Tough (Question) Tuesday Is this the real goal or do you want to do it because you feel that you should - When I Grow Up

Tough (Question) Tuesday Is this the real goal or do you want to do it because you feel that you should - When I Grow Up You guessed it its yet ANOTHER weekly installment! And stop your crying these wont replace my longer posts. I think, though, its a great way to get you more information in a more concise way (if I do say so myself). Ive written 1 post thus far that was short, sweet, and to the point. It had 1 question, phrased to make you think and maybe shake things up a bit. The post was really the most effective post for me, and encouraged me to have a major turn-things-on-their-head conversation with my husband where we faced some scary truths. Tough (Question) Tuesday is going to follow that lead. I think tomorrow Im going to expand upon my SMART goals post (theyre really popping up in different ways for me this week), so think about the goal(s) youre currently working on. Got it/them? Now ask yourself this: Is this the real goal or do you want to do it because you feel that you should? If the answer is even a little bit of the should, even if its 5% should, ask yourself this: When is it time to do something for you and not for others that expect certain things of you?

Tips to Write a Resume Towards a Position

Tips to Write a Resume Towards a PositionWriting a resume towards a position may seem like a pretty complicated task. While this may sound daunting, it is actually a very simple process that has to be followed properly. The best thing you can do for yourself is to study up on the work of the company that you are applying for and then you need to make a detailed study of how they handle their resumes. Once you know what your options are, you will have a better idea on how to go about this process properly.Before you even begin to write a resume towards a position, you need to learn the basic format of the resume. The first step is to prepare the basic information about yourself like your name, your address, your contact number, etc. However, when writing a resume towards a position, you also need to do the same for the company that you are applying for.This includes information like the company that you are applying for, the title and the place of work, as well as your personal detail s like the first and last name, etc. These will be used in the future by the company that you are applying for. The company will not only see your application form, but also the resume that you sent along with it. If the company finds that you can do the job well, then you will get the job and if not, then you will not.When you get a job that you are offered, you should never try to haggle for it. They will try to take advantage of you and it will cause more problems. Instead, just send a polite mail to the company asking them to consider your resume. Once they read it, they will either accept or reject it.However, if you can, ask the other companies that you are applying with about the interview format. Ask them if they prefer to doit in-person or online. Some employers prefer to do the interview on the spot rather than over the phone, or through the email.When you are making the interview, you can either present the job that you are doing in your previous job or present something that you have done as a personal recommendation. Always remember that the company knows that you have accomplished something, so they will want to hear your story from the beginning. Sometimes, this will create more questions, but if you are honest, then they will trust you and continue to give you the job.In conclusion, while writing a resume towards a position, you need to keep in mind that this is an important part of the job. In fact, your resume is the first thing that the company will see when they decide to hire you. So, be sure to follow the instructions given above and the rest of the information is nothing but a bonus.

