Tag: #beinformed

Career, Charity and Giving, Employment, Giving Back, Life Choices, Mentoring, Moving Forward, Technology

The Broadcast Engineer Unicorn

#Offering Help: #Mentoring, #Writing, & #Engineering Services

I’ve been fortunate throughout my 33 year career to have found many mentors. I now happily find myself still working, but also mentoring the next generations of broadcast employees. Not only to have had such a diverse career So Far – it’s certainly far from over, but a female engineer in the world of broadcasting I have been termed a Unicorn. Who me? Yup!

Indeed, for many many years I have found myself to be the only female in the room. The only adult in the room, but that’s another story. I’d be promoted into a full room of men and me. If there was another women, she was an assistant or secretary, so I’d do my best to be inclusive and share insight. Paying back the kindness that was so graciously bestowed upon me along the way.

Although, I have to say, I was underestimated along the way as well. I didn’t spout or boast my knowledge, pat myself on the back for a job well done, I just kept my mouth shut and did my job, and did everything I could think of to “move the needle forward” for women in broadcasting.

Unfortunately, back then the loudest person in the room was thought to be “right” or the most knowledgeable, I certainly wasn’t loud, so I took the brunt of a lot of wrongs. Should I have spoken up? Looking back, absolutely yes, I just didn’t have those tools in my toolkit – YET.

Finally one day, I started a new job in the control room. I had not only one woman boss, I had two! I felt lucky. I was in certain respects, in other respects – uh, not so much.

I won’t distinguish which was which, but one superior was never satisfied. If I took care of every single aspect of my job, went beyond what was expected, took initiative to do more, it still wasn’t enough. More was thrown at me (sometimes literally) and I would scramble to “figure it out”. I could ask the other superior clarifying questions, but mostly I was on my own, they were both busy, and that’s why I was there right? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Finally about 3 months in, the superior who was never satisfied went on a 2 week vacation. I was elated, and for good reason. The other “boss”, would check in with me, and on my 2nd day with just her in-charge, she physically came into the control room. I showed her all I did, what I was watching for, what I still needed to finish, and of course asked if I could help her with anything. A simple “Nope, I’ll be in my office, if you need anything, call. You’re smart, I trust you, and I know you won’t wait until you get into trouble to call me”. Then she left. Wow! What a feeling of empowerment.

To this day I do not know that that boss knows what she gave me. Autonomy for one thing, but also confidence. She gave me an example of how I wanted to be when I was in a position like that, respectful, inclusive, giving, everything I needed summed up in a short sentence. Not only did I learn what I wanted to be like, I learned something even more important, what I didn’t want to be like. I didn’t want to create/rule by fear every time I walked into a room, I didn’t want to make anyone feel less than, no matter who they were, I didn’t want to make anyone feel like they were only as good as their last mistake. And so, I’ve taken that goal and hopefully not only successfully achieved it, but surpassed it.

I knew what I wanted, so then I sought out through positive leaders/achievers in and outside of the company. Learned from their vast historical knowledge and applied it to new ways of developing standards. All the men and women of my past have made me who I am today.

Have I made mistakes? Absolutely. Really big ones? That’s an even bigger Absolutely. Have I learned and grown from them? Absolutely. Do I regret some? Absolutely. I don’t regret learning from my mistakes, I regret how I handled my failures sometimes. We all fail sometimes, or a lot of the time, but it’s how we get back up, how we recover that matters. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

I cannot change the past though, I can only move forward with integrity and perseverance in the future. I can pass on my knowledge to usher in the new generations. And, I do.

In 2019 I took a seasonal broadcast streaming engineer position at MLB Advanced Media. I was fortunate to work with a newly assembled group of engineers. All men and me (a Re-occurring theme throughout my career). Not only was I the only woman, I was also the oldest person in the room by far. The youngest wasn’t even born when I graduated college, he wasn’t even of drinking age yet. But he was/is brilliant. The takeaway is to remain open, accepting, giving, and teachable. And, check your ego at the door.

It was a new system that we all rolled out in only 3 months, so we All were learning something literally brand new together. It was extraordinary. I had as much to learn, and unlearn as they did, but we did it all together. To this day it was hands down one of the best teams I was ever a part of. We all worked together in this small closet of a room, and we successfully streamed out 32 minor league team’s games for the season, ending in an all time high of adding in some major league games too. We all helped each other through processes and SOPs, it was amazing.

The season ended, some found other full time jobs, the rest of us stayed on part-time to work on Major League ballpark infrastructure upgrades in the off-season. Another great experience. But we did it together. I’ve gone back as a part-time employee season after season with great anticipation and openness to learning all the new tech forward innovation each year. I am truly grateful to have found MLB, and many others along my Broadcasting journey. I was asked once, “What will you do when or if they hire another girl/ woman for this office?”, my response was simple, “I’d throw a parade first, then make sure you all treated her with the same respect you’ve shown me (which was a lot, and it never waivered), or you’ll have to answer to me!” That was said with a somewhat joking lilt, but it was true then, and true now. That was verbatim comment recollection. Very smart, accomplished women were hired, and the respect was given, I was proud of this group of fine men and now women.

