Law And More

Experience Caps, Price Point, The Dilenschneider Group's Championing Deep Expertise

In the age-discrimination lawsuit "Kleber v. Carefusion Corp" the plaintiff contended age bias in hiring came via an experience cap.

The Carefusion help-wanted was structured to require 3 to 7 years of work experience as a lawyer. No more than that.

Here is a copy of the complaint.

Dale Kleber, age 58 at the time, had plenty more experience than that. However, he still applied for the position. Eventually, Carefusion hired a 29 year old applicant.

The question arose: Was an experience cap leveraged as a stealth tool to discourage the aging from applying for certain jobs?

Well, Kleber's specific challenge didn't pan out.

As Bloomberg Law reports, the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the plaintiff.

Here is a copy of that decision.

The Seventh Circuit, 8 to 4, stated that experience caps didn't constitute a type of disparate impact theory. That is, it wasn't a form of seemingly neutral policy that operated as a type of bias against a protected class.

However, some experts warned employers there could be more Kleber-like experience cap lawsuits. Likely, there will be.

Meanwhile, more and more help-wanted specify experience caps and those Google Forms applicants fill out as part of the job search process explicitly ask the number of years working in X or Y niche. That could be managing Price Per Click (PPC) advertising.

Pragmatism rules that applicants would size up what the "right" number of years is and then play in that very specific sandbox. Yes, redo the past to fit with the present.

Otherwise, there may be no access to the toys in that sandbox, ranging from a weekly pay check to benefits. 

But, the present is not so much about raw age bias, is it. 

Instead it's more about price point. Unless a business has a clear and powerful point of differentiation, it can be caught in competing via price. The best briefing on that is "Blue Ocean Strategy" by W. Chan Kim. Here it can be ordered from Amazon.

To keep the price-to-the-consumer/B-to-B market low, employers seek out workers with just enough experience to do the task well so that they can be paid as low compensation as possible.

The new college graduate who had an internship at a marketing firm specializing with PPC would look a lot more attractive to the budget of the employer than an applicant with 6 years experience. Sure, the newbie will probably fly the coop after 2 years but those 2 years could be very profitable for the business.

More and more help-wanted ads indicate that new college graduates are preferred. Since the 90-yar-old could just be graduating college, that phrasing gets employers off the hook on age bias.

In addition, there has emerged a new human resources model - Burn & Earn. It is described in "Disrupted" by Dan Lyons. Here that hilarious book can be ordered from Amazon. Essentially the game is about bringing in a bunch of enthusiastic newbies, training them to do A but not B, make a bundle, and expect them to keep exiting. Repeat. 

Interesting, though, there is a business, based in Manhattan and Chicago, which seems to champion deep expertise. That's the public affairs firm The Dilenschneider Group. On its website it has a section listing its major players and their years of experience. Here you can click it open.

Listed, for example, are:

•  Fred Bona - 40 years
•  Bob Dilenschneider - 30 years
•  Art Gormley - 30 years.

In the fast-moving world of communications, that's counter-trend.

After all, the sandbox, more and more in a digital universe, is custom-made for digital natives. Clients and prospects know the importance of everything from online influencers to local search engine optimization (SEO). So the new toys in the sandbox include everything from help paying off student loans to free food. 

The question is if businesses such as The Dilenschneider Group which position and package long years of experience as a plus have created the unique edge? Or, are they at a new kind of disadvantage? More importantly, does that give the business leverage with price point? 

As those issues are being duked out in the court of law, the hunt for work, and business branding, as early as the age 40 those needing income are finding doors slammed shut because of bias. Here is the article I published on that. If there is a severe economic downturn, that could worsen, of course. Because of their relatively high compensation, the aging usually have a target on their backs. 

Here is my book, free to click open, on how to navigate around all that Download Outwitting ageism. And here, also free, is one on being able to change. Addiction to any comfort zone can mean professional death. 