Adam Grants Originals Offers Surprising Career Insights

Adam Grant's 'Originals' Offers Surprising Career Insights Imagine you’re a thirtyish mid-level employee at one of the world’s largest companies, and your billionaire CEO has made a decision you don’t support. What do you do? For most people, the answer is not what sales and distribution manager Donna Dubinsky did in 1985: issue a challenge to the CEOâ€"in this case, Apple’s Steve Jobs. To cut costs, Jobs planned to eliminate Apple’s warehouses and inventory and adopt a system of “just in time” computer assembly. But Dubinsky saw big problems with the idea and gave her bosses an ultimatum: She wanted 30 days to develop an alternate plan, or she would quit. Taking a stand paid off for Dubinsky, in large part because she proved she had the company’s best interests at heart. Her proposal to revamp distribution was acceptedâ€"and she got a promotion. Dubinsky’s is one of many stories about unconventional career moves in Originals, a book out this week from Wharton School of Business management professor Adam Grant. Though Grant focuses mainly on entrepreneurship, the anecdotes and lessons could be valuable to anyone who has struggled against the status quo at work. Originals offers advice that might seem completely counterintuitive at firstâ€"but can actually pay off big in a person’s career. Here are some insights that may surprise you. 1. The most original ideas can come from the most ordinary situations. Grant coins the phrase “vuja de” (a twist on “déjà vu”) to describe moments when you spontaneously see an old problem in a new light. In one example, Warby Parker co-founder Dave Gilboa found himself questioning the high cost of his spectacles after a trip to the Apple Store. Why, he wondered, are glassesâ€"which have existed for almost a thousand yearsâ€"so expensive, while smartphones, a recent innovation, get cheaper year after year? That realization gave him and his co-founders the impetus to start discount spectacle company Warby Parker, valued at $1.2 billion as of April 2015. 2. Being your own critic can be a good thing. Taking down your own ideas can, weirdly enough, make you look smart. In the right context, doing so displays intellectual honesty and can get your audience to better trust youâ€"and come on board with your plan. When Rufus Griscom approached investors in 2009 to ask for funding for Babble, an online parenting magazine and blog he started with his wife, he led with a slide listing the top five reasons to not invest in the business. That year, he garnered $3.3 million in funding. Negative thinking can make you more prepared for any and all outcomes; “defensive pessimists,” as Grant calls them, anticipate what can go wrong in a situation and actively take steps to forestall errors. And studies show they perform just as well as optimists in professional situations. 3. Procrastination can lead to some of your best work. You’ve likely been told at some point in your career to always get a head start on major assignmentsâ€"but there’s actually a case for putting them off. Mulling over projects, rather than tackling them early and knocking them off in one sitting, can give you the breathing room necessary to perfect your ideas. It’s called the Zeigarnik effect, named after a Russian psychologist who theorized that people have a better memory for incomplete assignments than finished ones. In other words, when you have a task looming over you, you’ll keep thinking about itâ€"and ultimately arrive at a more creative solution. Procrastination also leaves you more open to improvisation. Martin Luther King Jr., for example, waited until four days before his “I Have a Dream” speech before composing it. And the speech’s titular line wasn’t even originally scripted: King included it after his favorite gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson, yelled “Tell ’em about the dream, Martin!” during the ad dress. 4. If you have a radical plan, it might be best to start small. The originator of any ideaâ€"let alone an unconventional oneâ€"risks turning off people who don’t want their long-held convictions challenged. That’s why it is safest to present your most radical ideas in a way that will be more appealing to mainstream audiences, even if that means masking what you actually want. For instance, uBeam founder Meredith Perry was shut down repeatedly when she approached engineers and investors with her idea to build a transducer that would transmit power wirelessly. She had more success when she instead approached engineers individually asking if they could build separate parts that together would make up the whole of her system. 5. Lean in to your challenges. What if your weaknesses could be as valuable to you as your strengths? Grant gives the example of younger children, who are usually at a disadvantage relative to older siblings. “Faced with the intellectual and physical challenges of competing directly with an older sibling, the younger chooses a different way to stand out,” Grant writes. That spirit, he says, can carry over to their professional demeanor. Younger siblings also enjoy the benefit of older siblings’ protective instincts, Grant points out, which may be why they tend to take more risks. They’re more likely to choose unconventional jobsâ€"as comedians, for example (Stephen Colbert, Chelsea Handler and Louis C.K. are all youngest siblings). 6. Rules don’t work as well as appeals to character. Research shows people are more affected if you say “don’t be a cheater” than if you tell them simply, “don’t cheat.” Creating rules can tempt people to break them, whereas appealing to your employees’ sense of morality can be more effective. A study of children sharing marbles with their peers found that those who received praise for their character were more likely to repeat generous behavior in the future. Focusing on character traits rather than prescriptions “evokes a sense of self, triggering the logic of appropriateness: What kind of person am I, and who do I want to be?” Grant writes. 7. It’s okay to be a little unprofessionalâ€"in the right setting. Professionalism can make or break your career, and its importance can’t be overstated: You never want to get caught, for example, bad-mouthing your boss. That said, there will likely be moments in your career when you and your colleagues need to blow off steamâ€"and that can be healthy, when done correctly. Grant writes about a group of surgeons who regularly endured verbal abuse from their attending physicians. So at happy hour (outside of work, of course), they would pick an “Asshole of the Week.” It gave them an outlet for their stress and increased their sense of camaraderie. Twenty years later, the surgeons hold positions at the top of their fields, and have vowed to help stop the cycle of abuse by treating residents with more respect than they themselves received.

