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The economy is in the dumps.  It's official.   I recently read an article from a recruiter who posted a job on Craigslist and received over 200 emails within a few hours.  For the past few months, I've been one of those emails.  I've been part of the lucky few to actually get a few interviews here and there.  The problem?  The competition is so stiff out there that it's almost ridiculous.  There's no more chances, optimism, or hand-holding; you either fit the bill perfectly or you're not getting hired.  Simple as that.  

Rather than sit around and keep waiting to find the next posting on Craiglist or Monster like the thousands of others out there, I've decided to take  a stab at a new, more productive approach to the down & out economy:  consulting.  

A lot of people were confused by my Thanksgiving post.  What is he doing at Upper End Properties?  What is his business?  What's going on?  For those of you wondering, I'll give you a brief update.  

In October I was given my first "consulting" job as the marketing specialist for Upper End Properties, a brand new real estate company in Clayton between Brentwood and Hanley.  What am I doing?  I'm leading strategy behind digital and online marketing.   What does this consist of?  I'm giving the company a brand presence on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Wordpress.  I'm producing content, socializing, interacting, and doing my best to increase brand awareness and generate sales leads by using cost-effective methods that reach a direct target audience. 

A lot of people laugh about this whole idea of social media marketing.  It's not a full-time job, it's not the end-all of marketing, and it isn't the most effective medium to get results or a return on investment, but it's free, it's powerful, and it is revolutionizing the way people interact with brands.  Sure, most people can't make a living tweeting for a brand, but imagine tweeting for 5 brands.  Imagine building a Facebook presence  for five small companies.  The future of business may not be digital, but it will be social, and if I can lead businesses in the right direction with low-cost solutions, this fad may just turn into a full-time opportunity.  

This leads to to where I'm at now - in the business of consulting.  Without giving too many details out prematurely, I will say that there are some very exciting opportunities on the table.  With the new year will come some new information regarding this business and I look forward to filling you all in.
John
12/1/2009 02:17:28 am

Great article,nice to see you are thinking outside of the box.Always look at the positive side of things, because when you think this way, great things are bound to happen.

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Barb
12/1/2009 02:18:28 am

Best of luck to you in 2010! I for one enjoy reading your post's, blogs, etc....I'm sure it is disheartening at times to be one of many looking for a job in this economy but hang in there!

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