Full Disclosure: In my early 40s, Corporate America purged itself of middle-aged middle managers. I had to reimage myself as an entrepreneur. Having gotten the hang of how to change, I plan to stay working 60 hours a week until I am 80. Then, I will re-evaluate.

Readers are invited to submit thoughtful commentaries on this issue. Please include content, identity of author, photo, and contact information. Appropriate articles, up to 700 words, will be posted on Law and More. Please send to janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Whistle-Blowers - Doing the Supposed Right Thing at Great Peril

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange might not be likable. 

Many are jittery enough about national security to be wary of the Edward Snowden types.

And lawsuits such as "Andowah Newton v. LVHM" may us wonder about the downside of movements such as #MeToo.

But, we know from history, such as WaterGate, that whistleblowers are necessary for democracy and the sustainability of the legal system. 

So, it's scary that Edward Wasserman is flagging us in The New York Times about the precarious situation whistleblowers faces. He is the dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California. The title of his opinion-editorial is: "Julian Assange and the Woeful State of Whistle-Blowers." Here you can read it. 

Both New York Magazine and Vanity Fair document this: A large number of the women who sued for alleged sexual misconduct or have been on the front lines of the #MeToo movement have suffered retaliation. Here is my coverage of that development.

Sure, doing the supposed right thing can be noble.

It can also be a heady experience.

But it is a form of whistle-blowing. The power structure is bound to push back. Speaking up, standing up - all that is risky business, literally. Careers can be temporarily or permanently derailed.

Yes, in the U.S. there are rewards for whistle-blowers. Those include, as The Wall Street Journal notes,  a nice payout from the IRS for disclosing information about tax cheats. On "Good Girls," FBI Jim promises Ruby much if she goes the distance in blowing the whistle on crime head Beth. 

Yes, society is also supposed to out bullies. Glassdoor is a mechanism for that in the workplace. The employee evaluations are anonymous. Here is how the help at The Dilenschneider Group perceives management.

Also yes, I outed on my syndicated blogs what I perceived to be an excessive vetting process by Your Edge for Success (YES).

It was for a contract assignment that wasn't even guaranteed to be for 15 hours a week. And the compensation was a project rate of $55 for editing each set of resume/cover letter. Suppose that had been job materials for a federal employee. The $55 compensation might not turn out to be much. 

Here is my push-back on Medium. 

But, hell, I have a successful communications boutique that deals in diverse lines of business. The resume/cover letter part has been and will be, well, small potatoes.

The risk? Practically zero. And taking on  YES and its head Katherine Metres served me well in terms of mental health.

Otherwise, I am cautious about outing wrongs associated with how I make my living. I am a single head of household. (Members are four-leggers.)

As Wasserman hammers, whistle-blowing is in a "woeful state."

Actually, I didn't need much of reminder of that. I grew up in the notorious Frank Hague political machine in Jersey City, New Jersey.

That was pre-gentrification.

There was no way to bypass the power of that machine except to leave the area.

From the get-go that was my goal. The exit ramp was, I strategically planned, a scholarship to an out-of-state college. That would provide the platform for putting together a more free life. 

Okay, I did get out. However, the residue of fear of the power structure has a long half life. Anyone from the Hague days probably can't entirely escape that force field.

Meanwhile, before those who need to make a living and want to do the supposed right thing have to consider the real possibility of never working in their field again. What on a macro level might be assessed as "right," could on the level of the individual trigger careeer interrupted.  

Exactly the right tone and content for all your communications. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

So, Who Had Worst Week Inside the Beltway

"The Trump campaign has hired its own in-house attorney [Nathan Groth] for its 2020 reelection bid - shifting future business away from Jones Day, the law firm, that has represented Trump since his first run for president."  - Nancy Cook, "Trump campaign punishes Don McGahn's law firm," in Politico, April 19, 2019. Here is the article. 

Previously, that campaign work had brought in $5.5 million to Jones Day (Source: Data from Federal Election Commission).