5 Lessons From A Successful Business-Of-One - Work It Daily

5 Lessons From A Successful Business-Of-One - Work It Daily 5 Lessons From A Successful 'Business-Of-One' This post is part of the Professional Independence Project series. Even for those of us who know we’re happier working independently, it’s alluring to contemplate rejoining the conventional workforce. Benefits, insurance, and the good old “steady paycheck” are certainly good reasons to go back on someone else’s payroll. But whenever I’m tempted to “get a job,” I’m reminded of what a former CEO once said to me about Hollywood: that it’s “full of highly-paid temps.” Add to that the fact that there really isn’t anything such as “job security” these days, I’d much rather be in the camp of hunting what I eat. 5 Lessons From A Successful 'Business-Of-One' I launched my business six years ago as “an agency-of-one.” Here’s some of what I’ve learned over the years, in case it helps you as you walk that same path. 1. Secure your web estate, even if you don’t plan to launch a business site just yet. When I launched my business in 2008, I didn’t even have a website. I got my first project via LinkedIn, launched my blog shortly after, and it wasn’t until a year and a half later that my official website saw the light of day. However, what I did right off the bat was to register the domains I knew I’d want associated with my name (in my business’ case, also just… my name). Do this regardless of when you plan to launch your website. And don’t just register your desired domain; try to personalize your URLs across social networks, whether or not you’re active on them. For example, you’ll see that across most socnets, I’m @shonali; where I couldn’t secure @shonali, I chose @shonaliburke. Consistency in branding is important, even for a business-of-one. 2. Don’t be afraid to ask for work. One of the biggest fears we have is how we’ll generate income. This is extremely valid; there’s no dearth of competition, marketing is getting tougher, and many of us bootstrap our businesses. We forget that people can’t hire us if they don’t know we’re available. There is absolutely nothing wrong with letting your network â€" personal and professional â€" know what kind of business you’d like. You’d do this if you were looking for a job, right? So, why wouldn’t you do it for your own business? I used to do this in fits and starts until a friend told me how many referrals he gets this way. Now I do this two-to-three times a year (but not more). I also make sure that these are personal emails I send out, not a mass mail via an email service, as I have no desire to run afoul of CAN-SPAM. 3. Be very specific about how your network can help you. When people ask how they can help you, it’s easy to embark on a stream of consciousness wish list. We’re so thrilled people want to help, we give them a laundry list that should be reserved only for Santa Claus. I know. I’ve done it. People do want to help. But they can help you best if you are very specific about what you are looking for. In a one-on-one conversation, that’s usually one, or maybe two, things. If it’s an email (as above), limit it to three core competencies. That’s more than enough to get the ball rolling. 4. Don’t compromise on pricing. Especially in service-based businesses, it is very tempting to set a low hourly rate in the hopes that more people will hire you. You are doing yourself and your industry a huge disservice if you drastically slash your pricing, because: a) If you don’t price your offerings correctly, you’ll find you’re working more time for less money, which is a definition of insanity; and b) Your clients will undervalue your level of service, and tell their friends and business associates what services like yours cost. You can see how this sets off a chain reaction in your industry, right? Please note: I am not recommending you artificially inflate your fees. Do your research and charge what you think is fair and commensurate with your level of experience. And stick to it. 5. Track your time. I come out of the PR agency world, so I’m used to doing this. Even if you don’t, it’s a good practice to inculcate. There are several no- to low-cost online systems you can use (I use Harvest); I can’t imagine you won’t find one that suits you. If you’re new to this: as soon as you begin your workday, turn your time tracker on before embarking on any tasks. When you finish one “set” of work, turn it off and move on to the next. And so on. Chunk your time. This will show you where you’re spending the most time, and how much revenue is being generated accordingly. This, more than anything else, will show you where your efficiencies lie, and where you can step it up. And that’s one of the keys to building your business. Want to take control of your career? If you want to take control of your career, check out our fall series, the Professional Independence Project. Throughout the month of October, we will be sharing expert advice and insight on how you can build a successful career you love. Sign up now to get five FREE video tutorials that show you how to market yourself to anyone, anywhere. Start your path the professional independence. Sign up today!       Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

