Why You Didn’t Get the Job (And How to Fix It Next Time)

Shake it off, read on, make yourself more hireable

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

3 min read • Originally published April 18, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

3 min read • Originally published April 18, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

You were so excited about the prospect of this new opportunity and then: you didn’t get the job. Sorry. Rejection stinks.

Sure, it’s a candidate’s market right now, but still Glassdoor reports an average of 250 applications for every corporate job opening. So with all those qualified candidates vying for the same position, recruiters are bound to remain scrupulous, turning down qualified candidates for seemingly small miscues.

Let’s take a look at some of the top reasons job seekers end up not getting hired so you can identify what you may have done to raise a red flag, and how to make sure it never happens again.

It’s Not You, It’s Them

Sometimes, you can nail the interview and still lose out on the position. The good news is, in some situations, it’s not your fault.

The Position Got Trashed

For a million reasons, including budget cuts, staff changes or a new boss taking the department in a new direction, positions can quickly go from available to nonexistent. But this is not a worst-case scenario: You’ve made yourself known to the company and, if you crushed the interview, they’ll likely remember you when they’re ready to hire again.

You’re Not a Good Cultural Fit

Yeah, this can happen. And while some believe this idea of cultural fit is just a way to discriminate against candidates, most of the time the company is trying to find candidates with similar passions and personalities to create a good office environment.

So what do you do if you’re not deemed a cultural fit? Move on. If the hiring manager was correct in her assumptions, she may have saved you years of working in the wrong environment.

It’s Not Them, It’s You

This might sting a little: Sometimes you can be the perfect fit with all the right skills, but you do one (or several) things that take you out of the running.

You Came Off Too Desperate

Did you arrive more than 10 minutes before the interview? Did you say salary is not important? These actions send the signal to interviewers that you have too much time on your hands, or that you’re overly eager for a job. And that’s no good.

Think about it like this: In the dating world, nobody ever says, “Hey, that person seems really desperate to date me, they must be a winner!” And, yes, if you’re struggling to pay rent, you might actually be desperate, but it’s important you not let this show in the interview.

For your next interview, replace desperation with confidence, acting as if you are excited about the role because of the skills and expertise you can lend to it, and not because of the rent check that’s due.

You Didn’t Prepare Enough Questions

This is essential. If you didn’t have at least three questions prepared for your interviewer, you can pretty much blame the rejection on that. In this overcrowded job market, hiring managers are not going to be interested if you don’t take the time to show a similarly vested interest in them.

Asking the right questions in an interview not only shows you’ve taken the time to research the company, but can also cause the hiring manager to visualize you in the role with a question like, “What could I do in this role that would be most beneficial to you and the team?”

So for your next interview, have questions prepared that demonstrate you’ve done your research, that show you’re interested in the company and that help the interviewer place you in the role.

Make sure your next interview is the one that lands you the job with Mediabistro’s Career Services. Whether your resume needs a tune-up, or you could use one-on-one interview coaching, we’ve got you covered.

Topics:

Get Hired, Job Search

Productivity

How to Stay Motivated During a Long Job Search

Here’s how make it through the weeks (or months) it may take to land the right gig for you

By Brittany Taylor

Brittany Taylor is an enterprise marketing manager and content strategist with over a decade of experience in B2B content marketing, brand building, and ghostwriting, with bylines in SELF, Teen Vogue, and Mediabistro. She currently leads content and branding across multiple brands at HireQuest Inc.

5 min read • Originally published April 19, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Brittany Taylor

Brittany Taylor is an enterprise marketing manager and content strategist with over a decade of experience in B2B content marketing, brand building, and ghostwriting, with bylines in SELF, Teen Vogue, and Mediabistro. She currently leads content and branding across multiple brands at HireQuest Inc.

5 min read • Originally published April 19, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

You probably don’t need us to tell you, job seeker: Today’s job search is no sprint. It’s a marathon that spans months rather than miles.

The average job search takes anywhere from six weeks to three months, but if you’re looking for a media job, the time is often far longer. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it can take media pros six months to a year to find a full-time position.

Young professionals struggle with competition; veterans grapple with few job openings. For job seekers at any level, the hunt is all about endurance.

We asked four career coaches what they tell each and every one of their clients who is in the middle of a job search. Now, we’re sharing their survival secrets with you, no waiting required.

1. Maintain Your Motivation

By far, the most common struggle among job searchers is staying motivated. Lack of drive is the biggest pitfall our coaches see their clients experience, and even the most confident and talented go-getters out there grapple with it.

When your goal is enormous—as in: “Get the perfect job before my next rent check is due”—the emotional stress is unwieldy. Instead of aiming huge, try breaking your big goal into mini goals “so that you can still experience successes along the way,” says Jessica Sweet, LICSW, a career coach specializing in mid-career professionals at Wishing Well Coaching.

“Decide what success looks like on a daily or weekly basis,” says Sweet. How many applications do you want to send out? How many networking contacts do you want to make? What dream companies do you want to aim for? Pick achievable milestones that will help you make progress towards your end goal of getting a job.

2. Boost Your Portfolio by Freelancing

For media professionals and creatives, the portfolio is an important element in your application package. A portfolio that’s stale—or a weak portfolio, in the case of many job hunters who are early in their careers—can appear lackluster or, worse, irrelevant.

While you’re job seeking, consider accepting freelance creative jobs through recruiters from companies like Creative Circle, who often post contract positions on the Mediabistro job board, says Sam McIntire, career coach and founder of DeskBright, a video learning platform for job seekers looking to improve their skills.

