“Falling for a job scam is like climbing Everest. Except when you get to the top, you slip and tumble — rag doll, head to toe — all the way back to the bottom. And you know you’re in for some big trouble.” 

This is how freelance creative director Myldwin Pierre describes his gut-sinking experience of falling victim to a job scam last year.

Myldwin’s Story

After months of job searching and multiple interviews, Myldwin got the offer of his dreams — a fully remote art director role with a Fortune 500 cosmetic company.

Everything about it was great — until it wasn’t.

Blinded by the allure of job security, Myldwin fell victim to a well-orchestrated scam which ultimately resulted in him divulging all of his personal and tax information to an imposter.

This scammer got through most of the standard checkpoints waving a green flag. And for the warning signs? Well, Myldwin admits he may have turned a blind eye in hopes of landing a great job.

That’s the thing with these scammers — they catch you when you’re the most vulnerable.

job scam statistic

1. The Bait

Myldwin’s LinkedIn profile indicated he was “open to work.” When he received an InMail (direct message from someone outside of your network) from a recruiter, he wasn’t at all surprised. To check the legitimacy of the message, he confirmed the sender was a real recruiter by searching their profile on LinkedIn.

“[The recruiter was] actively engaging on the platform, and their profile showed their employer as the Fortune 500 company they stated they worked for via their message. Everything checked out,” Myldwin told us.

Green flag.

2. The Initial Bite

After a short email exchange, Myldwin was quickly offered a chat-based interview via WhatsApp without video. An interview on this platform raised some suspicion, but this was a multinational company, and he assumed this was their interview process. So, he didn’t question it and proceeded with an open mind.

“Speed is the name of the game in hiring, I know that. Rushing into the interview process didn’t alarm me,” Myldwin shared.

Green-ish flag.

3. The Trap Sprung

Myldwin completed multiple interviews with the supposed hiring manager — with frequent assurances that he was doing well, stating he was “in line to be offered the position.” Shortly thereafter, he was offered the job and rushed into a seemingly standard onboarding process.

Eager to start, Myldwin completed a stack of new hire tax paperwork, including an I-9 and a W-4, and sent it back. These forms include personal information such as complete mailing address, Social Security number, and employee signature.

“I believed this was a legitimate process,” Myldwin admitted. “I was excited to work for this company; I wasted no time getting those forms back to them.”

Green flag.

4. The Scam Revealed

Then, the alarms began to sound. After completing the onboarding paperwork, the scammer stated that all employees are responsible for paying for their remote workstation equipment up front via PayPal, but that they would ultimately get reimbursed.

RED FLAG!

5. The Realization

Worried, Myldwin retraced his steps. He noticed the email address provided in the initial contact via InMail was off.  So, he messaged this supposed recruiter directly and her response put a pit in his stomach.

“That person you’re emailing with is not me,” she said.

The PayPal account where Myldwin was instructed to remit payment was not listed under the company name, and the username did not match the supposed recruiter he’d been communicating with.

It became abundantly clear that Myldwin was being scammed. And knowing that he handed over all his personal information to this stranger had him riddled with fear and frustration.

6. The Aftermath

Back on WhatsApp, he denied payment to the imposter and tried to push them to admit their fraudulence. They ultimately stopped responding and are now completely untraceable.

So there Myldwin sits, back at the bottom of the metaphorical mountain, with no job, hours of wasted time, and now completely compromised personal information.

Myldwin thankfully has not yet seen any signs of Social Security number fraud, identity theft, or financial loses. He watches his credit reporting like a hawk, hoping the scammer was ultimately just in it for the “workstation” PayPal payment, which he didn’t send. He hopes the exchange of onboarding paperwork was just more bait to get him to pay up.

“These scammers are like drug mules. They probably send messages, like the one they sent me, to hundreds of people. Not everyone falls for it, but a handful do get through. And the payouts from those folks are worth the effort,” Myldwin explained.

The Red Flags

Keep on high alert for an imposter — remember these warning signs.

