Dont Make These Mistakes with Your Demo

Dont Make These Mistakes with Your DemoDont Make These Mistakes with Your DemoSometimes, you can do everything right when you send your demo to a label, and still, elendhing happens.If you cant even get the labels to pay attention to you long enough to turn you down, it may be time to shift your strategy. One thing is for sure Youll learn not to take no for an answer when shopping your demo. But if you have a good sense of how to approach labels (who, dont forget, may get hundreds of demos a day), you may end up with that deal youve been after. Who the Heck Are You? When someone asks what your band sounds like, you say The Lumineers, but youre sending out demos to Ariana Grandes record label. If theyre not into your kind of music, why would a label have any interest in releasing your record? Do your homework and investigate the labels you approach with your music. That doesnt mean that every label you like should get a demo but the right labels to start with are the ones who work with bands who have a similar sound to you. The TMI Effect Does your promo package come with a band bio thats more like a novel? Does your demo have 25 tracks on it? Then you are guilty of weighing down the record labels with too much information. Short and to the point is the golden rule of promo packages and demos. If your package looks like it will take a week to wade through, the label is likely to send it straight to the bin. How much info is too much? If your band bio mentions your childhood, youve gone too far. Track Listing Trials Somewhat related to the previous idea, your demo itself should be short and sweet, just a couple of songs, ideally. Instead of thinking about the songs of which you are most proud, think of the songs that grab you instantly. You want to stack your demo with songs that have strong beginningsbecause you only get a few seconds before someone pushes that next button. Dont pick the growers because the label is unlikely to take the time to let t he growing occur. Dont think that a label is going to take the time to listen to 15 songs just because you put them on there. Rules Were (Not) Made to Be Broken Many labels have rules about demos that you absolutely have to follow if you want to make it through the door. In fact, many times these rules have to do with getting permission to send a demo in the first place. Receiving unsolicited demos can land labels in legal trouble if theyre not careful when someone who sent them a demo suddenly claims that the label ripped off their songs. Demo policies can usually be found on labels websites. Respect the rules. Is There a Song Here Somewhere? Dont kiste into the trap of thinking that you need to shell out big bucks to have a demo professionally recorded before a record label will give you the time of day - not true. Your recording can be low-fi, but it does have to be audible.There are plenty of relatively inexpensive music recording software programs out there that can he lp you turn out a perfectly fine demo on a budget. Strike the right balance between spending wisely on your demo and turning out a recording that clearly contains some music. Make Sure You and Your Music are Ready You cant expect every song you write to be a home run, and when you are just getting started, you may be turning out a few stinkers while youre finding your voice. If youre having a hard time judging the label-readiness of your songs, grab a few of your most honest friends and get the lowdown from them. It helps to hold off on sending things out to record labels until you feel like you have some songs that are album ready. Be sure that youre putting your best foot forward on every demo you send to a label. Getting the right demo to the right label at the right time takes a lot of hard work and even more luck. Finding that deal is a process, so settle in, and keep honing your skills while youre searching for that perfect label.

Our Best Advice Results from Reader Research

Our Best Advice Results from Reader ResearchOur Best Advice Results from Reader ResearchWe recently added Career Advice to our site an archive of the hundreds of articles weve run in this newsletter and our Wednesday Executive Coach over the years.Now, Im a stats junkie it kind of comes with the territory when youre the manager of an online business so I was pretty excited to get my hands on our latest report on what you, our loyal subscribers, find to be the most valuable material.It turns out that the Personal Branding section is where you are voting with your feeter, mouse. Its our most popular section with you all.So I dug through the treasure trove and found some of the best of the best Career Advice to highlight for youThis article, Google, Your Best Friend in a Job Search from our friends William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson, lays out the basics of how to use the worlds most popular search engine to get a leg up in your job hunt.Deliver a Presentation Like Steve Jobs shows you how to use that beguiling masters techniques in making your presentations stand out. Actually, it reminds me of a blog post I found a couple years ago titled Gates, Jobs the Zen Aesthetic, which I personally found extraordinarily useful. Having been in finance before, my PowerPoints were littered with bullet points, complex graphics, and lots and lots of busyness. Since reading this article, Ive changed my presentation style to be much more wordbased, and much less textbased. What Ive discovered is that when youve written the story out on the slides, your audience kind of views you as in the way of their being able to read the slides. When you let pictures tell the story, I find the audience sees the picture, gets the image, and then turns to you to help explain it some more. Good, solid advice.And this chestnut from Dan Coughlin, Be Results Driven and Review Driven, gives great insight into the nuance between inflicting goals on your people and the better path of making your team part of the solution.Say, Readers, theres a lot more great material that weve collected over the years in our Career Advice section, so I hope youll take the time to check out the articles above as well as all the great advice we have onJob SearchInterviewingNetworkingResumeSalaryWeve tried to find the best of the best in each category, and I hope youll find that you can put it to good use.Enjoy