“Though most gigs on these sites are one-off projects,” says McIntire, “they can help professionals build a compelling portfolio—and occasionally they function as valuable in-roads to full-time roles.”

3. Work Smarter, Not Harder, by Building Relationships

Exhaustion, thy name is job search. But most of your job search-related fatigue may not come from the activity most likely to actually land you an offer.

Job seekers spend the majority of their time searching for job openings and applying for them, says Lidia Arshavsky, CPRW, founder and career consultant at JC Strategic.

“Many people spend hours tweaking and rewriting their resumes and cover letters,” says Arshavsky, “when they would benefit much more from sitting down to think deeply about whom they could reach out to, who might be able to help or provide valuable information.”

For introverts, Arshavsky acknowledges this can be exhausting in and of itself. Job seekers who aren’t comfortable with the idea of networking should aim to start small, perhaps by sitting down for a mocha with a close industry friend or tagging along to a happy hour, where you can be introduced around by someone you know.

4. Think Forward

If you were laid off or fired, it can be tough to stop replaying the moment when you were let go. But you have to do it anyway, says Kristi Daniels, author of Thrive 9 to 5 and the founder of Work Can Be Different.

“I see people go back and re-hash why they were let go, why they were not a good fit in their last positions or why they hate their current job,” says Daniels. “You don’t want to get stuck in these thought patterns.” Focus, instead, on what you can learn from your last job (or your current job, if you’re still on the payroll), and think about how you can use those lessons to move forward in your career.

Another struggle: “Job seekers start counting days, then weeks, then months that they’ve been unemployed or stuck in a bad job,” Daniels says. Tempting, we know, but you’re wasting energy when you do that. “Focus on the present time, and what you’re doing today to create the experience you want.”

5. Earmark Time for Your Job Search

If you’re still employed, scraping together a few hours for finding a new gig when your current one is snatching up every hour it can get feels impossible. To avoid the guilt of knowing you need to move on and not doing everything you can to do so (and staying in a job that makes you miserable), pull up your iCal and block out your job hunt.

“Pick a few times a week when you know you will have a lot of energy—before work if you’re a morning person, a few hours on the weekend, or whatever works best for you—and set it aside as your uninterruptable job search time,” says Arshavsky. “Try to make a list of what you want to get done ahead of time, so that when you actually sit down and do it, you can focus on execution.”

6. Stick to a Schedule

Your daily rhythm is important. A job gives you that. Whether you realize it or not, you have a wake-up time, a shower time, a get-out-the-door-time—and that’s just pre-work!

When you’re out of work, your job search is your full-time job—and it can consume your every waking hour. “Without a steady work schedule to segment the day,” says McIntire, “normal routines like working out and meals often fall by the wayside.”

“Counter this phenomenon by setting a schedule,” he adds, “ensuring that you block off time for all of the things that you would normally do to stay happy and healthy: eating, working out and spending quality time with friends and family.”

Bottom line

Persistence and positivity are the key to a successful job search—and success isn’t just about the end result. Your mindset throughout the hunt is essential if you want to cross the finish line, offer in hand.

Topics:

Be Inspired, Productivity

Job Search

Marketing Fields With the Most Entry-Level Job Openings Right Now

Whether you want to create content, plan events or flex your social-media skills, there’s a place for you to launch your marketing career

By Molly Folse

@MollyFolse

Molly Folse is a marketing leader with 20 years of experience in content strategy and social media, currently serving as Director of Content and Creative at Protective Life. She has led award-winning content and digital campaigns across financial services, higher education, travel, and consumer brands.

5 min read • Originally published April 20, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Molly Folse

@MollyFolse

Molly Folse is a marketing leader with 20 years of experience in content strategy and social media, currently serving as Director of Content and Creative at Protective Life. She has led award-winning content and digital campaigns across financial services, higher education, travel, and consumer brands.

5 min read • Originally published April 20, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

Hey, new and about-to-be college grads: We know you’ve been dreaming of that corner office with an awesome city view before you even joined the workforce. Reality check: It can be a tough pill to swallow when your first job has you at a cubicle with a view of your coworker’s forehead.

Well, you gotta start somewhere. Lucky for you, there are plenty of jobs in cubes that come with exciting work in a variety of growing fields.

We searched our job board to find today’s top marketing fields, and entry- and junior-level positions for recent graduates and young professionals looking to break into them. Here’s what we found:

Content Marketing

You’ve probably heard it before: Content is king. Content marketing is all about making the king look good so his subjects like him (in other words, creating and distributing content to attract and retain audiences).

Entry-level positions in content marketing include producers that create hilarious cat videos, editors in charge of updating website content, coordinators in charge of influencer outreach and more. Positions in content marketing require great writing skills and a focus on consumer behavior and analytics. These roles often intersect with social media, search-engine marketing and public relations.

Quick Fact: 57 percent of organizations now have two or more people dedicated to content marketing. —Contently, 2015

Find entry-level content-marketing jobs

Event Marketing

If you’re the kind of party host that’s more focused on making sure everyone else is having fun, then event marketing may be for you. Event marketing involves planning conferences, sponsorships, trade shows and other events. Entry-level roles typically require helping event managers make decisions and executing events on time and on budget.

Duties may include coordinating staff, researching vendors, setting up or even securing media coverage for the event. Highly organized marketers who want to break away from a desk and don’t mind working outside the typical 9-to-5 may hone their skills as an assistant before becoming an event planner or manager.

