Mediabistro is the #1 job board, community, and career destination for media and content professionals. Once a week, we’ll be updating this list with different types of creative jobs featured. Take a look below:
@ PrivateEquityCareer.com LLC
(Remote)
@ In These Times
(Chicago, IL)
@ The New Republic
(Washington, DC)
@ Beverly Hills Courier
(Beverly Hills, CA)
None of these feel like a match? Check out more Mediabistro roles here.
Most adults who have full-time jobs spend a lot of their time at work. In fact, it’s estimated that one-third of an adult’s life is spent at work. That’s a long time, so it’s important to make sure the type of workplace culture you’re apart of is right for you.
Forbes defines workplace culture as “the shared values, belief systems, attitudes and the set of assumptions that people in a workplace share.” What has made you evaluate your workplace culture or your workplace cultures in the past? The toxic workplace environment has become a more recent topic of discussion in light of The Great Resignation and as more jobs have shifted to become remote or more flexible.
Whether you’re aware of it or not, there are eight common types of workplace environments, according to O.C. Tanner, a software company that focuses on cultures at work. There’s clan culture, hierarchy culture, and purpose-driven culture. There’s adhocracy culture, market-driven culture, and innovative culture. There’s customer-focused culture and creative culture. And while there’s a possibility that some jobs could just not be right for you, your own success and comfort at a job could depend on the culture category type it falls under—and how well it suits your needs.
Clan culture refers to a small, tight-knit company. Think family-owned businesses. There are not many employees are the managerial level and the communication styles are informal.
Hierarchy cultures make up the majority of workplaces. They rely on structure—with managers, supervisors, and employees who are aware of their ranking. Think finance and healthcare.
Purpose-driven cultures are made up of employees who feel called to the mission of the business. Think TOMS Shoes. Employees are community-focused.
Adhocracy culture is innovative and not afraid to take risks. Think start-ups and tech companies. The employees are typically high-energy and flexible to change.
Market-driven cultures are highly competitive cultures, relying on results and direct data. Companies such as these usually put results before employee culture. Think Amazon.
Innovative cultures are—you guessed it—always innovating. They’re in favor of new ideas. Think Pixar.
Customer-focused cultures heavily focus on the customers’ needs. Think businesses such as REI, Whole Foods, and Southwest. The employees work to build a positive relationship with their client, so the culture is positive in return.
Creative cultures are focused on the end product(s) of their company’s mission and collaborate to bring it into existence. Think major film companies like Warner Bros. and HBO. Employees who work in these environments are less motivated by individual goals and instead are eager to accomplish goals as a team.
Remote work has been on the rise in the last couple of years, but it isn’t right for everyone. If you’re deciding to apply for a remote job and want to make sure it’s the right fit for you, here are five questions you can ask yourself.
This question may seem like a given for working remotely. But independent work isn’t just being introverted or happy with solitude each day; it’s much more than that. Remote jobs require one to be content sitting alone for several hours a day, completing tasks without any in-person support or guidance. Although it’s not the same as in-person communication, managers and coworkers are typically just a chat or video call away. Remote work does force one to become more independent if they’re not already. It requires one to create their own structure day-to-day.
The idea of remote work sounds appealing to many—especially the concept of working in your pajamas, creating your own schedule, and cooking delicious work-from-home lunches. However, remote work is still work. Successfully working from home requires self-discipline and diligence. It requires the ability to work amidst possible distractions in your home—or wherever you’re working. Remember that working remotely is more productive for those who practice these things.
You may be interested in working remotely so you can sit on your couch with your laptop all day. And while that may be the most comfortable and efficient for some, it’s imperative for you to carve out your own space, just for work. Create a home office. If you don’t have an extra room available, create a space—even if it’s small—just for your time spent working. You can also look into shared workspaces. Doing so creates consistency and boundaries for yourself as you navigate remote work-life balance.
