Category: Writing

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Dear College Grad, About That Resume and Cover Letter …

It’s that time of the year. About 19.9 million college graduates have descended on civilization with shiny apples in hand. Unfortunately, the demand versus supply equation doesn’t work in their favor. Finding that elusive first job puts a premium on the resume and its associated cover letter. No university invited me to deliver a commencement …more

Who Moved My Story?

After conducting our storytelling workshop over the years, a certain theme has emerged. By the close of the workshop, participants buy into the concepts. They then jump back into their jobs with renewed determination to communicate with conversational language and a show-don’t-tell attitude only to run into that visible force called stakeholder approval. We continually …more

College Grads, Time to Break the Rules for Resumes and Cover Letters

Millions of college students are about to graduate and strike out in the real world, some with shiny apples in hand. Given that the number college grads far exceeds the available entry-level jobs, finding that first gig can feel like the search for a donut at Deepak Chopra retreat. . But there’s a sure-fire way …more

“Bloody Hell, Someone Sent Me an Actually Informative Press Release”

The Internet has commoditized — and continues to commoditize — the news release. Yet, there’s still a time and place for the humble news release. And when the mission calls for this tactic, it’s logical to craft the narrative so it has the greatest probability of resonating with journalists. I came across a LinkedIn post …more

Similar to PR, Journalism Comes in Different Grades

The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the number of people working in PR at 218,910 (as of May 2015). Some of these folks are extraordinary. Others communicate with the finesse of a carnival barker. Most fall somewhere in between. For the sake of discussion, let’s say that 3 percent of the PR population falls into …more

Avoiding the Unkindly Cut in Business Writing

I don’t smoke. I rarely drink more than two Old Fashioneds at a sitting. If I have a weakness, it’s called WG Yogurt. Their root beer yogurt deserves a Michelin star — “creamy with hints of cherry tree bark.” What does this have to do with business writing? During my last stop at WG Yogurt, …more

Proving That Life is Stranger Than Fiction in the Communications Sphere

  You can’t make this stuff up. Raking through my storytelling and PR posts, I’ve curated a list of seven “life is stranger than fiction” moments. 1. Media Squeeze — and Watermelon Explosion — Described by the NY Times Presents an Opportunity for PR BuzzFeed proved what everyone has always believed in theory. If you stretch …more

Post-Thanksgiving Humor in the Form of a Word Visual

I suspect the recent Presidential election made for some spirited discussions around the Thanksgiving table this year. Even a slice of pie worthy of Twin Peaks — “This must be where pies go when they die” — can only go so far in bridging the political gap. Still, there’s something reaffirming in knowing that Thanksgiving …more