jonhrach.com

As of now, I am currently hiring for a Jr. Project Manager. It’s listed as a Jr. position, but in RIESTER terms, mid-level quality is expected. That’s not being arrogant. It’s what it takes to work with smart people who live to do their best work. Agency life isn’t for everyone.

Oh, and I’ve received resumes. Lots of them.

If you’re diligent, you have seen my email address from the job posting, Googled my name, found this blog, and atlas: are reading this post. Good job. Here’s a few pointers that will help get you an interview, not just with me, but for any job.

• Please don’t try to sound smarter than your vocabulary allows. Put your computer’s thesaurus away and write something about you that’s honest. Not a bunch of business jargon. I don’t need to sort through your adjective-stuffed run-on sentences to find out what you’re trying to say. If you’re having trouble, you can unsuck it.
• Tell me why you want this job. If you really want to be in PR and think this will be a foot in the door, please don’t submit. I want someone as passionate about making the web a better place as the people you will be project managing. Anything less is an insult. If you are a designer, tell me why you want to shift over to project management.
• Have someone proof your writing. We do it all the time for each other.
• Be honest and humble. It goes a long way. Don’t bullshit me on what you don’t know. There is so much good stuff to learn at this job.
• Content strategy? User Experience? Know what these are and the people who are recognized for them.
• What are you learning on your own? What are you reading now? The interactive world is a constantly evolving place. If you’re not learning something new, you’re not relevant.
• Don’t name the file of your resume resume.doc. It will be lost forever in my downloads folder after the first read.
• Let me see something about your personal life: Twitter, YouTube, Pintrest, etc…
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It shows me your thinking. (I also love my job, and like telling people about it.)
• Sweat the details. I want to see work examples that have been cared for.
• Please don’t call, especially when the posting says not to.

I was once young in my career, so I understand what you are going through. It sucks trying to get your first job. Or any job. But you are a wonderfully smart and capable person. There’s a job out there that needs you just as much as you need it.

And if all this makes sense and you want to apply, by all means, send a resume over.

Bonus points!

• A video resume? Yes please!
• Have a your own domain name and website? Nice.
• Have a blog? I would love to read it.

Sage advice from the ever-wise Frank Chimero.

Rules are stupid. Be smart. Be respectful. Work hard. Reflect often. Strive for insight. Work to get better.

I wish people would see the value in this statement. Also: read 37 Signals April fools post.

I love reading about tools people use to be effective. Frank Chimero, a graphic designer out of Portland, recently detailed his working setup which inspired me to tell you about mine.

Software

Gmail: Like others in the web industry, I’m a proponent of the GTD system. It’s a brilliant strategy in dealing with overwhelming emails, client requests and constant fractured attention. It allows me to focus on the task at hand while keeping me sane. The Gmail web interface seems like it was designed for GTD, and I use it often. Archiving is your friend, people.

Another email app I have been testing is Sparrow: a light-weight Gmail client that makes it easy to power through email processing sessions. It needs a few more features to replace the Gmail interface (like instant send undo), but it’s a promising alternative and I enjoy using it.

Things: I rely on Thing heavily for my task management. It’s perfect for GTD and critical to my personal process. It’s also beautifully designed. I can’t wait for cloud syncing, which will make the iPhone and iPad versions that much more useful.

Coda: I’ve been using Coda since it was released. I love the interface, how light-weight it is, and the snippet system. I know many prefer Text Expander because of the features, but I’ll take Coda. I really like the company, Panic, as well.

Transmit: Another great product from Panic. You always need a good FTP client.

iWork: After years of suffering through MS office, I now exclusively use iWork. It’s cleaner, lighter, and more polished in every regard. Saves in all Office formats.

Simple Note: I love apps that use the cloud. I can take notes and instantly have them on all my devices.

Dropbox: Another cloud app, but with files. A must if you use multiple computers.

Photoshop: I’ve tried to use alternative image editors, but I keep coming back to Photoshop. It does everything for me from editing photos to designing web graphics. Until someone creates a better, independent layout program, Photoshop will be my main creative tool.

Hardware:

MacBook Air: Shedding 4 lbs from my 15″ MacBook pro has been liberating. The SSD memory is fast, runs what I need well, and is ultra portable. I just need to find a smaller bag now.

iPad: Singletasking: focusing intently and completely on one task at a time. And since you can only use one application at a time, the iPad excels at singletasking. It’s refreshing and meditative. I do some of my best writing while focused on my iPad.

iPad keyboard: If you have never used a keyboard with and iPad, I encourage you to try it out. It give a new dimension to using the iPad and it necessary for real typing.