Jennifer Remling on Tools for Success, Social Media and Career Development

By Ashley Bening, SFAMA Blog Editor, and Christine Oneto, PR Chair

Live-The-Life-You-Invisioned-SFAMA-300x199 The SFAMA hosted an event, Your Marketing Career: Live the Life You Envision, where Jennifer Remling, Director of Global Recruiting for AKQA and author of Carve Your Own Road: Do What You Love and Live the Life You Envision, came to impart her entrepreneurial enlightenment. The event began with a little networking.
The SFAMA did a great job getting sponsors for the event. Delicious wine from Heitz, Gordon Biersch beer and incredible charcuterie platters from Whole Foods were being served. There was even Cowgirl Creamery’s, Humboldt Fog cheese and Triple Cream. Drool. Whole-Foods-SFAMA-300x199
Jennifer was dressed for success in red suede pumps and a black ensemble. She played the part of a power woman that knows what she wants and knows how to get it. Within the first 60 seconds, she had my full undivided attention. Jennifer-Remling-SFAMA-300x199

She begins by saying, “I had three pretty big goals after college, one to be a Vice President, two to make 6 figures and three to travel. I got two out of the three.” She went on to tell a relocation horror story about her tribulations bouncing back and forth from London. The focus of the discussion and the point of the rocky road story were to set a platform for sharing her tools for success in finding your passion.Tool #1: Find the Power of Focus

  • Focus on goals for the day
  • Don’t check your iPhone first thing in the morning

Tool #2: Give Yourself Time

  • It takes 2 years to make a big change
  • Be patient

Tool #3: Ask For Help

  • Give yourself permission to ask the hard question
  • Be careful with whom you share your dreams. Decide ahead of time, what you want to share and when you want to share it

Tool #4: Take Time To Be Grateful

  • Notice what is working
  • Give yourself praise for your hard work

She then went on to discuss social media practices to help further your cause.

  • Make it about them, not you. e.g. “I saw your blog post you wrote about . . . ” {This, when making a “cold” intro/email to someone}
  • Reach out and follow up with people on LinkedIn after applying to jobs online

On LinkedIn – only request people when you really know the person

Currently Jennifer is the Director of Global Recruiting for AKQA and gave some advice from a recruiter’s perspective.

  • Be an active participant and visualize what you want in life, a little bit every day
  • Don’t send “weird” ridiculous or strange pictures, just to be “unique” or stick out
  • Know that hiring managers, especially in the SF startup environment, recruiters are looking for intellectual curiosity!
  • In an interview, share with them what makes you unique as a person which gives you personality & allows them to see if there is a chemistry fit
  • Know that it’s not a “given” – You must take ownership of your career
  • Be true to yourself first; give yourself permission to do that
  • Be able to articulate exactly what it is that you want!

“Do what you love, live the life you envisioned” – Jennifer Remling