The working world has never adjusted to remote work as swiftly and effectively as it has in the past couple of years. This is due to the pandemic and companies having to become remote overnight. With this came flexibility. And with flexibility comes the ability to work from anywhere, create your own schedule, and much more depending on your company policy. If you don’t want to be trapped in a cubicle and want the ability to hop on a plane for your next adventure, it could be the right fit for you.
This one can easily be overlooked—especially if the company in question has a remote work policy. Unfortunately, just because they’re remote doesn’t mean they promote a healthy remote culture, which includes a healthy work-life balance. For example, just because you work from home doesn’t mean you’re “online” all the time. A healthy work-life balance would include setting boundaries for yourself during workdays. Your employer ideally would be helping you create those boundaries for yourself.
Writer & editor Nikki Carter shares her career path.
Since I was young, I wanted to be a writer. For as long as I can remember, I’ve written stories, poems, and essays. I originally went to college as an English major, but enough people expressed doubts about my future career options that I switched to Marketing. Then I got my MBA.
I graduated right before the 2008 recession technically began, but I had a very hard time finding a job in any business or business-related field after I finished school. I ended up accepting a role in a medical clinic; from there, I transitioned to healthcare administration roles within hospitals and hospital systems.
I began keeping a blog in the early days of the internet but around 2009, I decided to use it as a “portfolio” of sorts to apply to different writing jobs. I got a gig writing 1-2 blog posts a month for a New Orleans travel site—I made $25 a post, and I was over the moon to get paid to write. I also did volunteer work for other New Orleans companies in order to get more bylines and portfolio examples.
Things continued to ramp up with my side hustle and in 2018, I left healthcare completely to focus on freelancing. Now, I mostly work with entrepreneurs or companies in the tech/education/wellness spaces, although I do venture outside of that. I create all sorts of content for my clients, and I still write as myself for different outlets. I also run a monthly newsletter for women of color called Will & Way, and I’m querying my first finished novel manuscript.
No, but I did have a challenging time fitting into rigid corporate environments. I think that’s what drove me to where I am now—I wasn’t cut out to answer to many other people besides myself. I was constantly questioning things that didn’t make sense to me, like making everyone adhere to the same work schedule or being more focused on an 8-hour workday than the actual quality of work being done.
I never saw myself becoming an entrepreneur—although when I think back, I was always doing little side hustles to earn money, from babysitting to melting Jolly Ranchers and cooling them around plastic spoons and selling those “lollipops” at school!
I still struggle with this, and I’ve been thinking about doing a weekly 24-hour tech sabbatical. It’s so hard when you feel like work bleeds over into all other aspects of your life. The best advice I can offer is to have firm boundaries and create structure for yourself. If I make myself go to my coworking space for a set time during the day and then completely log off when I leave, I feel better than I do on the days when I just kind of do things around the house and work in between tasks.
I also think “batching” tasks is helpful. If I have a meeting, I’ll try to schedule other meetings on the same day so I’m not doing a stop-and-start every single day to join a meeting. Or I’ll do all of my lead hunting/job board scouring at the same time, instead of looking every single day. It helps you to get into a rhythm and be more efficient.
I read recently that opportunities come through people, and I think that’s valid. Let your network know what you want to do and what you’re up to; you may be surprised who reaches out or refers you to someone else.
I belong to a number of online communities, and I stay up to date on who’s looking for what within those communities. That’s helped me meet people, and sometimes those people remember me and refer me to their colleagues or friends.
Beyond that, when I work for anyone, I try to be super responsive, communicative, and to always deliver an exceptional finished product. I tend to have repeat customers for that reason, and a lot of times they’ll pass on my info to other people they know who are looking for writing or editing services.
A core value of mine is freedom, and I really enjoy that aspect of freelancing. I love that no one can tell me what to do and, for the most part, I get to control how I work and my final work product. I’ve also loved watching my own growth over the years and seeing my earning potential expand. Lastly, I would say getting to network with and meet other creatives is an amazing perk.
Interested in a creative gig? We have some open jobs for you!
