Dear (potential) future employer...

Yes, I am worth considering for the job for which you are hiring.

I humbly ask that you put aside the hesitations you might be battling after reviewing my résumé, cover letter and portfolio, and allow me to ease your worries by explaining a few things. I'll make this as brief as possible, but if you're tight on time, feel free to skim and read only the part(s) that fit your concern.

* CONCERN * You don't think you can afford to hire me.

There are two reasons why this isn't true.

1. People assume that owners of creative agencies are handsomely paid. And because I am currently an agency owner, you might be tempted to believe that I must be making a lot more money than you are offering as a salary. But here's the thing: CorComm Creative's primary clientele is not-for-profit organizations. I intentionally designed the business to meet a need for affordable communications support, available on an as-needed basis, without requiring monthly retainers. Our hourly rate is $20 or more an hour below the standard, going rate of agencies in Indianapolis. We haven't existed as a means to make a fortune; we have existed as a means to support organizations that can't afford more expensive vendors. I probably have made significantly less money per year than the average person might assume. And let's be frank: The software and other expenses involved in running a creative business are sizable. So are the taxes. So is payroll. Running a small business can be quite expensive. There isn't always a lot left for the business owner.
2. The size of the paycheck isn't the deciding factor for where I want to work next. If I were looking for a sizable income, I wouldn't be applying for jobs in the not-for-profit or education sectors. Corporate communications jobs available right now advertise potential salaries three-fold (or more) that of communications jobs for not-for-profits. I am looking for a job that will hold personal meaning for me, one that allows me to work with a team devoted to a common mission, whether that be fulfilling spiritual needs, providing quality education, rescuing animals, providing affordable health care, managing natural resources, serving the homeless, empowering victims of domestic violence, or any of a host of other causes. I am well aware of the average salary for these types of positions, and I'm OK with it.

* CONCERN * You see my work history and think I am overqualified for the position. You might think I'll quickly jump ship.

Yes, I have nearly 23 years of experience and have fulfilled a lot of different responsibilities. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to do both the creative work (copywriting, graphic design, event photography, website management, social media management, advertising, etc.) as well as the business work (strategic planning, hiring and firing, creating and managing budgets, building teams, relationship management, project management, etc.). I am grateful for the variety of work I have been able to do over the course of my career.

One hiring manager recently relayed to me that she saw my experience and instantly thought, "She's over-qualified. She'll be bored and will leave in a couple of months."

This is not true!

I am looking for a job that allows me to do a little bit of a lot of things. I enjoy the business side of things, but I don't necessarily want a job where I focus only on management- / business-level responsibilities. I want to be able to do the hands-on creative work; it's the fun part about being in communications.

I have read the job descriptions for the positions for which I have applied. I would not have applied for the job for which you are hiring if I weren't interested in doing the work. In fact, I am only applying for jobs if I believe I would thoroughly enjoy the work. Once I land in my new role, I plan to stay put for the long haul.

* CONCERN * You see that I live in Hendricks County and think I'd hate the commute.

I have lived in Danville nearly my entire life. I love this town — but I am very aware that living here means an hour-long commute is not out of the question. For my three previous "traditional" jobs (before starting CorComm Creative), I drove an hour (or close to it) each way. I didn't mind the drive.

Would I welcome the chance to work a four, 10-hour-days shift, or a hybrid remote/in-office arrangement? Of course. But I will not shy away from accepting a position that feels right, simply based on the commute time.

* CONCERN * You don't see a lot of social media posting on my personal accounts.

Don't worry, I know and understand the importance of social media.

I haven't been incredibly active on my own accounts, particularly on LinkedIn or Twitter (at least in the past year or so), because it hasn't been necessary. The clients I have gained through my work with CorComm Creative have come to me almost exclusively by referral. My time has been better spent working hard to deliver high-quality projects. That's why my clients come to me — not because I publish great content for them for free, but because they need a communications tool and know I will do a good job producing it for them.

For clients, social media is another story. I have written blogs, and written, designed and published social media posts for a variety of clients. And when I had a team of four additional staff members, we did publish a weekly blog and posted on CorComm's social media accounts regularly. It just hasn't been as necessary as a solo pro/one-person shop.

Rest assured, though, that I have been keeping up on social media best practices. I listen to online-marketing podcasts, have read books about social media strategy, and have taken online courses (with dozens of hours of content) focused on online marketing. I am prepared to use social media strategically (and analyze its success) in my next position.

* CONCERN * You see that I have owned a business for 15 years, with incredible flexibility and work-from-home benefits, and wonder why I would want to accept your job.

Last summer, I notified my current, active clients that I would be ceasing all client projects at the end of June 2021. I had slowly let all of my employees go by this point (for several reasons), and I was deep into the process of starting a new arm of CorComm Creative, a passion project of mine called Story Squad.

Story Squad launched in July 2021. I had high hopes for it, and I worked incredibly hard at getting it started, launching it and running it. I still believe whole-heartedly in its potential. But after several months of running it, I realized a couple of things:

1. It wasn't nearly as fun as I thought it would be. I took my personal passion/hobby and turned it into a business. It's what I wanted, but I found that having to do a digital scrapbooking layout on a deadline wasn't as enjoyable as getting to do a digital scrapbooking layout because I wanted to tell a story and share my favorite photos. It was clear that if I continued this business, I was no longer going to enjoy my favorite activity. I had crossed a line I wished I hadn't crossed.
2. It's very hard to start an online business from scratch when you don't have an engaged email list or social following that knows you and trusts you for the relevant reason. I had an email list of more than 800 people — but they were people who knew me because of my communications business, not because they wanted to learn about digital scrapbooking. And my social following? They were used to seeing pictures of my family, but they weren't all that interested in learning how to create digital albums of their photos. I knew how to build a following (provide valuable content, be on social media all the time, use digital advertising strategically, etc.), but I didn't adequately anticipate how long it would take to build that following when I was starting with a list of just 10 truly interested people. After several months (and eventually an email list of more than 100 truly interested people — many of whom signed up for my online course but weren't actually making the time to take it), I was disheartened by the return on my investment. I decided to close Story Squad in December 2021.

After closing Story Squad, I let a handful of clients know I could take on a little bit of work again. I wanted to stay actively working, but I knew that I didn't want to return to freelancing as my full-time job. I wanted something different, something new. I wanted to be an integral part of a single team that is working toward a common cause. As an agency owner, I played a small role in the work of many not-for-profit organizations, and it's work of which I am proud. But working on a team, day in and day out, provides a deeper level of intimacy with an organization's work and mission. That's where my heart is. I want to be able to give a single cause — and a single team — my all. With a relatively clean plate in front of me, I realized it was the time to move on.

* THAT'S WHERE I AM *

Today, I am continuing the small amount of freelance work I have invited back onto my plate, and I am applying for jobs that feel right, the ones that I can see myself enjoying and to which I can whole-heartedly commit. Where I will end up is anyone's guess. Maybe it's on your team.

Thank you for taking the time to understand a little more about me and my application for your position. If you would like to talk more, please contact me at [email protected] or at the phone number I included on the résumé you have received.

Take care.