You receive an unsolicited direct message, text message, or email.

Scammer messages appear to be written by a reputable recruiting company or brand. They’re usually incredibly convincing, encouraging you to apply for a high-paying job in an industry that closely aligns with your LinkedIn profile, and offers flexible working hours. If this unsolicited opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is.

The email domain doesn’t match the name of company outlined in the email.

If the email is from a personal account or public domain, like Gmail or Yahoo, you might have a scammer on your hands. Sometimes the email address will have slight misspellings to appear legitimate — verify the email domain, and the name of the sender, carefully.

The job offer is time-sensitive.

Scammers create a sense of urgency to keep you engaged and make you act quickly. While there is a fast lane in hiring at times, don’t let anyone unverified rush you in the process.

The majority of communication is on a chat app.

Legitimate hiring teams should conduct interviews by phone or through traditional company channels. If your correspondence is being moved to a chat app, like WhatsApp, request a more traditional platform.

The hiring manager requests payment or banking information.

Honest employers will never ask employees to pay up front fees to process paperwork or pay for equipment. And they certainly won’t ask you to pay via a cash app like Venmo or PayPal.

Banking information should only be provided once you’re fully onboard, via a secure system.

 

The Learnings

It’s hard to find a job. And It’s tempting to latch onto any job offer that comes your way, but this is when you need to be the most vigilant.

Some of the biggest risks to your personal data are low-tech — no hacking necessary. The scammer reels in vulnerable job seekers and gains their trust, then those people willingly hand their information over, and it’s downhill from there.

Pause. Assess. Question.
Never share personal information like Social Security numbers, bank details, or other sensitive data without definitively verifying the source. Research the hiring manager and/or company first, and if you’re still slightly skeptical, respectfully and directly ask them to confirm their legitimacy while also reaffirming your interest in the position.

And always trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.

For a safe and secure job search experience, Myldwin encourages job seekers — especially freelancers — to link arms with a recruiter they trust, “The saving grace for me is working with Creative Circle for nearly 20 years now.”  Myldwin has worked with eight trusted Creative Circle recruiters over the years and has been placed on dozens of jobs. When our recruiters email Myldwin, from their verified email address (✅), he knows the offer is legitimate.

 

Information Creative Circle Asks For

Creative Circle does not send unsolicited text messages to job-seekers. We will never request you to provide personal information via a text message, email, or LinkedIn mail.

Additionally, Creative Circle will not send or request money to purchase equipment, or ask for your credit card information during the hiring process.

If you are contacted by someone that claims to be a recruiter for Creative Circle, ensure the domain is @creativecircle.com, @e.creativecircle.com, @creativecircle.live, @jobalert.creativecircle.com, @backofficeportal.com, or @mail1.clearlyrated.com. If it’s not, this communication did not come from our team and is likely imposter spam.

To further protect yourself from job scams, review this full list of information we do and don’t ask for. And if you’re ever skeptical about a communication or job offer from our team, contact us at cyberquestions@creativecircle.com.

 

About the Author.

Kayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer — when she’s not chasing around her two young boys or laughing at Corporate Natalie videos, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you’re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn to ensure you never miss the latest.

Why should they hire me?
Because they need my help, and I need their money.
But I can’t say that. Not if I want the job.
So, what the heck am I supposed to say?  

If your internal dialogue sounds like this from time to time, you’re in good company. 👋  

I get tripped up on interview questions, too. Some questions seem like a trap, while others are just bizarrely quizzing me on my knowledge of the animal kingdom. Seriously, why? 

6 dreaded interview questions

According to the nearly 3,000 votes on our recent LinkedIn poll, and the buzzing comments section, there are six common questions that trip up interviewees the most:  

  • Tell us about yourself! 
  • Why should we hire you? 
  • What is your greatest weakness? 
  • What are your salary requirements? 
  • Tell us about a time you failed. 
  • If you were an animal, what would you be? 

Why hiring managers are asking

Did you know there are over 9,000 job applications per minute on the LinkedIn platform alone? And only about 8% of applicants make it to the interview scheduling stage?  