The billing kicked off from the beginning of Donald Trump's 2016 run for U.S. president.

Some recall how shocked the legal community had been when The Washington Post broke the story that Jones Day law partner Don McGahn was representing the election legalities for Make America Great Again campaign. 

But then that resulted in McGahn's being brought in as top White House lawyer. He parachuted in with him about a dozen other Jones Day lawyers. After leaving the White House, McGahn has returned to Jones Day as a partner. 

During those heady times for both McGahn and Jones Day, that elite law firm began to be known as the go-to for many of the Trump Administration's legal matters. According to Politico, the White House is allowing Jones Day to complete the legal work already under way. But when all that ends so could the ties to the Trump Administration. 

Fortunately for Jones Day it has plenty other sources of business. It won't starve.

But, obviously, it has lost power and influence. According to Joe Patrice at Abovethelaw, it had crassly touted its reach into the Trump Administration. In itself, that probably brought in new business. 

There is much speculation why Jones Day fell from favor.  And, with such a thud.

The most simple and least credible is that the Trump reelection folks are focusing on increased cost efficiency. However, it is well known that already the campaign has raised a ton of money.

The stock market is booming and if Trump is not reelected that could shock it into a crash. Yes, the smart money seems to be betting on Trump. Economic Man has trumped Man the Political Animal, pun intended.

Those on my networks are fixated on their portfolios, not policy issues. Also, they see utility in Trump's alleged craziness: That can pressure other nations into conforming with U.S. dictates. 

The more likely reason for the souring is that McGahn wasn't the right fit for how Trump liked to operate. For example, McGahn took copious notes. That wasn't Trump's style.

In addition, McGahn was blamed for the leak to The New York Times that the White House was seeking a security clearance for Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Also, as Cook notes:

"The Mueller report ... seems only to have fueled Trump's anger. It portrayed McGhan as one of the key officials who stopped Trump from taking actions that might be deemed to have obstructed justice."

This isn't the only recent setback for Jones Day, a law firm which had been in the catbird seat.

There was the high profile loss for client Sherwin-Williams in the California lead paint class action public nuisance bench trial.

When Jones Day requested that the U.S. Supreme Court review the conviction, it was turned down.

That was even though annually Jones Day hires a large number of SCOTUS former clerks, which supposedly gives it insider insight on how the high court operates. Those former clerks receive up to a $300,000 sign-on bonus. Was Jones Day getting a lousy ROI on those hirings? 

That litigation loss has helped trigger copy cat lead paint public nuisance lawsuits. Here is Forbes' on that.

It's not a stretch to predict that lead paint litigation could evolve into "Another Tobacco." The Sherwin-Williams' brand and the value of the stock could be put in wild play.

More recently, there has been the "Animal House" gender bias class action lawsuit "Tolton v. Jones Day." Here is a copy of the 107-page complaint.

This lawsuit could develop a legacy for being a "frat boy" bit of litigation. Jones Day would be committing brand suicide to allow it to move on to trial.

Meanwhile, though, it seems to be stumbling in how it is handling the public relations associated with "Tolton v. Jones Day." Here is my analysis of those messaging pratfalls in crisis communications.

It's not hyperbolic to posit that shade has been thrown on just about every aspect of how Jones Day had been positioned and packaged.

Meanwhile, McGahn might not have the power he once did at the firm. Will he choose to stay? Will he be forced out? The scenarios for drama are almost infinite.

Exactly the right tone and content for all your communications. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com.

Lawyers Considering Side Hustles in Creating Resumes/Cover Letters

Resumes and cover letters?

Some employers are still using those in the hiring process.

But, they could soon enough be history - ancient history.

Grandma, what was a "resume?" 

Large corporations such as Unilever are experimenting with blowing up job search.

Out are resumes and cover letters.

In are Artificial Intelligence, gamification, and video interviews for solving hypothetical problems.