Quick Fact: Jobs in event planning will grow by 10 percent from 2014-2024, which is faster than average for other industries. —U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Find junior-level event-marketing jobs

Copywriting

Marketing copywriters write for just about every medium these days: video, social media, websites, print, email, radio—you name it. They must be able to adapt their writing style to fit brand voice and tone, while appealing to the target consumer and to search engines.

With storytelling now a critical part of a brand’s marketing, copywriters need to know how to sell the big ideas and get copy out the door quickly. They may go on to earn the title of senior copywriter or editor, move into content-development roles or pursue other associate creative positions.

Quick Fact: Copywriting is more important than ever, thanks to the huge boom and renaissance period that content marketing is experiencing. —KloutFire

Find junior-level copywriting jobs

Search Marketing

Having the best product in the world means nothing if no one can find it. That’s where search-engine marketing (SEM) comes in. It’s all about increasing online traffic and purchases through search-engine optimization and advertising. An entry-level SEM professional assists in developing and carrying out the strategies that make that happen.

Someone in this role may help maintain pay-per-click advertising or be responsible for making website updates using a content-management system. These responsibilities, plus staying on top of changes to search-engine algorithms and new technologies, can prepare someone for future roles in search planning and strategy.

Quick Fact: Search marketing spend will rise to $32.32 billion in 2017, $36.41 billion in 2018, and $40.60 billion in 2019. —Search Marketing Daily

Find entry- and junior-level search-marketing jobs

Social-Media Marketing

Contrary to popular belief, jobs in social-media marketing involve a lot more than just posting fun photos to Facebook all day. An entry-level role in social media may include helping develop content for different channels, monitoring messages and comments, and managing promoted posts and other paid social media.

Any job in social media also requires the ability to recognize trends and use analytics tools to measure performance. While someone in an entry-level social-media role may pursue roles in social-media strategy, starting out in social media can prepare marketers for positions in other areas like consumer research and content marketing.

Quick Fact: 66 percent of companies have a dedicated social-media team. —Salesforce

Find entry- and junior-level social-media jobs

Media Planning and Buying

Media planning and buying involves finding the best media outlets—television, radio, magazines, billboards, social media, etc.—to reach your customers. It requires a lot of strategy and skill at getting your client or company the most bang for its buck. Entry-level and junior roles in media planning and buying are important in negotiating and executing media plans. Assisting the team with research, entering data and calling vendors and publishers to get media kits and rates for commercial air time, print space and digital buys are just a few of the duties involved in this type of role. Individuals who exhibit superior analytical skills and a grasp of emerging tech have the potential to grow into senior media positions that involve more strategy and decision-making.

Quick Fact: Media-planner positions are expected to grow faster than average over the next decade. —The Princeton Review

Find entry- and junior-level media-planner or media-buyer jobs

Account Services

In a marketing, advertising or PR agency, the account team serves as the bridge from the agency to the client, making sure everyone is focused on the same goals and has what they need to accomplish those goals. Account coordinators typically assist senior account-service staff. Someone in this role should be personable and professional at all times, especially since account coordinators may have direct contact with clients. Other must-have skills include the ability to listen well, take great notes and organize fast-paced projects. Excellent account coordinators can eventually move into higher-level account-service positions such as account executive and account supervisor.

Quick Fact: Account services topped the list of positions marketing executives planned to hire in the second half of 2015. —The Creative Group

Find entry- and junior-level account-coordinator jobs

Topics:

Get Hired, Job Search

How to Pitch

How to Pitch Marie Claire: A Freelancer’s Guide

This esteemed glossy wants smart, edgy coverage of the issues that matter most to women

By Janelle Harris Dixon

Janelle Harris Dixon is a narrative journalist, copywriter, and content strategist with more than 20 years of experience covering race, culture, equity, and social justice. Her work has appeared in Essence, Ebony, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, the Washington Post, Smithsonian, and more than 50 other publications. She holds a B.A. from Lincoln University and an M.A. in African American Studies from Temple University.

5 min read • Originally published April 20, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Janelle Harris Dixon

Janelle Harris Dixon is a narrative journalist, copywriter, and content strategist with more than 20 years of experience covering race, culture, equity, and social justice. Her work has appeared in Essence, Ebony, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, the Washington Post, Smithsonian, and more than 50 other publications. She holds a B.A. from Lincoln University and an M.A. in African American Studies from Temple University.

5 min read • Originally published April 20, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

Circulation: 950,000 (total readership: 3.8 million)
Frequency: Monthly
Special issues: Fashion-and-beauty issues are published in fall and spring

Background: If it matters to women, it matters to Marie Claire. Its roots are in France, where an original version was founded in 1937 to celebrate women’s beauty and fashion. The U.S. edition launched in New York City under Hearst’s empire of publications, and more than half a century later, its pages reflect the allure, honesty and stories of womanhood.

Because Marie Claire is more than a pretty face, editors describe it as the fashion magazine with character, substance and depth for women with a point of view and a sense of humor. Each issue is edited for sexy, stylish, confident readers who aren’t afraid to make intelligence a part of their wardrobe.

The result is content that includes the latest in both aspirational and accessible fashion, the best in beauty and health, career advice from inspiring female role models, reflections on love and modern relationships, and issues important to women around the world.

The mag is now published in 26 countries and read by more than 15 million global devotees. It’s also an ideal platform for forward-thinking freelancers to sell relevant, well-crafted story ideas.

What to pitch: Timely stories about international women doing interesting, important things are in demand for the “News Feed” section of the mag. Past issues have spotlighted Eric Garner’s daughter, Erica Garner; #GamerGate target Anita Sarkeesian; Michelle Knight, one of the Cleveland kidnapping victims; and Ai-jen Poo, director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

“News Feed” has also featured writeups on: a new law in Ohio that is training hairdressers to crack down on trafficking; women fighting to raise the legal age of marriage in Malawi; the end of Western-style divorce in Afghanistan; and an all-female ski film. All of these stories began as pitches from freelance writers.