That’s a lot of applicants for one job, and likely a lot of people that can do the basic day-to-day functions of that job. Skills- and competency-based questions aside, these behavioral questions can help hiring managers (in their mind at least) assess things like a candidate’s communication style, how they respond to challenges, and how they’ll fit in with the team. 

Tackling the dreaded question

To better understand how to answer these behavioral questions, I leaned on two experts from our Chicago office. Creative Circle recruiters Mary Blackburn and Rose Boyer break down each interview question below — what do hiring managers really mean when they ask these questions? And how should you respond? 

“Tell us about yourself.”

This is usually an icebreaker question, right at the start of your interview. It is not the time to share details of your personal life, and your response should be relatively brief. Think of it like an elevator pitch and keep it professional — the hiring manager wants to know a bit about who you are, what you do, and why you’re interested in the position you’re interviewing for.  

Rose says, “Some candidates make the mistake of starting off by sharing where they live — that’s not what we’re asking.” She adds, “I’ve had candidates begin by sharing their age. We don’t need to know that either.”  

Mary adds to Rose’s sentiment, “Try to avoid the year-by-year play. It’s fine to include where you started but let that be a brief bullet in your overall response. We can see previous employers and duration of employment on your resume, so it’s not necessary to spell that all out for this question.”  

“Why should we hire you?” 

Interviewers are looking for a specific and personalized response that showcases how you can solve their business needs; be sure to emphasize your most relevant experiences. This is an opportunity to show that you’ve researched this company, that you understand what they need, and that you can deliver.   

Rose suggests explaining why you’re a great fit for the role you’re interviewing for specifically, and to refer back to some of the discussions you’ve had throughout the interview. You might say, “You mentioned earlier that time management is essential to this role — time management is one of my biggest strengths. I use a project management tool to stay on top of deadlines, prioritize, and plan my tasks and it works tremendously.  It helps keep my manager in the loop on project status, too.” 

Mary says, “Make yourself stand out from the crowd. What skills and experience do you have that might separate you from the other applicants?”  

“What is your greatest weakness?” 

If a hiring manager asks you this question, they’re probably checking to see how self-aware you are. They want you to expand on your weaknesses with a couple details on how you’re managing them. Saying that you’re a “perfectionist” isn’t going to cut it — be sincere, not cliché. 

Rose and Mary both agree that they personally hate this question and prefer not to ask it in interviews. However, to save yourself from any unnecessary surprises, they do suggest having an answer prepped just in case.  

Mary says, “Be mindful of which weakness you decide to share. If the job description says you need to learn a new CRM, don’t share that you struggle learning new CRMs.”  

As an example, Rose shares what a response to this question might look like for her: “Sometimes, I have a hard time processing information that I hear. I combat this by asking for an email communication instead, or I’ll follow up via email so I can have things in writing.”  

“What are your salary requirements? “

Thanks to the pay transparency laws developing in several states now, the salary requirements conversation has become more transparent. If you know the range an employer is willing to pay for a job, then you know how much you can expect to earn.  

If you’re interviewing for a job with the pay range listed, Mary advises against requiring the top of the range from the jump. “It could jeopardize your opportunity for a role, especially if there are other candidates interviewing with similar experience to yours and a salary expectation closer to the middle or middle-upper end of the range,” Mary says.  

Pay transparency or not, Rose says, “Candidates should never be dead set on a specific number. Always let the hiring manager know that you’re targeting between two numbers. This shows that you’re open to negotiation.”  

Mary lives by the rule of 5s. If you’re sharing expectations for an hourly rate, keep the range within $5. If it’s a salaried position, try to stick to a range at or close to $5k. In her experience, increments of 5 provide a fair opportunity for both the candidate and the client to meet somewhere in the middle. 

“Tell us about a time you failed.” 

Everyone experiences failure at one time or another — this question isn’t really about the failure itself, it’s about how you worked through it.  “We’re trying to understand your process,” says Rose. With this response, you have the opportunity to show a hiring manager how you take feedback and how you grow.  