How to Implement D&I Initiatives That Actually Work And Last

How to Implement D&I Initiatives That Actually Work And Last Surcing top talent is bedrngnis a one-size-fits-all feat. The most diverse and inclusive companies know this to be true. So does Sonja Gittens Ottley, Head of Diversity Inclusion at Asana, who understands that all people do elend have the same representation across traditional hiring practices and surces.In an effort to level the playing field, Ottley manages programmatic DI efforts at the work management software company that create a more equitable hiring process.We are committed to hiring great people, period, Ottley says.I work with ur leadership team, various functional teams, employee resource groups (ERGs) and employees to ensure that we are building a culture that is inclusive from our policies, to our office spaces, to the language we use, she says.We got a chance to speak with Ottley about zu sich DI initiatives and the value it brings to her team. She also shared her no. 1 piece of advice for companies in the e arly stages of DI implementation.How long have you been with Asana?I joined Asana in 2015 when the company had only 150 employees. Now, we have upwards of 600.What about the company made you first want to join?I was drawn to Asana for three reasons. First, because of our purpose-driven mission and passion for teamwork. Secondly, for the opportunity to work with a leadership team that recognizes that diversity and inclusion are important and tied to business success. And last but certainly not least for the ability to shape a meaningful DI strategy while the company was in its early stages.Tell us a bit about your job. What are your main responsibilities in your current role?Im responsible for leading all of our diversity and inclusion initiatives. I work cross-functionally to ensure that everyone at Asana feels confident in bringing their whole self to work each day. We know that only by being their whole selves, are people able to do their best work.I mann an ihrer seite closely with our talent acquisition team to ensure that were building programs and partnerships that support our goals to build diverse teams globally and that our hiring processes are ritterlich and unbiased. I work with our leadership team, various functional teams, employee resource groups (ERGs) and employees to ensure that we are building a culture that is inclusive from our policies, to our office spaces, to the language we use.How do you define diversity and inclusion? And what value does it bring to your team?Diversity impacts business, inclusion impacts culture, and together they lead to business success. We believe that by having a diverse team and inclusive culture, we are better positioned to achieve our mission to help enable all teams to work together effortlessly.Research shows that diversity has a positive impact on business results. Plus, its the right thing to do. At Asana, we landsee these benefits and more every day because of our commitment to diversity, and to creatin g an environment where diversity can thrive.Can you tell us about Asanas DI program, and more specifically, your programs three main areas of focus?At Asana, we focus on three pillars Build, recruit and thrive.We are committed to building a framework for fostering transparency and trust, which supports the entire employee lifecycle and our DI initiatives. This framework includes our benefits, programs and policies and trainings.In order to build a great company and product, we want to hire the best talent who can add to our culture. We believe that having a diverse and inclusive company attracts the best talent that has both the skills to help us achieve our vision, and the passion for our mission. We focus here on ensuring that not only are our pipelines diverse, but that all of our recruiting processes are fair and unbiased.Ultimately, we want everyone at Asana to feel respected, valued, welcomed, heard and like they belong here. Our ERGs are a key part of this work, but we also p romote transparency and curiosity through collaborative trainings, inclusive and cross-functional programs and transparent discussions. Building and sustaining a diverse and inclusive culture is a long-game strategy that requires commitment. We make progress one small step at a time, and it takes every employee to help create this culture.How involved is leadership in your companys DI initiatives? What types of responsibilities do they take on?Leaders at Asana are deeply committed to building a diverse company where everyone feels that they belong. This commitment starts with our CEO who says that ensuring a diverse and inclusive culture is a better way to work.Asanas globally receive these messages and examples of inclusive leadership on a regular basis, and they have also clearly expressed wanting to be a part of building and sustaining an inclusive culture.Additionally, a large part of the culture we are creating and how we build our product is a core notion of transparency, whic h starts from our CEO and senior leaders, all the way down to individual contributors. Transparency promotes curiosity, fosters more authentic conversations and allows us to talk about uncomfortable issues and topics in a safe environment.What programs does your company offer for underrepresented groups?A large part of our culture is our ERGs, which represent and support various communities and allies, and aim to create a safe and positive space for everyone. Over half of the company is a member of one or more ERGs, and the majority of ERG events at Asana are open to everyone at the company. ERGs are designed to provide leadership opportunities to members as we continue to professionalize them.At the moment, we have three employee resource groups AsanaWomen which showcases the work and passions of women in tech, Gradient, a group that cultivates a community for people of color and allies, and TeamRainbow, a space for LGBTQIA+ people and allies to support and learn from one another i n a safe and loving environment. Through conversations, community engagement and creating space for everyones experiences, ERGs at Asana are a key component of our DI efforts.How does your company proactively source women and other underrepresented groups?We are committed to hiring great people, period. Great talent is everywhere, but all people do not have the same representation across traditional hiring practices and sources. We recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all standard for finding great talent, and we aim to meet people where they are instead of relying on methods that do not provide equal visibility for groups that are traditionally underrepresented in tech.We focus on building diverse pipelines through our sourcing efforts, but we also work on building long term partnerships and relationships that support the communities that we are trying to attract to Asana.Whats your No. 1 piece of advice for companies that are just getting started with their DI efforts?Its easy to get overwhelmed with all the work that is involved in doing this work properly. Think strategically, ensure that there is leadership support and buy-in so that the program is well resourced, and recognize that this work requires everyone to play a role.Fairygodboss is proud to partner with Asana. Find a job there today