5 Tips for Managing Your Emotions at Work

5 Tips for Managing Yur Emotions at Work5 Tips for Managing Your Emotions at WorkTheres an iconic scene in the cult classic Office Space in which three coworkers take out their aggressions on a malfunctioning office printer. While Im sure each of us has felt the impulse to take a baseball bat to office equipment at one time or another, we must remember that its important to manage our emotions at work.Depending on the source of your stress- such as whether its a partal matter seeping into your professional life or if its work-related- it might make sense to get your HR departement involved in devising a solution.While stress is a part of both professional and personal life, there are ways to help you deal with it in a healthy and productive manner, says Ericka Tate, Simply Hireds Senior Director of Human Resources. If you find yourself wondering if the issue is important enough or if your stress is justified, you should reach out and at least have a conversation to see if there is an ything HR can do to help you. At the very least, you may feel better from talking through your situation with someone and getting their reassurance.For matters that do not need to involve HR, here are five tips to help you maintain a positive and productive attitude in the midst of trying situations.Get the full story in person before getting upsetA lot can be misconstrued or misinterpreted during online communication. I learned this the hard way when I became enmeshed in an increasingly heated email conversation with a coworker that resulted in hurt feelings on both sides. My takeaway When you feel that an online discussion has taken a wrong turn, suggest taking the conversation offline. Speaking face-to-face allows you to gauge the other persons intentions and clarify statements. Face-to-face conversation also keeps the conversation focused and polite. Its harder to say something discourteous to a persons face.Be empatheticPeople experiencing stress or tackling major projects some times unknowingly take out their frustrations on coworkers. You may be the recipient of anger that has nothing to do with you. Likewise, you may end up being brusque with coworkers if you inadvertently transfer your emotions. One Simply Hired employee, Mark, admitted, Sometimes I get caught up in my own responsibilities and projects and become easily frustrated with others. One remedy stay focused on the matter at hand, remember what is relevant to the situation and ignore what is not. Mark went on to say, I have to remember that everyone goes through their own struggles and that Im not the only person with deadlines. Taking a moment to realize this helps me relate to others around me and be more reasonable in my responses. Another tip Go into meetings with an agenda so that conversation doesnt veer off track.Look for tough loveIf we go through the list of people in our lives, we can all identify the enablers (people who encourage poor choices by supporting our excuses) and the toug h lovers (people who force us to face harsh truths in order to help us make necessary changes in our lives.) Try to find a tough love colleague who can offer you objective and level-headed advice when you feel heated. You want someone who will minimize your mounting hysteria and help you come up with workable solutions.Take a break to regroupWhen you start to feel overwhelmed- such as in a heated discussion or during a buildup of pressures- excuse yourself and calm down so that you can better assess the situation. One Simply Hired team member, Mindy, said that she takes walks in order to decrease stress. Getting out into the fresh air makes any tense situation or difficult moment evaporate into the sunshine, she said. When I take a quick walk around the block, or even just the building, I get renewed energy and feel a bit calmer and more grounded.Separate the work from the personalIts not uncommon for your personal life to bleed into your professional life and vice versa, especially when there are lunch outings, office happy hours and always-on devices such as smartphones pumping the dramas of your personal life into your work environment. Try to understand your personal thresholds and build boundaries between behauptung two aspects of your life.We all experience personal issues or sometimes find ourselves in imperfect work situations. While you may not have control over these events and circumstances, you can make a plan for how to comport yourself in the workplace. When you manage your emotions, you present yourself as a true professional, and you help to maintain a positive work environment for everyone around you.