Consider sharing these details with the interviewer:  

  • How did you identify your failure and how did you react to it?  
  • What steps did you take to rectify the situation?  
  • Did you communicate your mistakes appropriately?  
  • And what are you doing to avoid it in the future?  

Mary suggests keeping a response to this question in your back pocket.  “Talking about failure isn’t easy. Think through your scenario in advance and rehearse it so you’re not stumbling through the details mid-interview.”  

“If you were an animal, what animal would you be?” 

This is just an awkward way of seeing if you’ll be a good cultural fit for the company. Rose and Mary both agree that this question is silly and advise not to get too caught up on which animal you select. “If you can connect a few of your key personality traits to an animal that you have some knowledge about, that’s all you need.” says Rose.  

It’s worth noting that this question could be an opportunity to stand out as memorable and creative, if you want to. You could choose an interesting animal; instead of a dog, you could try a dolphin, eagle, or honeybee. Just make sure you can connect some of their standout traits back to your personal interests and qualities.  

As with all the other questions, keep this one in your back pocket too. Interviews are stressful enough as they are, so no need to add another layer of uncertainty with an animal kingdom pop quiz.  

If you’re looking for more advice from our recruiters, check out our Creative Circle Career Resources page and follow us on Instagram. If you’re feeling ready for your next interview, apply to the open roles on our website! We add new jobs to our site every day, in locations across the U.S. and Toronto, plus remote roles. 

About the Author.
Kayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer — when she’s not chasing around her two young boys or laughing at Corporate Natalie videos, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you’re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn to ensure you never miss the latest. 

Running a business’ social media account is easy, right? Take some pictures, reshare relatable memes, post links to your products — simple!  

Not quite. 

I’m a freelance content creator for Creative Circle; I write blogs, manage our candidate newsletter, and own our Instagram and LinkedIn accounts. To me, creating content is equal parts exciting and complicated, especially when it comes to social media.  

I get to share job search advice and tips, feature interviews with experts in the marketing and creative space, highlight exciting new job openings, spotlight our talented candidates, and I even get to sprinkle in the occasional Taylor Swift meme. It’s exciting and rewarding — especially when someone finds my content useful.  

But sometimes my content doesn’t reach the audience I want to. That’s the complicated part. Maybe I jumped on a trend too late, or posted at the wrong time, or didn’t align my post caption strategically enough with the latest hashtags and keywords.  And when a post receives little engagement, that can be deflating.  

Social media content creation and management requires careful planning, strategic execution, and skill. Don’t just take it from me; take it from the 800+ voters and dozens of comments from social media creators on my recent LinkedIn Poll. As Kiara F. says, managing socials is like “playing chess, but with memes and hashtags.”  

If you’re like me, you’re constantly looking for ways to level-up your social media chess game — to get new followers, to increase engagement, to deliver the content your audience truly cares about. And you know what my favorite source of inspiration is? Other creators.  

I’ve partnered with two Creative Circle freelancers to compile a list of five tips to produce quality, engaging social media content.  

Jordin Smith has four years of experience managing and creating social media content. She finds it thrilling to curate content that excites her audience and piques their curiosity. She’s currently working with clients in the fashion and beauty space.  

Brian Benton has five years of experience as a social media art director. He enjoys how the spontaneity and limitations of tight deadlines and less-than-desirable shooting locations push him to think creatively. His clients are in the technology, entertainment, and ecommerce space.  

Here are 5 tips to consider:  

Don’t constantly scramble to hop on the latest audio trend. It might not be as impactful as you think.   

Trending audio has taken social media by storm. It’s fun, catchy, and very in-the-moment, but it truthfully only impacts engagement for a small percent of the population. It has its time and place, but it doesn’t well-suit the content you want to remain evergreen. 

“Sometimes content production timelines can run longer than expected, and the trendy music can really date that edit,” says Brian. “You don’t want your video to feel outdated when someone comes across it on their TikTok Discover or Instagram Explore page for the first time.”   

