WANTED: Covert Marketing/Advertising/PR Specialist

[service dog academy]

The Service Dog Academy is hiring a very part time, 5 hours a week or less, Covert Marketing/Advertising/PR Specialist.

In order for us to fund our mission of subsidized and affordable service dog training we need a steady flow of pet dog training clients. You cant run a thriving business on clients that make less than $16,000 a year! Currently its very hard for our pet dog training clients to find us on the web. We need you to help us become more visible.

Job duties include:

SEO For Existing Website

Social Media Marketing (Facebook, Twitter, Blogging)

Event Marketing

Producing Press Releases

Public Relations Implementation

Managing Pay Per Click Campaign (Microsoft, Google, Yahoo)

Tracking Campaign Effectiveness

Various Administrative Duties

Database entry

Experience/Qualifications:

College degree or 3 years of equivalent work experience

A successful track record of growing the web presence of small businesses utilizing mostly unpaid advertising/pr

Current uncontroversial social media presence

Candidate Pluses:

Background in positive reinforcement dog training

Dog friendly

Personal Mac Laptop for use on job site

Can do attitude and self directed work ethics

Desire to help a community minded small business

Current media outlet contact lists

OK with kitty cats soliciting attention by jumping on your keyboard from time to time :)

Pay:

$10 an hour (we train the disabled and our pay reflects that)

$10 bonus for each new PET dog training client who books an appointment and whose referral can be tracked to your covert marketing/advertising/PR efforts

Job Benefits:

Extremely Flexible Schedule

Free Dog Training Advice

Send cover letter, resume and references to mary@servicedogacademy.com with the subject: Covert Marketing/Advertising/PR Specialist

Please Note:

Final job candidate will be required to pass drug screening and background check

Holes in your resume timeline are OK. We understand the current job market is making it hard for anyone to find a job.

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[MarySheely]

In the year I freelanced after I was laid off (I am now fully employed as a senior copywriter for an ad agency) I did a lot of different types of jobs including a few gigs for free just to keep my name out there, so I can’t speak to the amount you’re able to pay. I can say though that this is a lot to expect in five hours a week — you might have to adjust that expectation a bit.

If all else fails, check in with any friends you might have who work at large advertising or marketing agencies. If you’re training service dogs, you might be able to get some pro bono work. But keep in mind there’s a lot of competition for that.

Good luck!

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[Carson]

Really? $10 an hour, a college degree preferred, a highly demanded trade (SEO) and you want to infringe on my private life (drug testing?). I assume this is a joke….

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[Trisket]

What exactly does “we train the disabled and our pay reflects that” mean?

Also, if it’s only five hours a week, why don’t you just do it yourself?

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[The Velvet Bulldog]

Another option is that there are students looking for internship opportunities. You might get in touch with the communications dept of a few schools and see whether your needs would match any internship requirements.

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[colleenh]

I’d ditto what The Velvet Bulldog said about reaching out to communications/PR departments at schools and seeing about and intern, as this is the type of project that would fit the bill. As someone who actually does SEO for a living, yea, not going to even consider sorry, cause that’s more than 5 hours a week of SEO work there, once you sit down and figure out what SEO means to you. There’s also a lot on the net out there you can find/read/use in order to do the work to have the site ranking better, plan and integrate ways to work in social media.

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[service dog academy]

carson – pretend you are a client. would you want someone to have access to your PERSONAL information without being screened first? im not selling potato chips here, im dealing with peoples furry family members and lifelines. my files contain medical information so i take my clients privacy VERY seriously.

trisket – its means exactly what it says. i have not made a profit. in my opinion it would be morally and ethically irresponsible of me to try and make a profit from disabled individuals who are living on disability. the money for this is coming right out of my pocket and i am currently on unemployment.

i would do the work myself but i really dont know much about it nor do i have the ability to learn it on my own without a large monetary and time investment. my reading comprehension level is almost zero so its really hard for me to learn stuff without hearing it or taking a class. im a HORRIBLE writer and horrible at math. i have no desire to sit infront of a computer more than i already do. so i figured if i could get someone to help me at the things they are good at it would be a better investment for me to focus on what i am good at rather than trying to be good at everything.

in regards to the time commitment 5 hours here, 5 hours there, 5 hours now, 5 hours then adds up over the long haul. i have to start somewhere!

im not looking for a miracle worker, just some help with the things i am not good at nor really understand at this point.

i thought the point of an internship was for someone to learn while they are working. if i dont have anything to teach them because i am almost clueless about this stuff why would anyone consider interning for me?