Mediabistro is the #1 job board, community, and career destination for media and content professionals. Once a week, we’ll be updating this list with different types of creative jobs featured. Take a look below:
Senior Designer – Penguin Young Readers
@ Penguin Random House
(New York, NY)
@ Penguin Random House
(New York, NY)
Marketing & Communications Director
@ First Book
(Washington, DC)
@ Soho Publishing
(New York, NY)
None of these feel like a match? Check out more Mediabistro roles here.
Your words matter. Not only that, but they greatly matter when it comes to the workplace—and the phrases you use within it. In fact, writing and communication are more important now than they’ve ever been before. Poor communication also has indirect consequences in the workplace, with 86% of professionals citing “increased stress” as the top cause of poor communication.
Some work settings are formal, some are more relaxed. However, the language you choose when collaborating and interacting with your team can have a great impact on your—and their—day-to-day. There’s no denying that your communication with fellow coworkers is important whether you work in an office or remotely. Here are some phrases to avoid in the workplace if you want to remain professional.
It’s not uncommon to feel vulnerable with your ideas, but phrases such as this one imply that you have little confidence in yourself. Using this qualifier also starts your sentence and idea out with a negative lens. Try cutting out the first phrase to engage with your coworkers more confidently.
This may be the most common phrase of all time in the workplace—especially when it comes to asking for things. However, it’s not a proactive phrase. Instead of saying “let me know when you want to meet,” you could say “Let’s meet at 3pm. Does that work for you?” This provides that missing action—and makes things more efficient for you and your team.
Take a second and think about this phrase the next time you want to say it aloud. Is there a reason you’re even having to say it? Odds are, the way you (or the company) have always done something isn’t working. Therefore, it’s time for a new way. Phrases such as this one signal your reluctance for change and innovation—two things that are crucial for growth.
There are a lot of issues with this one, but the main one is that it’s rude and makes you sound immature. It’s also passive-aggressive. Your coworkers are also most likely trying their best and working on something that has the potential of failing. Telling them “I told you so” will just make them feel worse. Instead of saying this phrase, you could offer words of encouragement or another solution.
Last but not least, you want to avoid saying this phrase within the workplace at all costs. While something may technically not be your problem, the only thing this phrase does is signal that you don’t care. It’s unnecessary and adds negativity to the problem, regardless of whose it is. Try taking responsibility for the tasks and projects you’re in charge of—then act as a leader to the best of your ability without taking on extra work or tasks that don’t fall within your realm. Odds are, there’s a nicer, more mature way of phrasing a similar sentiment.
Content marketing is an essential component of advertising in the modern world. It’s a way of getting brand recognition and setting yourself apart from the competition. The only issue is that it can be difficult to come up with an effective content marketing strategy to rise above the ocean of content available already.
It’s a given now. Every website you visit has articles and blogs. It’s a great way of attracting organic traffic to your website. However, companies and brands tend to rush their content strategy or overlook important parts of it.
Here are eight content marketing strategies you should avoid.
Content marketing is important, especially for small businesses. Content marketing’s sole purpose isn’t to sell a product or service, but to maintain a steady number of users through posting interesting and informative content regularly. Many start-up companies forget this important rule and end up churning out large quantities of articles in hopes that people will purchase a product through one of those articles.
But here’s the problem: if your article intends to sell, not inform, the reader won’t spend much time reading the article. Users who click on informative blog posts are there to have a question answered, not to be sold a product.
Remember to inform first, and sell later.
A lot has been said about SEO over the years, and plenty of content marketers are still on the fence about it.
With that said, 69% of content marketers invest in SEO. With more than half of content marketers actively investing in SEO, it should be on any brand or company’s radar.
Working on bettering your SEO will:
The best way to increase your SEO is by mastering the use of keywords. This includes using keywords at frequent intervals, as long as they fit within the context of whatever you’re writing. You also need to try and use keywords in your H2 and H3 headings. If you’re having trouble writing well, SEO-optimized articles, you can find plenty of online writing tools to get you started.
There was an estimated 319.6 billion e-mails sent daily in 2021. Although a lot of the younger generation have moved over to social media applications like Instagram, emails are still important. Emails are still used daily whether it be applying for jobs, sending work information, or reminders about promotions. There is still a place for emails in the world of business and marketing.