In a similar, news-related vein, editors are looking for long-form, reported features and investigations; real-life survival or adventure stories; and trend pieces that touch on what’s happening in the zeitgeist.

Beauty pitches are also welcome. Editors are always interested in new ways to cover styling as well as first-person essays on beauty experiences tied to a specific trend or news hook (think: experiential “I tried it” stories).

The “@Peak” section, covering health and wellness, is also a good place for pitches. Writers have covered the increasing number of women who find spirituality through their fitness classes; the diet trend of food combining; and revamping your social-media feeds to ease anxiety.

Inside “@Peak” are Marie Claire’s “Love & Sex” essays, which editors describe as nuanced, literary, complicated, emotionally deft narratives that delve into women’s tangled psychological and social lives. They’ve published personal essays about drama-free sex with friends; texting relationships that go nowhere IRL; a threesome that brought the writer closer to her best friend; and a woman who used Tinder to explore Eastern Europe.

Editors’ advice to freelancers: the strongest pitches include a concise and thoughtful summary of your idea and how it connects to a section in the magazine or—if it’s an idea for a feature—a relevant news angle with pictures and ages of the women you propose to write about.

What not to pitch: Timeliness is a major consideration for editors, who say they often get good ideas for print that aren’t pitched far enough in advance and have to either be rejected or scheduled for the Web.

Be mindful of the lead time—issues are slated three or four months out—and avoid pitching an idea that’s too small in scope or doesn’t fit any of Marie Claire’s specific sections. If you can’t figure out where it should go, an editor probably won’t either.

Online opportunities: The bulk of MarieClaire.com’s stories are covered by online staff, but editors do consider compelling, first-person experiential stories, opinion pieces, personal essays and features from freelancers.

Percentage of freelance content published: 30 percent
Percentage of freelance pitches accepted: 10 percent

Recent stories pitched and published: “Pleasure in a Pill?” an in-depth investigation into why all attempts at finding a female equivalent to Viagra have stalled; “Living in Limbo: The Women of Jordan’s Zaatari Refugee Camp,” a profile of the Syrian women making new lives for themselves in refugee camps in Jordan; and “The Ride of Their Lives,” an adventure story about an all-female road rally in the Moroccan Sahara, are all successful examples of story ideas that got the green light.

What publicists should pitch: Editors are interested in stories about fashion, beauty, politics, women in the news and human rights around the world. Please take note of the lead time when considering story ideas and pitches. They matter.

Etiquette: Email a brief but standout idea targeted to a specific section of the magazine, making sure to include a news peg and any info on media coverage the story has gotten already. In doing so, of course, show that you’ve done your homework and understand Marie Claire’s coverage.

Lead time: Three to four months
Pay rate: $2 a word
Payment schedule: Upon approval of the edited story
Kill fee: 25 percent
Rights purchased: Varies

Contact info:
Marie Claire
300 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
www.marieclaire.com
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
Email format: FirstInitialLastName@Hearst.com

View the Marie Claire masthead

Direct pitches to the appropriate editor:
Senior News and Culture Editor Neha Prakash: NEHA dot PRAKASH at HEARST dot COM

Executive beauty Editor Tammy Cohen: TAMMY dot COHEN at HEARST dot COM

Beauty and Health Editor Taylore Glynn: TGLYNN at HEARST dot COM

Fashion Editor Joseph Errico: JOSEPH dot ERRICO at HEARST dot COM

EDITOR’S NOTE: Though we’ve updated this article recently, the speed at which things move in media means things may have already changed since then. Please email us if you notice any outdated info.

Topics:

Go Freelance, How to Pitch

How to Pitch

How to Successfully Pitch Parenting Publications as a Freelancer

If you enjoy writing about the joys and challenges of parenting, we’ve got homes for your pitches

By Marcelle Soviero

6 min read • Originally published April 21, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Marcelle Soviero

6 min read • Originally published April 21, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

Whether you’re a first-time mom, a mother of school-age kids, or the parent of children that have already flown the coop, you’ve got parenting tales. And there are plenty of parenting publications that are looking for brilliant and original ideas from freelance contributors on the highs and lows of raising children—and everything in between. Here are seven markets that want your pitches.

1. Babble.com

Though all things baby and baby-rearing take center stage on Babble, the site has evolved into more of a lifestyle outlet since its 2006 launch and now covers love and relationships, fashion, health, wellness, entertainment, travel, tech, work and money.

What to pitch: Parenting confessions, advice, and tricks that work for you; unique family traditions; and funny and relatable stories. “We also look for timely responses to news or pop culture through a parenting lens, and approachable lifestyle content that appeals to parents,” says Andrea Roxas, Babble’s manager of content strategy.

Length: 1,200 words max

Pay: From $100 to $750 and up, depending on length and depth of reporting

Direct pitches to: SUBMISSIONS at BABBLE dot COM

Roxas’ advice: Include in your pitch a suggested title for the piece, a one- to two-sentence summary, a draft of your lede, the article outline and the takeaway. Also follow these three tips:

Be original. The top reason we’ll pass on a pitch is because it’s already been covered on the site or is an idea that’s been done many times before.
Know your audience. We do recognize and appreciate when a writer tailors his or her pitch to Babble.
Be yourself. Show your personality! Babble is a community built on the voices of our writers, and your pitch is our first impression of what your voice could bring to the site.

2. Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers

Brain, Child, founded in 2000, is a literary magazine devoted to the universal theme of motherhood. Its mission is to showcase a variety of voices and perspectives on parenting, and foster a forum for its readers and writers to share interesting viewpoints on being a mother and other women-related topics.

What to pitch: Personal essays, fiction, feature stories, op-eds, debates and book reviews that reflect on all aspects of mothering babies, children and teenagers. Upon acceptance, writers will be assigned an editor and will work directly with that editor through the editing and publication process.

Length: 750 to 4,500 words

Pay: Competitive

Direct pitches to: Preferred method of sending pitches is via this submissions form.

Editors’ advice: Get to know our magazine. We look for deep, thought-provoking pieces on motherhood—not how-tos or top-10 lists. We appreciate insightful pieces with descriptive and vivid details and scenes, tension, and/or a central question.

3. Grown & Flown

Grown & Flown focuses exclusively on parenting teens, college kids and young adults. It delves into some of the most challenging and rewarding years of parenthood. Readers are parents of 15- to 25-year-olds, and they are looking for a community of interests.

What to pitch: Personal essays, humorous reflections, research-driven stories and the occasional book review. Editors are very open to featuring new writers with a fresh take on parenting older children.

Length: 500 to 1,500 words

Pay: Competitive

Direct pitches to: Cofounders Mary Dell Harrington and Lisa Endlich Heffernan via GROWNANDFLOWN at GMAIL dot COM

Editors’ advice: The best parenting pieces tell a personal story yet make a universal point. They leave readers nodding their head in recognition and in possession of new insights for their own lives. Whatever issue, triumph, struggle or joy you’ve had in parenting teens and college kids, other parents have had similar experiences.

4. Literary Mama

Literary Mama is a monthly publication that features writing by mothers on the complexities and many faces of motherhood. “We have a great team of editors who get a personal thrill knowing we are a place for both emerging and established writers, and encourage both to submit their work to us,” says editor in chief Maria Scala.

What to pitch: The publications seeks top-notch fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. Editors also accept column contributions, book reviews, profiles of mother writers and artists, guest blogs, and original photography to complement the written work.

Length: Varies

Pay: N/A

Direct pitches to: For columns, LMCOLUMNS at LITERARYMAMA dot COM; for essays/nonfiction, LMNONFICTION at LITERARYMAMA dot COM

Scala’s advice: We’re attracted to well-crafted work that reflects the full experience of parenting—the hard parts and the joyous—as well as writing that expresses something familiar in an unusual way, or makes us consider something brand new.

5. Mamalode

Mamalode is a multiplatform media company for parents that includes a website that’s updated daily and 22 print editions, a digital collection of which can be downloaded to your iPad. Content is gutsy, honest and authentic.

What to pitch: Mamalode accepts short pieces for the “Because I Said So” section of the print magazine, and first-person essays for print and digital. Contributors may also pitch videos, podcast content and photo stories. When pitching topics, keep in mind the brand was founded on stories that made the reader say, “Oh, me too!”

Length: For print, under 1,500 words; for digital, 500 to 1,000 words

Pay: Varies

Direct pitches to: Managing editor Victoria Grenz via Mamalode’s submissions platform

CEO Elke Govertsen’s advice: Write your heart out. Mamalode is a safe place, a smart place and kind of like downloading with your best friend. Your writing should be full of guts, heart and truth.

6. The Washington Post On Parenting

The blog of The Washington Post lifestyle section focuses on issues and ideas shaping parenting today.

What to pitch: Reported pieces and personal essays

Length: 900 to 1,200 words

Pay: From $100

Direct pitches to: On Parenting editor Amy Joyce via this submissions platform

Joyce’s advice: If something has been on your mind, and you haven’t seen the idea or topic other places, send it. I’m looking for something that will surprise me, make me think in a different way, give me an “aha!” moment, make me laugh, or simply be a beautifully written piece. Also keep in mind there is a good lag time between when I accept something and when it goes up, so be patient.

7. Working Mother

Working Mother is a magazine that celebrates working moms while solving or illuminating a problem unique to its readers or their children and families.

What to pitch: Columns that are open to freelancers include “IMHO” (serious and humorous personal essays) and “My Money” (“The Real Cost of…”). Feature pitches should specifically relate to the working mom—her work, family, personal well-being or a mixture of these. Features are also assigned to fit special issues (100 Best Companies, Best Companies for Multicultural Women, NAFE 50 Top Companies for Executive Women and 50 Best Law Firms for Women). For the website, editors are looking for succinct essays, service articles and listicles.

For more detailed pitching tips, see How To Pitch: Working Mother.

Length: For columns, 500 to 600 words; features, 1,000 to 2,000 words; online articles, 500 to 700 words

Pay: For print, from $1 a word; for online, from $200

Direct pitches to: Editor Quinn Fish:QUINN dot FISH at WORKINGMOTHER dot COM; for all other pieces, executive editor Barbara Turvett, BARBARA dot TURVETT at WORKINGMOTHER dot COM

Turvett’s advice: It’s very important that pitched ideas are filtered through the lens of the working mom. Think fresh, even edgy. Please go deep into our print and online content to get a clear sense of what we are doing. Keep pitches tight, tell us why you are the one who should write it, and include links to your work.

Also check out these parenting publications:

How To Pitch: Mom.me

How To Pitch: Parents

How To Pitch: Parents.com

Topics:

Go Freelance, How to Pitch

Networking

How to Get the Most Out of Any Industry Conference

All it takes is a little planning, participation and follow-through

By Covey Eonyak Son

4 min read • Originally published April 25, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Covey Eonyak Son

4 min read • Originally published April 25, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

As you step onto the conference floor, your time off work might feel more like vacation than work. But if you spend all your time kicking back, you’ll certainly miss out on opportunities, whether it’s a lead on a job opening or new networking connections.