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[hopey]

Have you talked to the Small Business Administration about loans, grants, or other programs which might help you?

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[Blend]

Someone will jump on this. There are so many people looking for work. And those that are unemployed are trying to work for themselves like you are. This crappy economy is forcing people to be more creative. It’s actually kinda cool. I support you and your business. Working with doggies is super awesome!

Try and post an ad on craigslist too. That is the job hunters mecca.

I know owning a business and doing everything yourself is time consuming. You are being creative and figuring out how to get the job done. Your website looks great and I see you already have a facebook page. There is a lot of competition for this type of business ..I see 6 within a mile of your business..so try and set yours apart in some way.

Word of mouth is the strongest form of advertisement..so be sure to offer discounts to your current customers for bringing in their friends.

Ok..I know you didn’t ask but that’s my 2 cents. Marketing is sort of my thing. Take care!

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[Carson]

What does testing for recreational drugs have to do with being screened for safety?

My suggestion, if you find anyone qualified, and I doubt you will, ignore what they do in the privacy of their own home…..

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[Kevin]

“the money for this is coming right out of my pocket and i am currently on unemployment.”

.

Running a business while collecting unemployment… tsk, tsk, tsk.

.

One of the questions they ask each week you claim is whether you worked in self employment.

.

I would be very careful about openly admitting to working in self employment while collecting unemployment benefits, and advertising for employees at the same time.

.

.

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[WSB]

SDA, thanks for stopping by the table at ReFRESH today! (With a very well-behaved furry companion)

Separate from some of the other things folks are pointing out, I do want to laud you for the internship point. In my former corporate life, the concept of “interns” was ridiculously abused. They were given regular duties to do, that needed to be done, for which the corporations should have spent a few bucks and hired actual employees. Certainly, they need to be given tasks so they can learn by doing – but only after shadowing and learning! (In many cases the interns WERE quite capable and deserved to be paid!)

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[service dog academy]

carson – this person will be working in MY house with MY clients data. its for my safety and my clients safety. my father is a retired law enforcement officer so i am a little paranoid about who i let roam freely around my house.

kevin – unemployment is completely aware of my self employment status. they actually encourage this option. take a look at their webpage on it! http://www.esd.wa.gov/uibenefits/specialservices/training/self-employment-assistance-program.php

wsb – it was nice to meet you today too! when i was in corporate america i saw interns being used and abused too. i want to run my company with honesty, compassion and integrity. abusing someones hopes and dreams doesnt fit that bill.

hopey – i went so far as contacting the mayor to help me find grants. theres apparently not much out there when it comes to free money unless you want to build roads (not bridges!) or study cancer. i could apply for a loan but in all honesty i would rather pinch my pennies than owe more money at this point.

akli – thank you for your support. this economy is tough and its even tougher on people with disabilities. me walking into interviews with my service dog just put a big target on my back. self employment seems like the only viable option. thankfully i found my passion while gainfully employed, obtained my canine studies degree and started this company prior to being laid off.

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[JoB]

sadly.. disability services is one of the least funded of the so called entitlement programs…

in my experience the best are volunteer efforts struggling to become self sustaining financially … run by the disabled.

frankly.. it’s one of my pet peeves.. those who could but don’t criticizing those who can’t but still do.

these days a drug test isn’t so out of line..

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[Carson]

You are paranoid about someone being in your home? By all means, do a background check, but it offends me that you want to infringe on someone’s personal life. If they are a bus driver, or a cop, or a pilot, then by all means test away! But to work for charity? Thats laughable.

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[miws]

So Carson, don’t apply for the postition.

Do I agree that sda should drug test for thius position? I don’t know. I haven’t given that much thought.

No, I don’t believe what a person does on their own time should be, for the most part, the business of any employer, or potential employer, as long as what “they do at home” doesn’t affect their job performance.

The point is, this is sda’s choice, and it’s also the choice of anyone that might consider applying to decide whether they want to apply, and go through a drug test, or to not apply, because they feel like it infringes upon their rights.

I don’t think it’s fair to keep jumping all over sda, especially after she’s explained her reasons for wanting to drug test, and clarified some other points that were brought up.

Our community, and our country, need more grass roots organizations like this, and less corporate crap.

If you wanna be all crankypants on some organization, join me over here in the corner cussing out BP! ;-)

Mike

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[littlebrowndog]

Employers can do drug checks for whatever reasons they may have. Some very surprising types of businesses choose to do them. I have a client who applied to be a courtesy clerk at a large grocery store chain and was hired until his pre-employment drug screen came back positive. He was told he could reapply in 6 months if the screen at that time was clean. Not a trucking firm or anything like that. He has opted not to reapply. That chain has many, many employees so clearly a lot of people don’t object so strongly to it that they decline working there.