Listen. Listen. Listen. 

Yes, we do get paid to scroll. And for good reason. Scrolling, listening, and exploring is where ideas are born as you identify emerging trends, understand your audience’s behavior and preferences, monitor your competitors’ activity, and more.  

Jordin says, “Listening is my number one tip. I scroll social media searching for anything that excites me. I listen to what people are saying, what they’re listening to, and what they want more of.” She suggests listening to what your audience sounds like and tailoring your content to that.  

Brian warns creators about replicating what their competitors are doing. “Consider finding inspiration one or two degrees away from your direct competitors. For example, if you are creating content for a high-end pet brand, see what high-end fashion is doing.” 

Since scrolling for research can quickly turn to “doom scrolling”, consider setting a timer for 30–40 minutes each day and limit yourself to that time. As you scroll, save the content that inspires you or note it down somewhere.  

Stand out with a strong brand voice.  

In a crowded market, your unique voice can set you apart from your competitors. What personality traits do you want your brand to embody? Is it friendly, authoritative, humorous, or professional? You can shift your voice slightly from channel to channel, too. Remember — your voice doesn’t just shine through in your content and post captions, but also in the way you engage with your followers in the comments.  

Jordin says “The demographics from platform to platform are different, so I tweak my voice accordingly. LinkedIn gets the professional voice, TikTok gets the younger, cooler voice, while Instagram gets the voice of the big sister.”  

Brian suggests some ways to get creative with your tone. “To stand out, try giving a more casual piece of content a professional feel or vice versa. Consider shooting something that is funnier or more trend-driven with great lighting and a high-end camera. Or use viral TikTok style editing for a more serious piece of content. This can help keep personality in posts while remaining on brand,” Brian says.  

Have fun. 

Splashing some fun into your content can help humanize your brand and make your page a place where your followers want to hang out. Try being real about your industry and adding tasteful humor; for example, leaning into jokes about the future of AI, or the frustrations graphic designers can experience working with clients.  

LinkedIn polls usually reach 3–5x more people than posts without a poll! Try asking your audience a lighthearted question or get their opinion on a topic that means something to your brand. Drop an open-ended question in the post body and encourage your followers to engage. This can be a fun way to create conversation with your audience in a more personal way.  

Post when your followers are online.  

This is unique to each business and channel — check your channel insights to know when the majority of your followers are online. Identify peak times of engagement and post then. Experiment with posting at different times and days of the week, then track the performance of those posts. 

At Creative Circle, our followers (mostly jobseekers) spend some time online in the evenings, so we’ve tested posting during those hours and have seen some success. When in doubt, you can always fall back on these broad guidelines as a starting point, to give your content the best possible chance of success.  

If you’re craving more tips, consider following these three accounts on Instagram. They’re constantly serving digital content tips to my feed:  

If you’re currently working in social media content creation and enjoying your work, stick to it — you have one of the most desirable jobs in the world right now! And, according to market.us, the digital content creation market is projected to climb to 90.4 billion by 2033 (from 27.1 billion in 2023).  

If you’re looking for work in this industry, sign up for our job alerts and search our open roles. If you’re in need of a social media content creation or consultation for your business, connect with us — we have an impressive pool of talent ready to work for you! 

 

About the Author.
Kayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer — when she’s not chasing around her two young boys or laughing at Corporate Natalie videos, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you’re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn to ensure you never miss the latest.

Whether you’re an individual marketer or leading a team, “martech” is all the buzz right now. What does this term mean? And why are we talking about it? Let’s dive in.

What is Martech?

Martech, short for marketing technology, refers to the variety of tools that companies use to automate, streamline, and market their products and services. Google Ads, Sprout Social, HubSpot, Marketo, Salesforce, Asana, WordPress, Drupal, Power BI — it’s all martech.

An individual team’s collection of platforms is known as a “stack.” Martech stacks can range from simple to highly complex — with some enterprises having 20+ tools in their stack, according to our recent LinkedIn poll.