Playing the Job Search Game - Literally

Here is the Fox coverage on that disruption, already underway. So, yes, parents, encourage not discourage your offspring about mastering video games. 

And, yes, activists, this revolution can create a level playing field. It prevents bias at the front end. At least if the AI isn't coded to discriminate on the basis of sex, race, gender, or age. 

Gamification can uncover unique skills.

And what you can do for employers will factor in more in a hiring decision than a paper credential. Apple, Oracle, Airbnb et al. are hiring for well-paying jobs without imposing the college degree requirement. Here is the coverage on that from MarketWatch.

Resume/Cover Letter Creation Oppprtunity at Your Edge for Success (YES)

Meanwhile Your Edge for Success, based in Alexandria, Virginia, has posted on Mediabistro.com a help-wanted. This morning I received an alert about that on my gmail. Some content-providers  may have felt euphoric about the development of such an opportunity. 

Lawyers might be considering this as side hustle. Full-time lawyer Kevin Ha has 13 side hustles. Of course, his student loans are all paid off. Here are the details.

That Resume/Cover Letter creation enterprise - YES - needs three part-time remote writers or editors. The owner is Katherine Metres Akbar. Here is the post. Yes, this could be your future.

For developing a resume/cover letter the compensation ranges from $75 to $150.

For editing each set $55.

The ad requests at least 15 hours a week. 

My Interview with YES and The Hiring Process

Last week I interviewed with Akbar for this very part-time editing opportunity. Yet, the ad is being posted again so quickly.

Why did I apply? As long as the resume/cover letter earning category still exists, I figured: Why not take a peek?

Experience in the broader field of career transition is highly marketable. Learn more and earn more, I decided. 

The owner Akbar conducted the phone interview which lasted about half an hour.

From the get-go, she indicated that neither 15 hours a week or any hours a week were guaranteed. The full-time staff gets first shot at work since they are on salary. No, assignments aren't always available.

The reality: I may or may not get work. And I would be paid for a resume/cover letter editing assignment 55 bucks. Not a king's ransom.

But to move on to the next step in the hiring process I would have to:

•  Take what I perceived as a complex, time-consuming test. Unpaid.
•  Submit to a personality test. Why? I would not be selling or dealing directly with clients. Come to think of it, I didn't need to take a personality test to be admitted to Harvard Law School.
•  Provide references. Haha. One reason the hiring process is going digital is that references, by their nature, are not objective. If they were, those doing the dishing could be sued for defamation. And, come on, why would I give a list of references which would entail any risk to my ability to be hired?

If allowed to move along in the process, I would be watching training videos. Unpaid.

Sure, the knowledge could be priceless. But, as Ben Franklin observed: Time is money. 

Reflections of a Current Side Hustler

After consulting with my network of professional advisors, I decided to withdraw from the screening process.

Too much seemed to be invested at the front end. At least that was our take. Your assessment of this opportunity may be quite different.

One wonders what the American brand of capitalism, at least in some circles, has come to.

When I was hired for my first good part-time job in high school by New Jersey Bell, the process was conducted on an intuitive basis. Training was paid. I stayed with that job, which funded my college education, until I left for a doctoral program at the University of Michigan. 

When I was hired for my first professional job in a corporation ghostwriting/speechwriting for executives at Chevron, no, I didn't have to do a sample article - unpaid.

When I was hired as a contract marcom provider at a global career transition firm last year, there were no hoops to jump through. From the get-go, all work was paid. All work is still paid - well-paid and steady.

Takeaway

How much should side hustlers be willing to invest in the front end of a search for gigs, at least for now?

Soon enough the process could all be a fun game that we don't experience as "work" per se.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I shared this experience on the Interview section of GlassDoor. In error I also shared it in the section for actual employees, mistakeningly clicking on the box that I had actually worked for YES. Mea culpa. 

UPDATE: - Your Edge for Success through The Glassdoor

Glassdoor removed my posting on its site regarding my interview with Edge for Success.