Email marketing is a great way to keep your customers and followers up to date with the latest news about your brand. This can be promotions, new blogs, or event reminders. If you’re still not sure, email marketing offers an excellent ROI, with $42 earned for every dollar spent. Never underestimate the power of email marketing.
More than 70% of users reading thought-leadership content online claim that it delivers no valuable information to them. The reason someone is reading your article is that they want an answer to a question they have. This is especially true when writing informative articles on company blogs. An article that meanders and doesn’t answer the question the reader has quickly, they’ll find another page that does.
It’s important that you quickly introduce the problem, and how it could be resolved within the first 150-200 words. Your keywords should also appear once in the introduction. This tells the reader that this article isn’t playing any games, and will answer their question within due time. The average bounce rate on an eCommerce It’s a bit lower on desktops and higher on mobile devices.
It can be difficult to write better articles, but the best way is to understand the intent of the content being written.
This brings us to number 5…
Are you writing content without any sort of plan or intent? Do you know the purpose of the written content and how it benefits the brand or company? Content should have a purpose.
Content written for different social media applications, websites, or blogs all looks different. It’s also important to set goals with the content made. Will it be posted on social media to go viral, or is it written to rank high on SEO and get more organic traffic? Whatever the purpose of the content, having a roadmap will make writing it easier. It’ll also make it easier for you to gauge if it was successful or not. If you’ve written an informational piece to go on your website’s blog, then you’d most likely want it to rank high on SEO, as well as be able to guide readers to another page on your website.
If you’re writing a promotional piece to post on social media, it might be a lot shorter and much more promotional, convincing the reader why your brand is better than the rest.
You also need to keep the audience you’re writing for in mind.
Keeping an eye on gender, age and location you can tweak your content to fit their interests.
Negative feedback should never be disregarded. Even better, it can be used to your advantage. Answering a complaint on a social media post or review can increase your brand advocacy by up to 25%. Sure, sometimes feedback from customers can be very vague and downright unreasonable. If you can stomach digging through some of this feedback, you’ll find a gold mine of excellent feedback that the company can use. There are plenty of avenues to acquire negative feedback in a way that won’t ever be confrontational.
Social media is the way most people will leave negative feedback and reviews. Make sure to at least check your brand’s social media pages for any negative feedback every week. The reason is that negative reviews are read more than positive reviews. A negative review is 63% more likely to be clicked on than a positive review. That’s why leaving feedback on negative reviews can help your business keep a good image. A company can also go old school with feedback questions for willing customers to fill in before leaving. This is especially great if your brand is aimed at an older demographic. Also, make sure that customers can easily contact you when needed with your email and phone number available on your website.
49% of content marketers surveyed said that social media is the hardest skill to master.
Almost half of the world’s population uses some form of social media, whether it be Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
The social media marketing rule book is constantly changing since the social media landscape is an ever-changing entity of its own.
Trends come and go in the blink of an eye, and what’s doing well today might sink like a rock tomorrow.
Here are some common mistakes content marketers make when working with social media:
It can be really difficult to stay on top of social media, but it’s a valuable part of your content marketing strategy that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Luckly, many great tools are available on the market to help you save time and step up your game. That being said, choosing the right social media management software needs to be done based on your needs, preferences and goals.
In 2021, 4.32 billion unique users used the internet on mobile devices. That’s over 90% of the global internet population. When creating content, it must be optimized for all devices, not just desktops. That includes the page layout and loading speeds.
Here’s a graph of the average time spent on the internet per day by a single user on desktops and mobile devices.
Not only has time on the internet per day increased as the years went on, but the time spent on the internet on mobile devices has increased three-fold, whilst desktop usage declined in the last few years.
It’s now more important than ever to optimize your website for mobile use.
These 8 mistakes that content marketing teams fall trap to could spell doom for the content your brand puts out.
Keep content well optimized for SEO, written with intent, and don’t forget mobile users and social media.
If you keep this in mind you’ll find that crafting the perfect content marketing strategy isn’t as difficult as it seemed at first.
