of a career fair, dressing for success, and networking.

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In the Workplace with Stephanie Tardy

Monday, July 7th, 2008

Name: Stephanie Tardy
Title: Blogger and Designer
Website/Blog: Handmade Detroit and Phantom Limb
Location: Detroit, MI

Stephanie Tardy

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I went to Michigan State and graduated with a BA in journalism, focusing on publication design. After school, I went to work at a newspaper, then another newspaper, both times as a copy editor and designer. There has been the occasional freelance assignment or column, mainly covering and reviewing pop culture or the arts.

Three years ago, I started selling paper goods and art under the name Phantom Limb. This was really just an extension of my design background – a way to get more hands on with the creative process.

Seeing a lack of opportunity for alternative crafters in my city, I then started Handmade Detroit, a collective that creates opportunities for these artists.

(more…)

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Posted in Design, Writing | 3 Comments »