Just don’t forget the receptionists, too.

Why?

Because they’re the gatekeepers to the decision makers. More importantly, they hold a wealth of information and can answer questions like:

• Are you hiring?
• Who’s in charge?
• What’s it like to work at the company?
• When’s the best time of year to drop off my portfolio?
• What’s the dress code? What’s should I wear to the interview?
• Where else should I apply or send my portfolio?
• How many other applicants are there?

How do you get them to talk to you? I take the common sense approach. Have a conversation. Be interested in their opinions. Respect their time. Build a relationship. In short, treat them like real people. Like they’re your best friend.

The same goes for office managers, secretaries, assistants, and other administrative staff.

So go ahead, pick up that phone and start practicing.

It’s time to admit I can’t do everything myself.

For the past year, I’ve been a one-man blogging shop (with occasional help from generous guest writers.) I’ve enjoyed the late nights and extra working hours, but recent life changes have made me reconsider my priorities. I’m now looking for a regular writer to help out with my blogging duties.

I’ll still be editing and writing furiously, but I’m hoping the extra hand will help me reach the goal of getting up one quality post each weekday. It’ll also help me free up time to design bigger changes on the site, and more importantly, to spend quality time with family and friends.

Interested? Here are the official details. Feel free to pass it around:

Overview

LifeClever, a popular productivity and design blog, is looking for a staff writer.

You will be responsible for writing 2-3 articles per week (500+ words each). Your articles should be original, engaging, and useful. Articles must also relate specifically to design, productivity, or both.

Compensation

Here’s what you get for each published post:

Cash

• A base payment of $10 USD sent to your paypal account
• A $20-$80 USD bonus for popular articles. (For reaching the front page of Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon, or Reddit, you get $20 per site). If you get on all four, that means you get $90 USD for the article.

Exposure

• For the up-and-coming blogger, you’ll get tons of street cred and a forum to show-off your writing
• A tasty link back to your own site or blog in your profile

Opened in June 2006, LifeClever receives over 100,000 page views a month and has over 10,000 RSS subscribers. LifeClever is a proud member of Federated Media along with other established blogs such as 43 Folders, Boing Boing, Parent Hacks, and Uncrate. The site is also part of the LifeRemix network with Zen Habits, Freelance Switch, Dumb Little Man and 11 other blogs.

Requirements

You must:

• Harbor a genuine interest in design, productivity, and writing
• Write a minimum of 2 original posts per week (not summaries of existing stories)
• Write posts specifically about design and/or productivity. (LifeClever is not looking for articles about general self-improvement.)
• Provide 2 on-topic samples of your writing
• Speak perfect conversational English
• Be enthusiastic and committed

5 questions you might ask

1. 10 bucks an article? Are you kidding me?
   No. Given the current budget of the site, this is what I can afford. With bonuses, you can make up to $90 USD for each article.

2. Why Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon and Reddit? They aren’t really a good measure of quality.
   You’re right, they’re not. But, it’s the easiest way for me to measure the effectiveness of your article. Whether we like or not, those sites still have an effect on traffic and reach. More traffic means more budget to improve the site and pay you. Plus, it gives you more incentive to write a substantive article.

3. What if I can’t commit to 2-3 posts a week. Can I still be a guest writer?
   Yes, LifeClever is always looking for guest writers. Unlike staff writers who regularly contribute, guest writers are not paid. Instead, you will get a short bio and link back to your own site in your article.

4. How do I get paid?
   You will be paid twice a month on the 15th or 30th of each month. If those days fall on a weekend or US national holiday, you will get paid the following business day. You must meet a minimum of 2 published posts a week to get paid. Otherwise your article will be considered a “guest” post for that week.

5. Can I quit anytime?
   Yep, this is a freelance writing position.

How do I apply?

Please send on-topic writing samples and a note about yourself to hello AT lifeclever.com