SDA, I am glad to hear that collecting unemployment is not incompatible with efforts at self-employment. I recall from several years ago when I finished a job on a research project and had to gradually rebuild my self-employed status there was a certain amount of income I could have and in exchange that amount was deducted from my unemployment check, or at least that is how I recall it as being. And people on SSI or SSDI also have a certain amount of income they can make.

I wish I could help you but just don’t have the time. I have read all your posts about the Parks Department classes, volunteer assistants, and now this position with great interest. I know that when the economy led to an 80% reduction in my income a couple of years ago I was prepared to scramble and put together a patchwork quilt of work that in its entirety would pay the bills plus serve as networking opportunities. I wasn’t sneezing at $200 of income for work I could do early mornings, evenings or weekends. $200 buys a lot of groceries. Indeed, for just above minimum wage I worked on an online research project at 4am 7-8 hours per week. $10 an hour vs. the previous $80-$100 hour was not beneath me.

I wish you well in your endeavors and hope you find somebody to fill the position.

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[Carson]

Mike, SDA has not said why she wants to drug test anyone. Background yes, drug no. And yes, she can make any legal demand she wants, and I can also point out that its silly. Only a fool would submit to the invasion of privacy for a job with no real reason to test for drugs. Plus, what drugs is she testing for? Maybe anti depresents? Maybe if a single woman is on birth control and having pre-marital whoopie? What steps is she taking to protect the privacy of the testee? You can run a background check on anyone, without their permission. Drug testing takes you down a more slipperly slope. Again, anyone who would be so foolish is not anyone I would hire!!!

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[JoB]

Carson…

So.. a small non-profit asks for a drug test as a condition of employment and it’s an invasion of privacy.. but when a larger employer does the same it isn’t?

A drug test could be pertinent information for a small employer if they have pain or other issues and medication in the house… or if any of their clients walk in the door and drop a backpack or purse containing their meds.

When you add the word disabled to the mix… that likelihood increases exponentially. Many of the drugs that effectively treat managed illnesses are sold on the street for profit.. not just narcotics.

Only a fool would let a drug user into their home if there was any chance that medications could be too large a temptation for a user.

For a chronically ill person.. the loss of medication is not just a financial matter… although replacing medications is pretty expensive when you don’t have cadillac insurance plans and unless you are married to them most disabled don’t… but I have known more than one disabled person to suffer through pain for the balance of their treatment contract because someone decided their medication was worth more to them than to the person it was prescribed for and the prescribing doctor had more fear of a medical review than compassion for their patient.

It shouldn’t be that way.. but it is when it comes to any medication that can be sold on the street…

I think it is a sensible request… those who choose recreational drug use and are unwilling to talk frankly about the extent of their use are unlikely to apply simply because it exists.

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[miws]

But Carson, is it regular practice for businesses of any type to disclose why they drug test, other than for obvious positions such as a driver or heavy equipment operator?

Using littlebrowndog’s example; why does Major Grocery Chain expect drug tests of it’s courtesy clerks?

Are they afraid a stoned clerk will be more apt to bag up customers’ groceries with the loaves of bread, and cartons of eggs on the bottom, and ten lb bags of potatoes on top?

Mike

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[JimmyG]

“Are they afraid a stoned clerk will be more apt to bag up customers’ groceries with the loaves of bread, and cartons of eggs on the bottom, and ten lb bags of potatoes on top?”

Aha! My local grocer must not do drug tests. How else to explain the consistent improper bagging of my groceries?

The courtesy clerk (box boy) must be high.

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[brew]

Most of you are pathetic. The OP posted this in the “West Seattle Jobs Offered” catagory not the “Analize, Critize, and Debate this Job” catagory. If you don’t want the job, don’t apply. If you do, then apply for it. Otherwise keep your busy little nose’s where they belong.

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[Carson]

Brew, if she didn’t want the critique, she should have used Monster!

If you take a drug test and don’t ask what they are testing for, or what they do to protect your privacy then you should just keep heads in the sand. I think PT Barnum said it best…..

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[inactive]

I’m having a hard time seeing how any Job Offered ad is open for debate like this *on the original job posting*!?! You might have started a secondary thread to debate this, don’t you think? Cuz, boy, if I “were* an West Seattle employer, I would be pretty cautious about posting any specific ad given this.

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[Carson]

I would assume most employers would be more realistic in their offerings Dood….

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