Speak Up, Introverts! How to Get Your Voice Heard in Meetings

Speak Up, Introverts How to Get Your Voice Heard in Meetings Speak Up, Introverts How to Get Your Voice Heard in Meetings Its tough to be an introvert sometimes. Im speaking from experience here, being a proud member of thatless-socially-brashclan myself.One of the toughest situations to be in as an introvert is the company meeting. Meetings are necessary theyre how collaboration happens, how people stay informed. But for introverts, meetings can also be super stressful. It can be hard enough to speak up in more casual group settings. During formal meetings, it only gets more difficult.And then theres your extraverted coworkers, who move the conversation along so quickly that your comments become irrelevant before youve even had time to formulate your thoughts.But dont worry, my fellow introverts. We are not doomed to suffer silently in meetings forever. Thats what this new infographicfromOn Stride Financial is here for. Checkout An Introverts Guide to Getting Your Voice Heard in a Meeting below

4 things you should never utter when your manager is in earshot

4 things you should never utter when your manager is in earshot4 things you should never utter when your manager is in earshotSome things should really be common sense, but it always pays to have a refresher There are a bunch of things you should never, ever say when your boss is around. Here are four of those things.That someone else should do something instead of youThis isnt a good idea.Matt Rosoff, CNBCs Editorial Director of Digital, with years of team management experience, writes on the site about how he doesnt like hearing employees say that somebody should He writes about how people usually say this in an effort to be helpful, but this isnt the case.They think theyre saying, Im a strategic and creative thinker who looks beyond the limits of my defined role and thinks of ways to improve the fortunes of the business overall. Please consider my larger value to the company when you think about my performance, he writes. But thats not what their boss hears. Their boss hears, Id like to add another task to your to-do list. That you just had a wild night on the townKeep this outside of work.Debby Mayne, an author and etiquette writer, writes on The Spruce about why you should never do this.Never never never go into detail when talking about the wild and crazy weekend you had. On Monday morning walk into the office with a smile, and if the person in the next cubicle asks how your weekend was, say something benign like, I had a great one. How about you? Turning the attention to the person asking will let you off the hook, she writes.A long slew of curse wordsColorful language isnt a big deal in every workspace, and everyone has rough days at work, but you should always try to keep it professional when your boss is around.So dont stand out for always being in a schwimmbad mood and using filthy language to show how you feel. Your colleagues probably wont want to work with you anymore.Its definitely wise to find other ways to express yourself.That youre not havi ng that much fun at work right nowDaniel Bortz, a freelance writer and Keller Williams Real Estate Salesperson, writes on Monster that you should never say Im bored at work.He features advice from Nicole Wood, CEO and co-founder of career coaching firm Ama La Vida.Find yourself just sitting at your desk daydreaming? If so, its your responsibility to look for ways to fill your spare time. If you just say, Im bored, youre dumping the problem on your boss shoulders, Wood says.Your best tactic is to find out if your manager has any tasks that could be passed on to you. Offer to look at your departments procedures and see where you can introduce efficiencies.

Construction Project Manager Resume Explained

Construction Project Manager Resume Explained A Secret Weapon for Construction Project Manager Resume The construction resume templates are quite easy to use. Youve got to be certain you get a simple-to-read layout of the resume. The template is really flexible and versatile too. It is made by experts so you can be sure about the quality of the content. There are quite a lot of columns and sections where you could incorporate distinctive facts about yourself. Knowing how you consider your work is invaluable and can be difficult to get across in other resume sections. Use facts and figures from the particular projects you have been able to show what youve accomplished. Writing the education and extra skills section is the exact same process for other reverse chronological resumes. You must also be in a position to communicate well, verbally and in writing, and be in a position to verstndigung im strafverfahren with projects. Youll also have to have the ability to communicate well, verbally and in writing, and be in a position to handle projects. Managing projects is a vital part of any enterprise. Begin with a template which may be project management specific. You would like to work with somebody who has an in-depth understanding of the building industry along with strong leadership and decision-making abilities. Just like education its again expected your experience is listed in reverse chronological order. Dont discredit your prior experience simply because it was not full-time. Adding work experience can help and there are lots of ways to help improve upon too little experience. For a construction management resume objective, it is necessary to highlight a few professional strengths, ideally your understanding of construction security guidelines, your expertise in the implementation of contemporary construction practices and most importantly, your management abilities. Self-employed construction managers generate their own small business oppor tunities and has to be proactive to locate new customers. Your construction resume should concentrate on skills like physical strength, equipment operation, and dependability. An estimator in the building industry is liable for compiling estimates of how much it will cost to offer a customer or potential client with products or solutions. New Step by Step zeitplan for Construction Project Manager Resume Thus the use ofA Construction Resume TemplatesA is extremely beneficial for all applicants who wishes to be employed. Employers know you could interpret blueprints, for instance, but they dont know you could catch mistakes in the blueprints before you get to get the job done. There are two varieties of Sample Resume Sales Manager Doc. Project manager resumes are extremely different and distinctive from that of general resumes since it is dependent on qualifications, certifications and most of all work experience. The Meaning of Construction Project Manager Resume Employers in the building industry are interested in candidates that are reliable and can complete tasks safely and in accordance with deadlines. It is hard, time consuming and expensive work. You came to the correct place to compose your construction resume. Adding action verbs to your resume is an excellent way to strengthen it and allow it to be more targeted to the position youre applying to. An extra skills section may also be added to the conclusion of your resume. Irrespective of your degree of job experience, your resume structure is important to making your application stick out. The next Resume Sample for Cleaning position gives you a fast start in your job hunting approach.