It had been contended that I was classified as a competitor. I informed Glassdoor that I was not a competitor. I requested that it return the feedback to the site. 

I had not done a paid assignment for resumes for years and years. Moreover I have gone on record that the resume is an anachronism in job search. Here is one of those kinds of posts. 

In short, I am not in the resume business and hadn't been so for a long time. 

Need affordable help strategically planning and putting together content? That ranges from blog posts and e-books to planning/scripting podcasts and creating traditional speeches. Complimentary consultation on how to generate influence and sell without paying high rates, janegenova374@gmail.com. 

Lawyers - Maybe the Kid Should Go to Trade School

Research documents that the average cost of one year at a state university is $20,770.

At a nonprofit private college or university it's $46,950.

That covers tuition, room/board, and fees.

Add-ons are the traveling expenses back home for the holidays, digital gadgets, and recreation. 

So much for the financial nut for the so-called "college experience."

Traditionally, the "college experience" has been defined as residence for four-years at a college or university.

The learning is supposed to be holistic. That is, the human being will not only grow cognitively and pick up enough whatever to get a job.

There is also to be a formation of values. At least that was the mission of the Puritans when they started Harvard in 1636.

But the extreme financial investment entailed is not the only reason for re-thinking the college experience.

And, believe me, many are doing that re-thinking. Boston Magazine reports on the growing number of colleges shutting down in New England. Parents have questioned the assumption that college is necessary for their children to be able to earn a living.

The high tuition has often been the tipping point. An alternate to college has been the trade school. Welding, long-distance truck driving, cosmetology, plumbing, and coding currently are all ways of making a living made possible by training in an institution or through an apprentice program outside the college box. 

However, according to the 2018 book "The Class Ceiling," offspring of lawyers are 17 times more likely to become lawyers than those from other kinds of backgrounds. Here are more details from Abovethelaw.com. So, lawyers, maybe from the get-go, you will be saddled with not only college but also law school tuitions. 

However, there might be hope, lawyers. Another challenge to the college experience cuts right to its core. In this fast-mutating globalized economy driven by digital, can human beings "afford" to be put in an environment separated from "real life" for four years? Sure, there are internships. Sure, some student launch enterprises in the dorm. Sure, there are even paid jobs on and off campus.

But instead of being out there entirely focused on mastering the games associated with economic survival (and building wealth) the human being frequently is put on hold. Their understanding of how the work world really works is way off. For example, they hustle for top grades. Those might be necessary to be admitted to medical school or a top law school. But, come on, research and experience demonstrate that the "C" students become the bosses of the "A" students. 

Another reason to push back against inflicting the college experience on anyone is that nutty bit of nostalgia: College friendships are forever and the networks created will be a long-term professional asset.

Actually, executive coach Henry Cloud's book "Necessary Endings" has been a sustained best-seller because he warns against that kind of bonding. The world changes. Human beings change. The world of work keeps changing. 

In 2014, thrown off my usually successful game by so much change in my line of work and aging, I did a Hail Hail, The Gang's All Here. I reached back to acquaintances from the Class of 1967 at Seton Hill University. Incidentally, back then,the total nut for the annual package was about $1,500, including travel home for the holidays. 

Negative learning is more powerful than the positive kind.

The attempt to restore something, anything with The Gang of Four (Kathleen Huebner, et al.) triggered a full-blown case of PTSD. Here is a chronicle of that horror.

This month I celebrate the 5th anniversary of the extreme pain of getting it that, as Cloud hammers, movement must be forward, never backward.

And, BTW, my college experience wasn't so hot, either. Here is that story, which I have a hunch isn't atypical. 

Overall, research, the high cost of college, the continuous difficulties in earning a good living over a lifetime, and the existence of the dark side of human nature all will push America to declare this: The college experience, as we had known it, is counterproductive for achieving most goals. 

Think about this: For April 2019, ZipRecruiter indicates that the annual median compensation for a long-haul truck driver is $71,817.