Top Guide of Resume Writing Services Kansas City Mo

Top Guide of Resume Writing Services Kansas City Mo If you want to arrange a meeting with a professional, please get in touch with us and well offer you additional pricing details. Or if youd like to physically get a copy of the finished product. You ought to take complete benefit of this Not to mention, you are able to take advantage of a range of other career-bolstering tafelgeschirrs provided by Dr. Savant. Resume Writing Services Kansas City Mo - Dead or Alive? In addition, there are an extremely high number of single adults and an extremely few of families. In comparison to other ZIPs, 64112 has a tiny proportion of people which did not graduate high school. Nearly all household are rented. In the majority of areas of the nation, a lot of commuters get to work in under 30 minutes. The 30-Second Trick for Resume Writing Services Kansas City Mo Its also in comparison to nearby ZIP codes. The area has a number of the greatest percentages of individuals who attended col lege of any ZIP. The preferred city might not be the city where the ZIP is situated. The city for 64112 is generally the name of the major post office. You may wonder if well truly see what you are attempting to do. Higher You is a Miami resume writing service which intends to take the load off your shoulders in that region. List the most crucial facts first. Quit stressing and begin searching. The Most Popular Resume Writing Services Kansas City Mo Proactively work featuring all J departments to guarantee content is updated regularly. Rez-Builder scored a spot on the list due to their commitment to resume excellence. As students or new graduates, its common to begin with your Education before continuing on to other sections. Collaborates with library staff to react to specific resource or community requirements and interests. Consider the employers youre targeting and how they are going to be more successful should they hire you. The great majority of positions requi re an internet application with the exception of a couple of healthcare occupations thus it is important to completely finish the on-line application process after which you should be given a system-generated confirmation via email. We are instead, in some cases, merely seeking applicants from these regions. Amazing resumes highlight your qualifications, which makes it quick and simple for employers to obtain what they want.