Remember: You’re there to learn from others in your field and come out a more skilled and marketable talent. You won’t get your (or your company’s) money’s worth if all of your time is spent at the hotel bar. Here are five ways to make the most of your next conference, starting before you even get there.

1. Pitch the Conference to Your Boss.

Some events cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars just to get in the door (not to mention the travel and lodging expenses). The bill may be daunting, but don’t get discouraged: With the right pitch, you may just get your boss to pay for you and your colleagues to attend.

Make sure to let your boss know how the company can benefit from sending employees to a conference. You and your fellow conference goers could learn valuable skills or find creative ways to tackle your job. You might even come back refreshed and with newfound energy to apply what you’ve learned from the conference.

“We always tell employers, ‘When your employees come back from this conference, they’ll be ready to get to work and really enthusiastic from getting the adrenaline shot of being around their own people,’” says Tenessa Gemelke, director of events and marketing at Brain Traffic. “It’s a really good feeling.”

The benefits of employee development is far from a one-way street, says Alec Levenson, a senior research scientist at the University of Southern California’s Center for Effective Organization. One potential benefit for a company sending employees to a conference is the potential of better retention, Levenson explains, by giving employees a chance to further cultivate their skills.

“Even with the most challenging work, once you’ve mastered it and have done it years on end, many people will reach a point where the idea of being able to grow and do something different can be very attractive,” Levenson says. “(Development) is one potential part of the toolkit a company can use to give people the opportunity to grow and challenge themselves.”

2. Do Your Homework.

Don’t make the mistake of trying to figure out where to go next as you exit a session. Chart your course ahead of time and figure out what topics you’d like to spend time diving into.

“It’s really worth educating yourself about the speaker and about the talk,” says Gemelke, who organizes Confab Events at Brain Traffic. “Somebody could be a great speaker, but if they’re talking about something that has no value to you, that could be time spent doing something else.”

Some sessions just might be more worth your time than others. You might not get much out of a talk on search-engine optimization if you’re already comfortable with the subject and it’s not one of your core duties at work. Instead, suggests Gemelke, try seeking out a session about something new to you, or a subject about which you want to know more.

3. Go for Quality Over Quantity.

Most conferences will have hundreds of people angling for new contacts or even potential clients. With so many people around, a wide-net approach may not be the best way to make a lasting impression. Instead, take your time and focus on one-on-one meetings or small group activities, which can be more memorable.

Aim for smaller crowds; some conferences, like Confab, might schedule more intimate networking events, like happy hour or small group dinners.

“Having a real conversation with people is always a much better way to be remembered,” she says. “Making that one-on-one connection with people is more valuable than a rapid-fire approach with your name on a card.”

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Stand Out.

When you’re competing with so many others to make a connection, try going beyond the small talk and make an impression.

The key is to not sit idle, and engage with the sessions and the conversations instead, Gemelke says. Ask questions at the end of talks. Follow the conversation on Twitter and take part in the discussions. If you have a great idea or feedback, don’t be shy to put yourself out there.

5. Follow Up.

What happens at the conference shouldn’t always have to stay there. Follow up with the connections you’ve made and connect with them on social media.

If you’ve missed a session, it’s worth reaching out to the speaker or the event coordinators. The presentation might not be posted publicly, but a conference like Confab might share the slides with an attendee, Gemelke says.

And don’t forget to boast to your boss and coworkers about your experience. Share with them the new things you learned and the connections you’ve made. These success stories could help transform the way your company does business, and shore up your chances of going to another conference in the future.

Topics:

Climb the Ladder, Networking

Job Search

What Employers Really Want to See in New Graduates

Honing a skill and being tech-forward are just a couple traits that will help you break in

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

2 min read • Originally published April 25, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

2 min read • Originally published April 25, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

If you’re new to the job market and seeking your first “real” job, you’re probably wondering: What exactly do employers want in entry-level hires?

That’s probably especially true if you’re just getting out of college; those years on campus probably filled you with book knowledge and plenty of high hopes for the future, but very little idea of what abilities the people you’ll be working for want you to have.

Here’s a crash course on what employers desire in new grads, and how you can give it to them, straight from Jeffrey J. Selingo’s hot-off-the-presses book There Is Life After College.

1. Be a ‘Learning Animal’

Unlike the task-based routines of your college career, such as due dates and tests, the working world is a lot more unstructured with “competing priorities and decisions that need to be made on the fly,” writes Selingo. Employers are looking for candidates who are flexible about how they learn, who have ideas and who actually get stuff done.

“We need people who are creative, curious, whose brains are wired to constantly ask what’s next,” says a Hollywood executive that Selingo quotes. “What we need are learning animals.”

2. Master One Skill

Although in the past employers may have sought out well-rounded jacks-of-all-trades, Selingo reports employers are now searching for candidates who have truly mastered one skill.

“We want to see that they have a passion,” says Adam Ward, Pinterest’s head of recruiting, in a quote in Selingo’s book, “and they show proficiency and go deep in it.”

Find entry-level content-marketing jobs

3. Be Digitally Active

Even though you’re considered a “tech native,” employers want more than just the passive appreciation of tech and data from new candidates. Rather than simply understanding the what behind machines and programs, it’s important you understand the how and why.

