Once in a while, budding writers ask me how they can get published. I’ve always found this to be a difficult question because it depends on so many factors. I decided to write this post partly in response to this question. The ominous title came to me because of some disturbing ads I’ve seen on […]
There’s something magical about holding a book with your story within its pages. It makes you wish all your short stories end up in anthologies you can add to your bookshelf. There are undeniable advantages to traditionally published physical books: From the writer groups I joined on social media, I discovered opportunities to get published […]
2022 was an interesting year for me. I had begun writing the first book in my African epic fantasy trilogy (a book that went through major edits stretching up to 2024). This was the first book I genuinely enjoyed writing because it didn’t feel like work. I guess I had finally found my genre and […]
Because of the competitive job market, it’s not enough to state how great you are without any actual proof to back it up. Education is great, but passing exams alone doesn’t prove that you have real-world skills that will be of immediate benefit to the company. Also, consider this: how many people out there have degrees and are getting advanced degrees? You may think stating your “experience” is enough, but what use would be five years of essentially doing the same thing and without a single accomplishment or any skills advancement?
Standing out is about showing you have something unique to offer the company and proving that you will go beyond expectations. In a nutshell, it’s about showcasing what you have achieved (and, in turn, can achieve). It’s also about showing that you know the company enough to identify their needs and to be of value. Let’s look at a few things you can do for your application to stand out.
My decision to write a book wasn’t this instant light bulb moment. It was an idea I toyed with for some time. Truth be told, several years before this decision, I imagined that I would write a book one day.
Nowadays, expressing your interest in a position simply because you want a paycheque doesn’t cut it. You have to show that your interest goes beyond personal gain. What do you admire about the company that prompted you to apply? What do you think you (and possibly only you) could bring to the position? What value are you ready to provide to the company? And, most importantly, why should the hiring manager trust that you can deliver?
I had always wanted to tell a story using my dad’s weird and scary witchcraft tales as inspiration. But when I was a child, they were not just stories—I believed them.
Your CV is the first impression a potential employer will get of you; no doubt, you would want it to be a great first impression. Professional and organised content is good enough, but you must stand out to truly pique the recruiter’s interest—after all, they likely go through tens, hundreds, or even thousands of applications before getting to yours.
Having great relationships with high-quality product/ service providers can be rewarding. There’s nothing better than knowing you can trust someone to deliver the right quality on-time, every time. But the initial stages of forming these great relationships require a little research. The idea is to take a little time and to put in a little effort in figuring out who you’ll be dealing with.
Writing your own novel has its challenges—creating a logical plot and doing all the research yourself, struggling with self-doubt, no second pair of eyes to spot your glaring errors, and all the pitfalls of not having an automatic accountability buddy.
But working on a creative writing collaboration is a whole new ball game. Whereas, before, any extra eyes belonged to advisors, in a collaboration, they belong to story co-creators. If you had never relinquished control of your story, you would be in for an awakening.