Morris Gleitzman - Childrens Author

Morris Gleitzman - Childrens Author Morris Gleitzman Childrens AuthorPosted October 13, 2011, by Jordan Huidekoper Morris never achieved his childhood dream of becoming a professional football player, but he did become one of Australias most successful writers. After abfluging as a writer on The Norman Gunston Show, Morris managed to skip the stage of sending off countless manuscripts to publishers only to be rejected. Instead, a publisher approached him to write a childrens book, and hes never looked back.His funny and offbeat books often deal with big issues and are stocked around the world. Two Weeks with The Queen, Other Facts of Life, Misery Guts, Blabber Mouth, Worry Warts, Sticky Beak, Once and the Toad Trilogy are just some of his books which have defined the reading experience of kids everywhere.Did you always want to be an author?I grew up in England and when I was young my aspiration was to be a professional football player. I was writing stories by my mid teens, but I di dnt think of it as a possible career until I was 17 and was looking for a university course. I enrolled in a new professional writing course at Canberra University and, during those three years, I tried my flosse at everything from journalism, poetry and advertising copywriting, to short stories and screenwriting.What did you do after university?I discovered that humour was something I really enjoyed, and writing for the screen seemed to be the most realistic way of earning a living. Freelance journalism and humorous writing for newspapers and magazines were not well paid at all, so I started out writing television comedy scripts. I was fortunate enough to be able to join The Norman Gunston Show as a scriptwriter. I wrote various things for TV for about 10 years until a publisher offered to turn one of my telemovies into a book. I had never really thought of writing a book, but it sounded like a bit of an adventure and its a rare privilege to have someone offer to publish your book even before youve written it. Most authors have to go through a much mora determined process of writing books uninvited, sending them off and having them rejected.What was the transition from scriptwriter to author like?The single biggest difference between the two is that authors get to pretty much write about whatever they want. Putting a story on the screen is a very expensive process. For a screenwriter, its a case of a limitless imagination being quickly limited by producers, accountants and people that say well, Morris, the climax to your movie of 2000 elephants parachuting into the MCG is a wonderful visual image, but weve costed it and were wondering if you would consider having a couple of mice trampolining in instead. The gap between the two is closing as a new generation of computer-generated special effects emerges, but its still true to say that if I pick up a pen to write a novel, its not going to cost any more money to write a scene with 20 000 people doing handstands with fireworks between their toes, than to write about two people sitting in a room having a cup of tea and a chat.Where do you get your ideas from?That should be the simplest question to answer of all, but in fact its the most difficult because I cant think of a time when I wasnt habitually making up stories in my head. Ideas pop into my head right through my waking hours and also in my dreams. I was at the movies watching Terminator 2 when I had an idea for a story about a mute girl who has a wonderful relationship with her Country-and-Western-singing, apple-farming dad. However, he does very embarrassing things and she has to find non-verbal ways of telling him to pull his head in. I dont think Terminator 2 has anything to do with that, not on the surface anyway, but for some reason while I was watching it, I had an idea for the book that became Blabber Mouth.Do you think people either have it or they dont?I wouldnt go quite that far because I think there are steps you can take to find ideas. For example, every story is going to be about at least one character with at least one problem. So think about the problems in your life or other peoples lives and come up with interesting and fun ways to solve them. Another approach is to think of things that really interest you, concern you or make you angry. If youre going to be sufficiently motivated to sit down for months with the same characters and story, there will have to be a pretty big personal connection there.Once you have the idea, what is the process for writing a book?I always try to plan my books because I need to know roughly how the story is going to end before I start writing it. If I get powerful feelings along the way that I want to take a different track for that destination, then I allow the story to go off in different directions. I trust that on some subconscious level it says a lot about how I am connecting with the story.What is the lifestyle of an author like?The job has got two broad halv es to it that involve very different types of activities, skills and experiences. The first is the process of having ideas, meeting the characters in your imagination, discovering their stories, structuring them, finding the characters voice and sitting down and writing the book. Since I will be sitting in a room by myself day after day, month after month I have to love spending time in my imagination, because otherwise