It’s not over yet – not by a long shot!

If you’d like to chat please feel free to contact me. I can learn just as much from you as you can hopefully from me.

Employment, Life Choices, Mentoring, Moving Forward, Technology

The Power of the “Learn More” call to action

#OfferingHelp: Career Coaching, Volunteer Work, Business Email Writing

As website visitors, we are constantly bombarded with calls to action (CTAs). Some of these CTAs are more effective than others, but one that always grabs our attention is the “learn more” CTA.

Why is the “learn more” CTA so effective? There are a few reasons. First, it implies that there is more information to be had on the topic at hand. This can be appealing to curious visitors who want to know more about what they’re reading about.

Second, the “learn more” CTA doesn’t ask for much from the visitor. All it asks is that you click a button or link to learn more. It doesn’t require any commitment on the part of the visitor, which can be important when trying to convert someone into a customer or client.

If you want your CTAs to be effective, make sure you include a “learn more” option!

High impact emails can help businesses in a number of ways. They can improve communication, increase efficiency, and build relationships with customers and clients.

“All roads in the copywriting world lead back to emails…. “

This quote is from famous copywriter and marketer, Neil Patel. And it’s true! Email marketing is one of the most important tools in a copywriter’s toolkit.

Email marketing allows you to stay in touch with your audience, build relationships, and sell your products or services. It’s a powerful tool that can help you achieve your business goals.

So if you’re feeling stuck or lost in the world of copywriting, remember this quote and keep emailing!

For every $1 you spends on email marketing — you’ll gain $38 back.

The demand has been created from the standpoint that the most effective emails make real connections with real people — by offering to take them to information they’ve asked to see that’s relevant to their needs, wants, and desires.

Spam, clickbait, and other unethical email practices will never work to create personal connections or offer information that is relevant to customers.

Emails that are effective establish a link between what the company has to offer and what the customer needs in order to improve their life. They bridge the gap between businesses and consumers in a way that is mutually beneficial.

If you need help with writing, I would be more than happy to assist you. I offer high-quality writing services and can work with you to create the perfect piece of writing for your needs. Contact me if you’re interested in learning more or if you have any questions. You can contact me @ Nicole.Gabriel@gmail.com, or on LinkedIn.

I look forward to hearing from you!

#people #connect #bettertogether #buildyourbusiness

Career, Employment, Life Choices, Mentoring, Moving Forward, Technology

Success at Job Hunting in the Universe’s Vacuum

If you want to be successful in job hunting, you need to be persistent and never give up. You need to believe in yourself and your ability to find the right job for you. The universe is full of opportunities, and it’s up to you to find them.

I started a great new position this week. After years of seasonal, and short contract work at various places, I wanted to find something full-time, and permanent. Permanent is a relative term to me. One can be “let-go” at any time these days, because there was a restructuring, not because one wasn’t doing well, for cause, or just lay-offs. It can be disheartening.

When I was offered my current job, I literally had gotten another offer the very same day, and a third offer the next day. I asked each possible new employer further clarifying questions so I could make an informed decision. That doesn’t give me any guarantees, but gives me the best chance at what I want and need. Note: I also only applied to jobs I really wanted, but was still looking because nothing was “final” until I, and the company have finished the on-boarding process. But, more on that another day.

FINDING THE OPPORTUNITY

Fear not, there are many opportunities out there, one just has to find them. Make looking for a job, a full time job in itself. Let me break it down a bit with some specifics. Set-up job parameters with automated Daily alerts on multiple sites, visit specific company sites daily (there are jobs there that are not posted publicly), filter for job keywords, position, desired location, (or on-site,remote/hybrid), and then of course latest or newest listings. This cut down on how “far” back anyone will have to cull through a seemingly endless list of jobs (most of which that wouldn’t fit one’s skill-set, or ones that aren’t of interest, or titled oddly). I only applied to jobs I wanted, and that I was at least 80%+ qualified for. My resume was updated nearly weekly to tweak it, and so was my cover letter.

BOTS

I’m sure job-seekers already know about HR bots: ATS system: Applicant Tracking System. It’s designed to automatically find keywords from the job description and find those skills in your resume automatically. If your resume doesn’t match up to a certain percent, then it automatically gets rejected, and the hiring manager, or HR person never gets to see your resume at all. So weave the keywords from the job description into your resume (assuming you truly have those skills), and your resume will actually get a human’s eyeballs to look at it.