About 10 months ago, my Baby Boomer white collar colleague, laid off from a healthcare position, enrolled in a truck driving school here in northeastern Ohio. The cost was about $7,000, for which loans were available. He could have gotten free training if he committed two years to working for the company associated with a training program.

For about eight weeks, he had to study very hard and manage the stress of hands-on road experience. Then, he was on his way, again along a successful career path. Now that he is heading into a year of experience, he is in the position to negotiate compensation and what route he will do.

When my two businesses were slow, he encouraged me to also look into long-distance driving. More females, of all ages, are opting for that solid middle class wage. And, we can bring along our dogs for the ride. I took some preliminary steps about enrolling in program. Then, as often happens in self-employment, my businesses took off again. 

Had I to do it all over again, I would have continued living at home, working part time at New Jersey Bell as a long-distance operator, and hustling for freelance writing assignments with the local town crier The Jersey Journal.

Instead, I went the academic route, including doctoral studies in literature and linguistics at the University of Michigan.

It wasn't until age 31 that I was on my way to developing a marketable skill: professional writing. And I figured out how to do that w/o enrolling in one damn course or going for a certificate at the local university.

In 2004, I got it that I had to learn social media. I hired a coach for a few months. No, I didn't take an extension course at the university. 

More and more big name companies, ranging from Google to Apple, no longer require college degrees to apply for jobs. Here are those real-world facts. 

Reflection: Employers such as Unilever are piloting recruiting programs bypassing resumes, cover letters, references, and visits to college campuses.

Instead they are leveraging approaches such as gamification and AI-monitored video interviews to determine what job applicants can get the job done the best, the fastest, the lowest-cost, and w/o social tensions. It's what we can do for employers in real time. Not a resume of academic credentials. 

Question: Is higher education an addiction? And the elite brand a version of high grade heroin or cocaine?

I did also wind up a 1L at Harvard Law School when I was in my 40s. After I had been accepted, I felt compelled to go. That was even though by that time in the process of applying to law schools, I sensed I was too successful in communications to do that kind of career change. Also, given the complexity of law, I was too old. During the 1L year I high-tailed it back to the communications career path. 

Need affordable help strategically planning and putting together content? That ranges from blog posts and e-books to planning/scripting podcasts and creating traditional speeches. Complimentary consultation on how to generate influence and sell without paying high rates, janegenova374@gmail.com. 

Strange Legality: Ghostwriting College Term Papers Okay Because Process Classified as "Transaction"

Morally wrong. That's about all.

So, the FBI probably will not organize stings for ghostwriters who research and put together those growing number of college and graduate/professional school term papers for students who pay up the big bucks. That's because that process is classified as a paid transaction. So, it is perfectly legal. Wealthy insiders always knew that.

Now, the world finds that out through the Daily Mail article on former ghostwriter Jaimie Leigh. In addition to doing term papers she positioned and packaged the kinds of content which helped her clients not only get into college but on boards of directors. 

The reality of the ghostwriting world is much larger than enhancing academic and career credentials. But most of it is totally legit, that is, in the legal sense.

Essentially the game is: Pay some talent to look good. Instead of makeup and hairstyling, ghostwriters use research skills, analysis, strategic planning of content, and word mastery.

That's the source of myriad best-selling books, those opinion-editorials in The Wall Street Journal, erudite white papers produced by brandname management consulting firms, speeches, scripting for videos, blogs, social media, podcast talking points, and even fiction. 

Will the morality ever matter? Likely, not in America. That is, not until its current brand of capitalism grafts on other values.

Need affordable help strategically planning and putting together content? That ranges from blog posts and e-books to planning/scripting podcasts and creating traditional speeches. Complimentary consultation on how to generate influence and sell without paying high rates, janegenova374@gmail.com. 

 

What Business Are We Really In? Changing Times Mandate Lawyers Ask Themselves That Question

Smart.

That's what thought.