This means learning some basic coding and having an understanding of data and analytics. Learning programming today is similar to learning a second language last century, write Selingo: “You might not become proficient enough to move overseas, but you could get by if you traveled to a particular country.”

4. Embrace Ambiguity

As you break into the workforce, you’ll quickly learn that the tasks you’re given may not be as clearly defined as an assignment in a class. Employers seek out candidates who can navigate the areas in between work tasks, taking on things that weren’t asked of them in order to get the job done.

“Excelling at any job is about doing the things you weren’t asked to do,” says Mary Egan, founder of Seattle–based startup Gatheredtable in a quote in Selingo’s book. “The more you can do to clear off your boss’s plate and free up his or her days, the more valuable you become to the organization.”

Topics:

Get Hired, Job Search

Networking

How to Ask for a Job Referral Without Being Awkward

Tap your network—the right way—so you can land that job

By Brittany Taylor

Brittany Taylor is an enterprise marketing manager and content strategist with over a decade of experience in B2B content marketing, brand building, and ghostwriting, with bylines in SELF, Teen Vogue, and Mediabistro. She currently leads content and branding across multiple brands at HireQuest Inc.

4 min read • Originally published April 26, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Brittany Taylor

Brittany Taylor is an enterprise marketing manager and content strategist with over a decade of experience in B2B content marketing, brand building, and ghostwriting, with bylines in SELF, Teen Vogue, and Mediabistro. She currently leads content and branding across multiple brands at HireQuest Inc.

4 min read • Originally published April 26, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

If you’re looking for a new job, the best way to get noticed isn’t show-off-y tactics like video resumes or sending gifts to hiring managers. Nope, to get yourself to the top of the pile at your company of choice, it helps most to know somebody on the inside. You need an employee referral.

An “in” at your dream company probably isn’t conveniently waiting around in the wings. You have to make that connection from scratch. That means asking people you already know to introduce you to the folks they know…without coming across as sleazy, desperate or out of touch.

That’s a tall order, but no worries. We tapped two pros who are constantly peppered with referral requests to give us three quick steps to getting referrals on the up-and-up.

Lay the Groundwork

Your network has never been more important than it is now. For those who are relatively new to the workforce, it’s especially important to develop a system of contacts you can call on when you need to.

Ted Leonhardt, a career coach who focuses on helping creatives and professionals land their dream jobs, has ideas for how, exactly, you can do that. “Volunteer for a professional association in your field, tap your college alumni networks and be sure to identify and reach out to the connectors in your field,” he says. Connectors are people who either have enormous networks or love helping others get ahead.

But it’s not enough to have 500 contacts on LinkedIn, either. You need to keep your relationships with the folks you’ve worked with, and those who can help you move up in your industry, fresh and relevant. If you’ve just made a new connection, don’t immediately ask that person for a favor.

Dirk Spencer, a recruitment adviser and author of Resume Psychology, suggests meeting them on their own turf, whether that’s on social media platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn, at professional association events, or at local happy hours for people in your industry.

Make the Ask

Remember, your contacts can’t read your mind. “When I was a young designer at art school and had a baby on the way, I asked my professors for ideas about freelance opportunities and ways to make extra money,” Leonhardt says. “They would never have known that I was interested and needed the referrals had I not had the guts to ask.”

How should you ask for a referral the right way? Here are Spencer’s dos and don’ts:

Open honestly. Start your initial email or face-to-face conversation by getting directly to the point. “I hate to ask, but…” or “Do you have a few minutes to talk about…” are both good options that demonstrate respect for your contact’s time, Spencer says. That show of respect also makes him much more willing to lobby his network for information he doesn’t have himself, Spencer adds.
Come prepared. You should always come into the conversation with companies and specific contacts there already in mind. When your connection says, “Sure, I know a bunch of people at such-and-such agency. Who are you interested in speaking with,” you’ll have answers on the tip of your tongue.
Never make the referrer do your job. Spencer’s biggest “don’t” is asking what he calls the empty question: “Do you have any referrals?” In the digital age, there is no excuse for not doing your own research.

Unfortunately, you can ace the ask and still get a “Sorry, I can’t” from a close connection. Spencer urges you not to take it personally.

“Typically this response happens because they have been burned by a previous referral or the location of the ask is out of place,” he explains. If your referral request is shut down, accept the situation gracefully and pivot the conversation to a safe topic.

Finesse Your Follow-through

Once you’ve made the ask, the two most important things to do are to follow through and follow up, says Leonhardt.

“If someone has agreed to share a contact,” he explains, “it’s your job to follow up with that person. Not only does it show respect for your colleague, but it also shows you have the drive and moxie for the job.”

Once you’ve made contact, report back to the person who did you the favor in the first place. “It’s important to send thank-you notes and keep your contacts apprised of your progress—especially if you land a job or a project based on their referral,” Leonhardt says. “People always remember how you make them feel. You want your contacts to feel good when they think about you.”

That’ll come in handy the next time you need a little help.

Topics:

Climb the Ladder, Networking

Interview Tips

7 Things Hiring Managers Secretly Hate in Interviews

Hiring managers reveal what candidates do that completely ruin their chances of getting hired

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

3 min read • Originally published April 27, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

3 min read • Originally published April 27, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

You found the perfect job on the boards, and turned in a resume and cover letter awesome enough to land you an interview. But before you meet with the hiring manager, be sure to avoid these too-common interview fails that hiring managers hate.

1. Not Doing Your Homework

Failing to prepare properly for the interview sends red flags to the hiring manager. “If there is one thing that turns off hiring managers,” says Jose Laurel, director of recruitment services at G&A Partners, “it’s meeting with or speaking to a candidate who hasn’t done their homework.”