it could be a fairly lonely existence. In my imagination, Im not restricted to a single room and I have the characters in my books to keep me company. The other half of the job is dealing with the business and marketing side of the whole thing. I need a contract with my publisher, and I spend time with a literary editor who refines the creative part of my book, a designer who looks after whole aesthetic feel of the book, and the publicity and marketing department who will arrange media interviews and organise for me to go to literary festivals.How important for you i s it to go out and speak to children?Its important for a number of reasons. Writing for young people means that every three or four years an entirely new readership comes along. I need to go out there, spread the word a bit and connect with my readers. Its a dilemma because there are thousands of schools in Australia and I could spend all of my working life visiting students, but then I would never write any books and the whole thing would become rather self-defeating. I have a huge number of books that I still want to write so I have to guard my time rather jealously. I have a website which I hope will compensate for that a bit and Im just about to put some video segments up on it with me talking about the kind of things I tend to talk about when I go into schools. Although it wont be as good as a face-to-face meeting, at least students can see me having a chat about some of my books.What gives you the most pleasure about writing?The short answer is that for the last 20-plus years I have been able to earn my living doing something I love. I think that is one of the most fortunate things that can happen to you in your life. When a book is finished and its out there, its a wonderful feeling. There is a point where your characters exist but only you know them, then that book is printed and distributed and lots of people read it and suddenly those characters have thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of relationships with individual readers. Another fortunate thing about the work I do is that the trip to work takes me about 14 seconds I have saved hundreds of hours commuting over the years.Anything you wish didnt come with the job?Theres not too much that makes me miserable, but you do have to make sure you spend time in the company of real people. There is also a lot of travel involved on publicity tours, which for me is a joy, but some people choose a life of writing because they prefer solitude they prefer having adventures in their imagination rather than ph ysically going out into the world and having adventures there. The discovery that authors do a lot of talks, interviews and travelling can be a bit of a shock for some writers.Whats your favourite book that youve written?I hesitate to say favourite book because when you spend eight or nine months getting inside a characters thoughts and feelings, those characters become dear friends and I dont really like choosing a favourite among friends. But I can say, a book I wrote a couple of years ago has become a special one for me. Its called Once and is about an 11-year-old Polish Jewish boy in World War II. Ive just finished a episode about it called Then which is coming out in June and is the second half of the same story. Those two books have been the most satisfying and personally important for me.Whats your advice for someone who wants to become an author?If you really want to be an author you have to hold onto that dream despite discouraging setbacks. Its likely that the first thing you offer for publication wont get published and you have to be prepared for that. I have a colleague in London who was one of about 15 publishers who rejected Harry Potter. Almost every successful author I know, whose books are now hungrily sought after by publishers, were initially rejected. I think its important to read and write a lot, and let yourself write the things you want to write, rather than trying to write what you think the publishers will want.Put your ideas to paper when you explore a course in Writing or Creative Writing.Bachelor of Communication (Journalism)Study modeOn CampuserreichbarPayment optionsHECS-HELPUpfront paymentEnquire Online Enquire OnlineWriting ResourcesPublishing assistant sample resumePublishing assistant sample cover letterInterested in becoming a?WriterJournalistCopywriterEditorAuthorPopular Career Searchesbest journalism course in australiacreative writing courses perth tafehow to become a journalist in australiagov funded writing coursesaccred ited certificates online in journalismWriting CoursesBachelor of Creative WritingEnquire Online Enquire Online Jordan HuidekoperJordan is a writer and photographer with a keen interest in personal growth and development.Related ArticlesBrowse moreCAREER INSPIRATIONFemale entrepreneursSandra Reynolds - Author and Blogger, The $120 Food ChallengeI am passionate about teaching people not so much how to cook but how to eat, how to plan a menu for the week, how to stock up their pantry, how to use seasonal produce.Creative careersFemale entrepreneursMia Freedman - Writer and Website EntrepreneurI have always been passionate about creating tribes of women, communities of like-minded people.WritingThe Write StuffTheres no more valuable skill in the workplace than the ability to write professionally, and well. Find out why everyone needs to hone their writing skills.