4 Questions to Ask Yourself as You Prepare for a New Job

4 Questions to Ask Yurself as You Prepare for a New Job Starting a new job can be stressful. All the new coworkers, new processes, and new responsibilities oftenfeel incredibly overwhelming. However, in order to grow in your career, change is necessary. During the week prior to the start of your new standort, do what you can to prepare yourself, and youshouldfind that your first day goes by smoothly and with few if any speed bumps along the way. Taking the time to do the right kind of prep work will help alleviate a lot of yourfirst-day jitters and minimize your stress levels.Consider asking yourself these four questions tohelp you prepare yourself for any new job1.What Will I Wear?Plan your first-day outfit in advance based on the weather and any dress-code-related information you receivedfrom HR or the person who hired you. Planning a few days in advance will eliminate any last minute stresses and decrease the likelihood of a wardrobe malfunction.For the first day, regardless of the organization youre working at, the best choice is to dress in business attire. Its always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed you dont want to give off the impression that you arent taking the position seriously. Play it safe, dress nicely, and assess what is considered appropriate attire once youre in the office.2. WhoAm I Reporting to or Working With?Find out who you are working with and conduct your own mini-background checks. Learning about your colleagues and/or boss will better prepare you for when you actually enter the office. Become familiar with the people youll be working with, and you willfeel more comfortable in your new environment.Take a look at the LinkedIn accounts or other business-related social media profiles of your coworkers to learn their names, positions, and interests.When youre meeting numerous coworkers all in one day, this little trick can do a lot to help you remember names and faces.Familiarizing yourself with the people in your officeis important because you will likely be talking to them in the future or at least running into them in the hallway.Another great resource for learning about your coworkers and managers is to check out the companys About Us page.For example, our websiteis structured so that we have a specific team page that houses photos and titles ofall of our employees, broken down by department. For anyone starting a job with us, its a great resource for familiarizing themselves with their new coworkers.3. WhereIs the Office Located, and What Is Around It?Check public transportation schedules in advance and determine what route you want to take on your first day. If youll be providing your own transportation, do a trial-run,or at least make sure you know exactly how to get there. Use a program such as Google Maps to determine the best route possible and yourestimated commute time, and youll know howmuch travel time to allow yourself onthe morning of yourfirst day.Plan to wake up a little earlier than needed so that you can handleany delays that may arise.You want to show up to your first day of work at least 15 minutes early in order to collect your thoughts, make a good first impression, and calm your own nerves.Its a good idea to scope out some lunch spots prior to your first day on the job, too. Find out what coffee shops are nearby or what convenience stores are close. Familiarizing yourself with these destinations, although seemingly trivial, can make you feel far more comfortable as you start your new endeavor.4. WhyDid I Get Hired for This Position?Dont let the first day jitters get the best of you you were hired for a reason Be polite, use workplace etiquette, and do the best job you can on your first day. People will notice your effort and willingness to learn,and theyll appreciate all your hard work.Ask questions when they arise and dont be shy or embarrassed if you are unfamiliar w ith certain aspects of the new job.Final ThoughtsTake a deep breath and mentally prepare yourself for this new experience and the new chapter of your life that is approaching. Do your best, ask questions, and most importantly be open and willing to learn.