For about six months I had been strategically planning and creating promotional content for a one-player IT fixit service. It was only by accident that I discovered that particular entrepreneur also was operating another line of business: music production.

Side hustles or setting up multiple sources of income have become downright required in the current volatile economy.

More professionals, even the buttoned-down rigid professional-services types, are learning that. Successful lawyers, anticipating how alternate players and AI can eat their lunch, are considering developing other sources of income.

Unfortunately, for some professionals being pro-active in a changing economy and mutating tech wasn't a must-do

For example, early adopters of blogging played only in that box. When BigMedia moved in, their source of income imploded. Had they other hustles going they wouldn't have wound up financially and professionally stranded.

However, what remains the branding must is: Don't confuse clients and customers with a multiple identity. Make it your business to keep the enterprises separate. Here is the article I published on that.

Usually, that's possible.

From the get-go, a new client and I are focused on segregating his academic communications niche enterprise from his long-term memoir-writing specialization. That entails making decisions not only about "owned" marketing communications material such as his own websites, blogs, emails, podcasts, and in-person presentations.

Also, he has to figure out how to position and package himself on social networks. What should his LinkedIn Profile capture? That's where tough marketing work is required. Social networks must operate on the macro level to create an inclusive enough identity to cover most hustles. What he is moving toward is an identity as a communications strategist.

This goes back to the old Ted Levitt marketing question: What business are you really in? He lamented that the railroad industry would never had collapsed had it defined itself as being in the transportation industry, not the narrow railroad one. 

Lawyers have to ask themselves: What business are we rally in? Practicing law is too limiting a revenue-producing identity.

All this isn't new, of course. It goes all the way back to the early days of mass entrepreneurship in the U.S.

During that Stalin-like purge of middle-aged middle managers in corporate America, we exiles had to determine what we could sell as small businesspeople and how. That took time - and guidance from branding experts. Probably that was the beginning of the growth of the executive coach. 

For instance, a first step was to put myself out there as a generalist in public relations writing, not a specialist in thought leadership ghostwriting. The latter was too narrow. Of course, though, I developed customized snail-mail promotions focused on niches. Typical was pitching financial institutions such as American Express on my track record in credit cards. The folks at American Express only knew me as that.

Branding exists to simplify purchasing decisions. That means job number-one for those with multiple sources of income is to do the initial positioning and packaging so that clients and customers have an unambiguous snapshot of what you are selling, what are the unique benefits, and the advantages to them of the pricing.

Yes, sometimes the brands can be fused. The synergy can bring in unexpected business.

There has been my  coaching those over-5o enterprise Download BACKGROUNDERJaneGenovaCoachingOver-50. It seeped into my more general marketing communications line of work. Currently, more revenue comes from the latter than the former. Large and medium-sized career transition firms wanted me to prepare promotional material for them, not coach their clients. 

Obviously, creating side hustles as earning hedges is a complex branding mission.

Need affordable help strategically planning and putting together content? That ranges from blog posts and e-books to planning/scripting podcasts and creating traditional speeches. Complimentary consultation on how to generate influence and sell without paying high rates, janegenova374@gmail.com. 

The Non-Comeback of Hedge Fund Master Steve Cohen

In the good old days of SAC, master of the universe Steve Cohen averaged about a 30% ROI for investors.

That was then.

He had been banned by the SEC to accept outside investor funds. After the two year hiatus was over he launched hedge fund Point72. Bloomberg reports that fund earned investors 1% in 2018.

In contrast Bridgewater Associates' Pure Alpha Strategy fund yielded a 14.6% ROI for investors. That was even though many other hedge funds were, like Point72, floundering. 

Investor money could drift away from Cohen and new funding might not come.

Is Cohen finished? This will be a closely watched drama in 2019.

Out of the Box Communications = Unexpected Results

Complimentary Consultation janegenova374@gmail.com – I help, not sell.

 

Cover Letters - Conjuring Up Spells

Employers, temp agencies, and prospective customers/clients pick up on "it" immediately.