Otherwise you’ll more than like get the dreaded automated response of, “while we are so excited that you’ve spent time applying for this position, and you’re highly skilled, we are not moving forward with your candidacy, and moving forward with other candidates that are more closely aligned with this position.” Even worse, you may have now been put into their system in an automatic reject for X amount of time. It’s true, so always try to present yourself in the best light, your effort upfront has big pay-off.

Now, keep in mind, every company must legally post a position even if they already know the candidate they Will be hiring. I’ve gone to job listings that were only a few hours old, saw there were no other applicants, but also was removed or “no longer available” almost as soon as it was posted. “Whatttt!!!??” The company legally did what they had to do, they posted the job, then removed it as soon as legally possible. I found this annoying at first, then took a different purview of the action, “at least I didn’t waste my time going through the entire application process”. It all depends on how you look at it. I chose the latter – be positive.

CONNECTION IS KEY

If you have a connection at a company you’re applying to, reach out to them. This is not just to ask them to recommend you, it’s also exploratory to find out more about the company, and if you want to work there too. It’s equally important for YOU to interview the interviewer about the company, culture, company and job challenges, who had the position prior to this, where did they move up or onto, and why. There are many other questions, but that’s a good starting point.

Next, there is the “quick apply” tactic. Job sites that offer a seemingly “one-click” application process, followed usually by a couple of generic questions like: Are you a US citizen?, Will you now or ever need sponsorship?, and are you at least 18 years old? I would advise if you decide to apply this way that you should also write a cover letter if the app provides the option. If not, note who the hiring manager or job poster is, and contact them through email if provided, or LinkedIn (In-mail).

DUE DILIGENCE

Don’t underestimate the cover letter. Many Recruiters and Hiring Managers automatically reject resumes from highly qualified applicants simply because there was no cover letter. Why? It shows interest, and a level of effort. Even if you don’t have the name of the job poster, or hiring manager, simply start with Dear Hiring Manager, then in the body of the cover letter say why you’d be great in the position, something that’s NOT in your resume and be positive.

Finally end with something like, “I look forward to hearing from you”. Then your signature. Boom! You’ve written a few short sentences and “Submit”. You’ve just upped your chances of being contacted by a Recruiter (whether in-house or not) by approximately 80%.

FOLLOW THROUGH

Lastly, if you haven’t heard anything for over a week, follow-up with a “checking in” email. Don’t ask for a response, the hiring manager and recruiter are very busy people. Just let them know you’re still interested in the position (you didn’t just one-click apply). A little effort goes a long way. If you’re willing to put the effort in before you have the job, you’re a good candidate to actually DO the job.

If you’d like more tips please leave questions in the comment section, or email me directly (it’s in the contact area of this site).

Good luck in your search. I look forward to hearing feedback from you!

Employment, Life Choices, Mentoring, Moving Forward

You got the job offer, now what? 9 Questions to ask BEFORE you accept an offer.

You finely honed your resume and cover-letters to the jobs you really wanted. You made it through the recruiter interview (whether in-house or independent). You also met with your potential new colleagues, the boss, and the boss’s boss. Whew!

After all that, they made you an offer of employment. Now what? You might just think to jump right in, do the onboarding paperwork, and you’ll find out everything you need to know later, right? Not so fast, you can’t make an informed decision without asking the proper questions of the recruiter or HR manager.

1) Health plan: Is there a waiting period before it is available to me? Are there different plan levels? What is the employee contribution (full contribution or a percentage of the plan premium or a set amount)? I assume any employee contribution would be on a pre tax basis.

2) Dental & Vision: Same questions. Is there a waiting period? Are there different levels? What is the employee contribution? Full contribution or a percentage of the plan?

3)  Is Pet Insurance offered? If so, at what cost?

4) I understand it’s a 40 hr work week. Is there overtime? How is overtime paid ? After 8 or 10 hours, is that straight time, time and a half, or double time after a certain amount of hours have been reached? Also, how long is the contract for (if going through an outside hiring agency)? 12 months to convert contract – or extend. Will this position convert?

5) Is there a retirement plan? A 401K ? If so, is there a company match up to a certain percent? What is the waiting period to join the plan ? What is the vesting schedule for any company contribution if any?

6) How many vacation days are offered per year? How many sick & personal days are allotted? What holidays are offered?

7) Working on holidays (which I personally love working). How is that compensated (i.e. Payback day(s), regular pay, 1.5 pay, 2x pay, or something else)?

8) Personal growth: Is there reimbursement for courses for skills to enhance training for the growing skillset?

9) Commuting, tolls, parking reimbursement to defray the cost. Is there a commuter plan (if you’re not working remotely)? Is there Transit checks, or Wageworks? If there is a plan, how much is that every month? Do you offer a pre-tax transit plan if the employee has a contribution they must make?

We all have to think beyond the initial offer to really see what the full compensation would be. It varies wildly from company to company. So, do Post offer research questions, before you sign anything. It is merely outlining everything for you so you can make an informed decision.

Good Luck!