→→ INSPIRATION IN A BUMPY MARKET: Insights, actionable tips & tools to deploy when things go off-road. 🛻

• →→ CREATIVE LEADERS & HIRING MANAGERS 

• →→ JOB SEEKERS & CAREER DREAMERS 

• →→ GET COACHED: YOUR BRAND. YOUR GOALS. OUR ROADMA …

→→ CREATIVE LEADERS & HIRING MANAGERS 

Want to make the right hire? Start with this old-school tip.

Whether you're a solopreneur bringing on your first team member or a creative leader adding to a team of thousands, the key to successful hiring is understanding exactly what you need. You might be surprised to discover that you need more than one person or role to fill the gaps. This exercise is crucial for creating a realistic job description and finding the right fit for your team.

A mismatched hire can lead to high turnover, ultimately costing your company more money than investing in a proper hiring strategy. Instead of leaving your hiring success to chance, start with my "old-school approach" and build a solid foundation for growth. 

Here's a breakdown of my old-school approach:

• Create a Google Sheet and dedicate one Tab to each day of the week.

• Every time you find yourself doing a task that someone else could handle, add it to the sheet.

• After two weeks, sit down (ideally with a Recruiter) and identify the tasks that truly require someone else's ownership.

• I'm here to help you get it right the first time. Talk to an expert.

Got your Candidate wish list? Now Stack Rank it!

Stack ranking is a method for ranking a list of options based on their relative importance - it compares the options against each other subjectively to put them in order from first to last place. Once you have your Candidate wish list of duties, Stack Rank the list, here’s how:

Quick Guide to Stack Ranking Your Candidate Wish List

• List Non-Negotiables: Identify and mark up to 10 must-have duties/qualifications with a *.

• List Nice-to-Haves: Identify and mark up to 5 desirable but non-essential qualities with a +.

• Stack Rank Your List: Order your * items from most to least important. Do the same for your + items.

• Evaluate Candidates: Use your ranked list to assess candidates objectively, ensuring decisions align with your priorities.

Stick to this process to stay objective and efficient in your hiring decisions.

→→ JOB SEEKERS & CAREER DREAMERS 

Always bet on yourself.

Whether you're deciding between job offers, considering a new career, or launching your own brand, it's easy to get caught up in external factors. But the most important variable in your success is you. Betting on yourself means having the confidence to take calculated risks and seize opportunities that align with your goals. It means trusting in your skills and potential, even when the path ahead isn't clear. When you bet on yourself, you're investing in your own growth and sending a powerful message that you believe in your abilities.

Your talent is timeless and your creativity will always win.

Once upon a time in the early '90s, I was an "it" girl in the skateboarding, clothing, and fashion scene. I had a clothing line, a magazine, and some slogans, but I never owned a company. Life went on, and I became a talent scout and advocate, driven by my desire for creative control. Fast forward 25 years, and guess who called me for a collaboration? None other than the amazing and late Virgil Abloh. (RIP 🫶🏼)

The moral of my story, dear creatives, is that talent will always prevail. If you've got it, do your best to own it, and people will take notice. Your creative journey may take unexpected turns, but by staying true to your passion and honing your skills, you'll attract incredible opportunities – even decades down the line. So, keep creating, keep shining, and never doubt the power of your talent! 

Crisis or Opportunity?!

Growth moments are how we find new open doors just when old doors are closing - about how we turn crisis into opportunity.

Tune into my own Growth Moment with Coach (and growth junkie), Amy K: Crisis OR Opportunity - Growth Spotlight with Keva Dine on The Growth Moment Podcast.

Do you know how to email a Recruiter?

Speaking from nearly 25 years of Creative Recruiting success, I can say most of you do not. Recruiters are paying attention to the small details you may be overlooking—how well you follow directions, the quality of your outreach, your subject line, and the attachments. The way we look at it, if you can't get it right for us, how will we trust you to get it right for our clients?

Here's a 3-part primer to get you started on the right path:

Part 1: Subject Lines: If you want your email opened and read, your subject line needs to be catchy AND contextual. Give the recipient a reason to reply to you—that's the point of the email, right? Even if a site directs you to fill out a form, you can often customize your subject line. Below is an email currently in my inbox. Let me show you how to make it better:

• Subject line: “Creative Seeking Full Time Placement”

• Suggested edit: “NYC Sr. Designer (List Agency / Co / Brand names - OR - list specialty) open to: Contract work + moves to CA, TX, Mid-West), referred by

• Final edit: Keva Dine, NYC Sr Designer (cpg/print/marketing@Target, Quip, Burberry) open to FT+contract + a move, ref by: Kim Gordon ❤️

Part 2: What you include in the body of your message is as important as what you leave out.

• Fix that email signature: Always include an email signature with your full name, title, email, phone number, and links to your social sites (portfolio, LinkedIn profile, Instagram, etc). No, this is not overkill.

• Yes, on your phone, too: We dock points off your candidacy when we see a “sent from my phone” signature without some/or all of the above.

• Tell me: Who you are, what you do, how you found me, who referred you (bonus points for hyperlinks!), and why you are emailing me.

• Make it relevant: Include something that shows me you are writing to me and only me - so I know you did your due diligence.

• Ask how to follow up: This is the perfect opportunity to ask how your reader wants you to follow up with them. Everyone is different and if it’s not listed clearly on their autoresponder or website - ask! We recently had a CD candidate go around us and contact the client directly which is what we shared NOT to do. The client was taken aback, it made my team look bad and we had to spend a collective hour to unravel what was done.

Part 3: Attachments

• Always include links: Use links to show what’s relevant to your email to me - job posts, referral profiles, service links, etc…

• Use your designed PDF resume. If you are emailing a Creative Recruiter about a creative job, or to introduce yourself as a Creative or Marketing specialist of any title/level, show us your stuff!

• Follow directions: pay attention to how they ask you to submit, where, and using what format, platform, and pathway. Getting this wrong can also make or break your chances.

• Craft your personal mission statement: When facing change, tune into the always-inspiring Jason Feifer and do this first.

→→ GET COACHED: YOUR BRAND. YOUR GOALS. OUR ROADMAP.

As part of the kevadine.com relaunch, I decided to convert my previously only available by referral “Brand You” Coaching service (+LinkedIn Tune-Ups, Portfolio Reviews, and Covert Career Coaching) to an easier-to-engage + order experience right on my website. The results have been overwhelmingly positive and impactful. Ready to invest in yourself and open the door to new possibilities? Get Branded!

Tune in next month when I chat all about Growth Moments - mine, yours, and your careers.

— Keva ❤️