That "it" is the stink of a generic pitch - or cover letter.

To them, a canned outreach represents disrespect. It is also a sign of a lack of authentic enthusiasm for the opportunity.

Sure, those searching for work have a pattern in mind for applying. Usually, that's in Word documents or the DropBox as a standard cover letter.

However, it should only be a guide. Also, it should contain the selling approaches which have proved effective. Those will change over time.

So, from the get-go in reading a help wanted or hearing about a job opening hunker down and create a fresh cover letter. It will contain material from other pitches. Essentially, though, it will deliver a me-to-you communication that will reach into the recipient's mind, heart, and pocketbook.

Yes, me-to-you pitches during the search for work do cast spells. The power is that of voodoo. The applicant made an investment of thought, energy, and time. That carries an aura.

Attention is the currency of the 21^st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission.

In addition, this blog welcomes sponsored content.

Free consultation janegenova374@gmail.com

 

Cover Letters - Pitching What You Can Accomplish, Not What You Know

Cover letters are the most important sales pitch those searching for jobs, contract assignments, and clients will ever make.

Your living depends on their success.

That means that, just as high-producing professional salespeople do, you focus on what you can accomplish for the recipient. You spend very little time focusing on yourself as a person.

The context is not social. It's all about benefit to the recipient.

In addition, it's not about credentials, at least not in isolation. Employers value them less. That's one reason applications to the M.B.A. programs, even at elite institutions such as Harvard and Stanford, are in decline. 

If you discuss credentials it should be in relation to how they help you generate results. For instance, after you received that certification in Conversational Spanish, you increased business for the law firm 54% in seven months.

The focus on what you can accomplish for the employer or prospective client essentially has two parts.

The first is what you have accomplished for others who are similar to them. Make that specific.

No, you don't say, "As a marketing communications expert in the legal sector, I have an excellent track record in increasing responses to Calls to Action."

Instead. you say, "For a 45-agent real estate law firm I boosted responses to Calls to Action 35% in two months and for a 120-lawyer personal injury firm I increased Calls to Action 43% in four months."

Then, you briefly explain strategies and tactics in marketing communications you can introduce for them immediately and with low cost. However, you don't want to suggest that the organization isn't doing things right. You also don't want to sound unduly aggressive.

The way to reduce risk is to position and package your recommendations this way, "The most effective tactics, I have found, include tightening up the landing page, continually using A/B testing in e-mails, and graphically showing possible results through calculators."

Next, you ask for the opportunity to learn more about the details of their business by meeting with them. Provide your contact information. 

When applying for a broad range of work possibilities, of course, you will develop a broad range of different cover letters.

As with formal sales calls, if your specific approaches aren't generating interviews, then reverse engineer the entire process.

Examine:

• Kinds of work you're applying for. You may not have the experience needed or too much experience. Regarding the latter, more employers are imposing experience caps.
• Whom you're directly contacting. If sending unsolicited letters, find out from your network or human resources who does the hiring. 
• Opening two sentences - Cite specifically why you are excited about this particular opportunity. State you are the best professional to achieve the results needed.
• Examples provided for accomplishments. Are they recent? If not, because you have been unemployed, get new ones by doing unpaid assignments. Few will turn down free.
• Length of pitch? Is it too long or too short? There are no absolutes here. The help-wanted ad will guide you. A long detailed one usually means the expectation of a long detailed cover letter. Some ads state for you to stick with four sentences. 
• Tone? In selling, you mirror everything about whom you're pitching to. If it's a large brandname law firm, the tone will be formal. If it's a tech startup with two lawyers, the tone will be casual and to the point.
• Have you proofread? If you make changes in the cover you have to proofread the entire letter all over again. 
• Are you customizing for every pitch? Recipients hate generic letters.

Assistance with cover letters, resumes, interview personas, and approaches to a job search available. Sliding scale fees. For complimentary consultation, please contact janegenova374@gmail.com.