RESPARKING CREATIVITY
by Fatemah Mirza & Sumayyah Rafiq Haider
GENRE: Nonfiction / Career Guide
BLURB:
Accelerate your marketing career by learning concrete strategies to reignite your creative spark and build a compelling case for your promotion to director. From creating a standout project portfolio to evaluating your skills to salary negotiation, networking, and interviewing best practices, this book equips ambitious marketing professionals with the tools necessary for long-term success.
Purchase RESPARKING CREATIVITY on Amazon
THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE TO READ FOR FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED
Excerpt:
The process of advocating for yourself is not inherently aggressive. It simply creates an equal playing field and a two-way communication channel where you and the company achieve a mutually beneficial agreement. Ultimately, there are more reasons to try to negotiate your salary than not. I want you to have the tools necessary to negotiate for the maximum raise you can possibly get in any negotiation.
Let me show you what I mean. I helped one of my clients, let’s call him John, negotiate a $6,000 addition to his annual salary. This $6,000 raise, with a 3% additional annual raise per year, had the potential to translate into almost $400,000 more over the course of a standard 35-year career! And that was a modest 3% raise. Imagine how much you can benefit by learning how to advocate for yourself more directly!
Interview with Sumayyah Rafiq
What is your schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I was dedicating whole working days to working on the book. So, I had initially roughly outlined what we wanted the book to cover and then I start working on it. Admittedly, in the beginning, I was really focused on moving in a chronological order but then I realized, it’s more mentally “fun” to move around sections. Especially when I felt that I got “stuck” at any one part.
That’s how I chipped away at things. When I would start my work day, I would set a target for myself. Not in terms of word count or number of pages I wanted to write. But rather, what content did I want to complete? Did I want to finish any specific sections?
I’d sign into work at 9:30-ish AM. Catch up on my notifications and emails. Typically begin writing around 10:15 AM. I’d write till 1:30 PM and take my lunch break. And then be back at writing around 2 PM. I would stop writing around 4 PM. That’s when I’d take stock of my progress, determine what was left, and define the next day’s goals.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
For this particular book? No. I think given the work that we do, it’s very important to share our names and faces with people because people need to know who it is that’s giving them job advice. Who are the people that are going to help me get a better job? For that purpose, you just have to use your name.
Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
Both yes and no. I enjoy reading fiction. That’s my genre of choice. And I feel like, if the opening of the story has a “hook” then I won’t get reader’s block. In fact, I tend to get very greedy to know what’s going to happen next and the next thing I know, I’m done with the book.
So, typically, if the book catches my attention in the opening, I’m burning through it with no regard for what time it is!
Does your family support your career as a writer?
I am incredibly lucky and blessed to have a family that has supported my choice to make writing my career. Despite the fact that I have an MBA in Human Resource Management and could have worked in an office setting, I opted to pursue writing. I joined CareerTuners as a Resume Writer as well and worked my way up the ranks but writing never left the scope of my responsibilities. It’s as natural to me as breathing at this point.
How many hours a day do you write?
For Resparking Creativity, I was focused on writing at least five hours a day. On good days, I managed to get more hours in and on bad days, it was a struggle to hit the five hours. I did take short breaks during those five hours but that was my goal.
If you could invite any three people for dinner, whom would you invite?
Oh gosh, that’s a good question. I think I would love to have Julia Child, Robin Williams, and Keanu Reeves for dinner. I think they’re all lovely personalities that I would love to get to know more.
Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know (yet)?
Hmm. One thing about me that readers don’t know yet. I hope this counts: I completed all the “A Song of Ice and Fire” books in one weekend. My older brother got a box set of the first five books and I tore through them! I was literally walking around the house with my nose in a book. It was a fantastic weekend, even if I lost some sleep at the end!
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I think it’s important to strike a balance between the two. It is very important to keep an eye on market trends and see what readers are looking for but then to also bring your own unique take on that. If readers want one thing then how do you want to address that need? I think that’s the biggest challenge in writing.
How do you celebrate when you finish your book?
I keep reopening the final document to admire it. I know it sounds a little narcissistic but I cannot help but admire the fact that it’s done. So, I need to keep reopening the file and go through it, marveling at the fact that the work is done. I guess I try to come to terms with the fact that it’s a completed project!
If you could be mentored by a famous author, who would it be?
I would LOVE to be mentored by Neil Gaiman. That would be the dream of a lifetime!
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Fatemah Mirza is a Certified Resume Master and a highly sought-after speaker and coach who helps ambitious job seekers find higher-paying, more fulfilling jobs. She’s been helping job seekers since 2010 when she founded CareerTuners, which is a small team of skilled professionals from various industries who specialize in providing professional resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and many more career-related services to help ambitious people land their dream jobs and achieve career goals.She has created free resources that have seen more than 160,000 downloads, helped hundreds of clients increase their pay, and built a network of more than 3000 recruiters.
Fatemah Mirza Amazon Author Page
Sumayyah Rafiq Haider is an experienced author and career mentor with a passion for helping individuals excel professionally. With an MBA in Human Resource Management and SHRM-CP certification, Sumayyah has assisted numerous clients in their job search, providing guidance on resume writing, LinkedIn optimization, cover letters, interview skills, and career direction.
Sumayyah Rafiq Haider Amazon Author Page
Connect with Fatemah Mirza & Sumayyah Rafiq Haider
7 comments:
Thank you for hosting today.
Sounds like a good book.
Sounds like a great read.
Who influenced you to be a writer?
This sounds like a good book.
Fabulous cover
This sounds like a really interesting book.
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