Shane Barker is a digital marketing consultant who specializes in influencer marketing, content marketing, and SEO. He is also the Founder and CEO of Content Solutions, a digital marketing agency. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, influencers with digital products, and a number of A-List celebrities.
If you work within the media world, odds are you’ve heard of a union. Recently, digital and print publishing companies such as Harper Collins and Conde Nast have formed unions to demand a fairer workplace. So, maybe you have heard of a union but aren’t exactly sure what it is—or what being part of it means.
Here are some things you may not know about unions.
Believe it or not, the concept of unions goes back—all the way back to 1158 B.C. Artisans working for Pharoah Ramesses III didn’t receive their compensation on time, so they walked off the job. Ultimately, they ended up receiving payment once the pharaoh realized he had no one to build his tomb.
Unions are highly popular within groups that serve the public. According to the Economic Policy Institute, 33.2% of union workers are within public administration, 27.3% are within transportation, and 20% are within education and health services.
Unions have commonly been associated with blue-collar workers in the Midwest. However, unions these days range from employees with various backgrounds in numerous industries. Additionally, they represent workers of all levels of education.
Unions are becoming more common in workplaces filled with TV writers, mail carriers, digital journalists, Silicon Valley contract workers, and more. This is most likely due to the ever-changing landscapes of these industries.
Statistically, demanding more money works. On average, union members earn 11.2% more than nonunion members. Some states even don’t have union rights. In those states, workers’ pay is lower than those in states with unions and union rights.
Millennials are the largest generation in the U.S. labor force. Not only that, but they’re joining unions at a historic rate. Three-quarters of people who joined labor unions in 2017 were under the age of 35.
Unions aren’t just popular in the United States. In fact, they’re more popular in places like Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. Aside from the Nordic countries, they’re second most popular in European countries.
Topics:
Be Inspired
Mediabistro is the #1 job board, community, and career destination for media and content professionals. Once a week, we’ll be updating this list with different types of creative jobs featured. Take a look below:
Associate Editor, Work Life @FastCompany
@ Mansueto Ventures
(New York, NY)
@ Future
(New York, NY)
@ Springer Nature
(Philadelphia, PA)
@ Center for American Progress
(Washington, D.C.)
None of these feel like a match? Check out more Mediabistro roles here.
August 9th is International Coworking Day. And no—this day isn’t about celebrating your coworkers, but instead coworking spaces. It’s celebrated on August 9th because on this day in 2005, software engineer Brad Neuberg made a blog post to introduce people to the concept of coworking spaces.
Now popular among freelancers and employees with remote jobs, coworking is a thriving industry; its revenue is expected to double by 2024. This can be attributed to many things: companies that are newly remote post-pandemic, employees choosing to work for themselves, and also employees who have been working remotely but simply want a change of scenery.
If you’re part of a coworking space, here’s how you can celebrate International Coworking Day—and make sure you’re taking full advantage of its perks.
The concept of a coworking space was foreign when it was initially introduced. However, now there are nearly 20,000 different ones in the world. That said, there are typically a good amount of different coworking options—especially if you live in a more populated area. Use this day to weigh the pros and cons of your coworking space options to ensure you’re a member of one that’s the best fit for you.
Say you’re part of a coworking space and go to work at it a few times a week. If so, you’re just scratching the surface of interacting with its community. Most coworking spaces offer events, happy hours, seminars, and more. And although your job may be remote and not involve anyone you see at your coworking space in person, that doesn’t mean you can’t connect. Being around other people doesn’t just boost your productivity, but it also opens doors to potential friends, colleagues, along with information about their jobs and fields. Use this day to sign up for an event or seminar to put yourself out there.
Okay, so you’ve made sure your coworking space is the best fit and you’ve signed up for some events. Now it’s time to celebrate this day on social media with the hashtag #InternationalCoworkingDay. Why do you enjoy coworking? What does it add to your life? What’s your favorite coworking spot and why?
These are all questions you can answer on social media to spread the word—and even maybe make some new coworking connections.