Make sure you’re prepared by fully researching the company and taking the time to gain a solid grasp on the requirements of the position you’re applying for.

2. Not Having Questions at the Ready

“Questions are a way to demonstrate enthusiasm, interest and knowledge,” says Mitchell Langbert, author and associate professor of business and economics at Brooklyn College. Langbert says when a person doesn’t ask questions in an interview, it shows they’re either unqualified for the position, or they just don’t care.

Langbert says employers want to hire people who are “enthusiastic, committed and knowledgeable about the hiring firm.” Be sure to prepare questions ahead of time that show your knowledge of the field and the company you want to work for.

3. Appearing Desperate

During the interview, there is a clear line between enthusiastic and desperate. “Hiring managers want to see that candidates are motivated and interested in the position,” Laurel says, but cautions that seeming too desperate can make it appear as if you have limited job options.

Even if you really want the job, either because it’s a company you’d love to work for, or you’re unemployed and your reserve funds are dwindling, be careful to come off as too desperate. The best way to avoid appearing desperate is to remember your value and what you can bring to the company. After all, they’re interviewing you for a reason. Rather than the “I’ll take anything” approach to interviewing, try to remain calm and collected, reminding yourself it’s a two-way street (without becoming over-confident, of course).

4. Overly Persistent Follow-ups

One major way to appear desperate is by pestering the hiring manager for information after the interview. “Hiring managers are busy and constant calling and emailing takes up their valuable time,” says Laurel. “The candidate can appear as not being able to follow instructions, or unable to take a hint regarding where they are in the process.”

Langbert advises candidates to be enthusiastic during the interview, to send a thank you note and to follow up if it’s been longer than three weeks since hearing from the company. Other than that, it’s best to wait it out without constantly checking in with the hiring manager. Langbert reminds, “The solution is to be patient rather than pestering.”

Topics:

Get Hired, Interview Tips

Job Search

How Strategic Networking Can Supercharge Your Job Search

#WeekendJobSearch Assignment #6: Download an app, look to LinkedIn, and more

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

2 min read • Originally published April 29, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

2 min read • Originally published April 29, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

Hey there! Welcome to week 6 of the #WeekendJobSearch, our ongoing series that breaks the whole job-search process into 13 totally doable to-do items.

Last week, we updated your resume, making it application-ready. (Have you given it a spin and put in a few applications already?) This week, we’re all about networking—taking a few small steps toward connecting you with professionals and influencers in your field.

Don’t worry. Networking doesn’t have to be a painful process. Especially this weekend: We’re keeping you right in your comfort zone where there’s very little fear of rejection, or even human interaction. It’s just a matter of taking baby steps right now, preparing you to branch out and grow as a networker.

Let’s get started.

The #WeekendJobSearch Assignment #6

Get Networking

Don’t worry, we’re not going to send you out to a social mixer this weekend; all the networking you’re doing today happens right in your home (or coffee shop…or bar?). Complete these three steps right now and start becoming a networking master.

1. Download a networking app. Did you know there are apps that pretty much do the networking for you? Yeah—they exist and you should have at least one on your phone. Take Shapr, which presents you with a daily curated list of top contacts in your field. You choose which ones to connect with and which ones to pass on. Think of it like Tinder for professional networking.

2. Sign up for a conference. Not only are they are a great way to stay up-to-date on your area of expertise, conferences are a prime opportunity to score connections with other media professionals. Search out upcoming conferences in your area and sign up for one today.

Lanyard is a great site to find upcoming conferences, and the Lanyard app can help you prep for conference day with info on speakers, talks and more.

3. Follow/connect with five influencers on LinkedIn or Twitter. This one’s easy. Go on Twitter or LinkedIn and find five people in your field who are considered thought leaders. (Not sure where to start? Try LinkedIn’s List of Media Influencers as a point of departure).

Follow at least five now. When your feed starts filling with articles and ideas from these thought leaders, you can then share the information, adding yourself into the conversation. (If you’re feeling ambitious, consider publishing thought-leadership posts yourself. It’s one of a few great ways to use LinkedIn that you may not be using yet.)

And that’s week 6! Next week, we’re going to add a little more power to your network by signing up for industry-specific associations.

Start from the beginning: #WeekendJobSearch Assignment #1

Share your progress on Twitter: #WeekendJobSearch

Topics:

Get Hired, Job Search

It’s Not You, It’s Them

The Position Got Trashed

You’re Not a Good Cultural Fit

It’s Not Them, It’s You

You Came Off Too Desperate

You Didn’t Prepare Enough Questions

1. Maintain Your Motivation

2. Boost Your Portfolio by Freelancing

3. Work Smarter, Not Harder, by Building Relationships

4. Think Forward

5. Earmark Time for Your Job Search

6. Stick to a Schedule

Bottom line

Content Marketing

Event Marketing

Copywriting

Search Marketing

Social-Media Marketing

Media Planning and Buying

Account Services

1. Babble.com

2. Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers

3. Grown & Flown

4. Literary Mama

5. Mamalode

6. The Washington Post On Parenting

7. Working Mother

Also check out these parenting publications:

1. Pitch the Conference to Your Boss.

2. Do Your Homework.

3. Go for Quality Over Quantity.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Stand Out.

5. Follow Up.

1. Be a ‘Learning Animal’

2. Master One Skill

3. Be Digitally Active

4. Embrace Ambiguity

Lay the Groundwork

Make the Ask

Finesse Your Follow-through

The #WeekendJobSearch Assignment #6

Sarah DeLucia