For additional perspective, we asked two martech experts to share how they define the term.

Greg Kihlström, an experienced marketing consultant and creator of The Agile Brand, a marketing technology podcast, says:

“Martech encompasses the platforms and processes that enable marketers to reach audiences using digital means. It serves a broad array of purposes — from collecting data, to displaying and distributing content and experiences, to reporting and acting on the results of the efforts.”

Voloria Pettiford, a Creative Circle freelancer and marketing consultant, says:

“To put it simply, ‘martech’ is the product of marketing tools and technology working happily together. There was a time when ‘digital marketing’ was trending. Martech is very similar — except now, automation, AI, and analytics have been added to the mix.”

Why are we talking about it?

Martech isn’t new; enterprises have been leveraging these tools for years. But in today’s world, leaders are turning a sharp focus to how the tools are used, how they work (or don’t work) together, and the impact it all has on the customer journey — an experience that matters now more than ever.

According to online software marketplace G2, the martech solutions marketplace has grown 27.8 percent year-over-year, increasing from just over 11,000 solutions in 2023 to more than 14,000 in 2024.

Greg says he’s seen a significant demand for martech consultation over the last six months. “Organizations — not just marketing teams — need assistance in understanding which martech tools are right for their company and how to make the best investments.”

For example, Greg explains how many organizations are struggling to meaningfully understand and utilize AI in their stack. He says, “I help them understand where AI-based tools and methods can make the biggest impact and achieve maximum ROI.”

Voloria’s sentiment is similar. She experienced a martech consulting boom in 2020 during the COVID pandemic, and it’s been steady since. “Leaders are reevaluating their platforms and the people on their teams,” says Voloria. “Most companies have martech tools, but they’re not using them properly, or they’re not investing in the right ones. They need help streamlining.”

Why is this significant?

No matter what technology a marketing team has at its disposal, it’s essential to have an experienced team of talent in place to get the most out of it. “If just one marketing operations employee is deploying multiple tools, it’s likely that each tool is not being used effectively, and that employee is probably on target to burn out fast,” says Voloria.

What good is the technology if teams don’t have the bandwidth to leverage it?

When marketing leaders source new talent these days, they’re increasingly looking for specialists with experience in the specific tools they’re using. And the smart hiring managers are looking not just for platform-specific expertise, but for candidates with a proven ability to quickly upskill and learn a variety of technical applications. That’s the best way to prepare for sustained success in our rapidly evolving digital environment.

If you’re a job-seeker, read this: Many digital marketing and creative functions have evolved to either focus on or heavily involve martech. The jobs our clients are looking to fill may not specifically call out “martech” in the job title or description, but you can bet you’ll be asked about your martech skills in the interview process. If you’re interested in learning more about how to position yourself for these trending roles, read this: Martech and Your Job Search: Trending Roles, Areas to Upskill, Tools to Master

Takeaway

Enterprises have their marketing technology under a microscope. They’re focusing on which tools make the most sense for their organization, how the tools work together, and where to make the best investments — including their talent.

If you’re an organization looking to streamline your martech, let us know. Whether you have a specific martech challenge to tackle, need a full team of support, or are just looking to fill one critical role, we’re here to help.

If you’re craving more on the latest trends in martech, join our conversation with Greg Kihlström and Voloria Pettiford during our upcoming webinar on Tuesday, August 6!

 

About the Author.
Kayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer — when she’s not chasing around her two young boys or laughing at Corporate Natalie videos, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you’re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn to ensure you never miss the latest.

 

June is Pride Month! Many organizations use this worldwide celebration to reflect on the tangible, substantial commitments we can make to support the LGTBQ+ community 365 days a year.  

Progress is being made.
In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the broad language of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlaws workplace discrimination on the basis of sex, should be read to cover sexual orientation, too. 👏 👏 And, as of 2022, 94% of Fortune 500 companies employ non-discrimination policies that explicitly include gender identity.  

There is more to be done!
Despite these advancements and others, many LGBTQ+ employees still fear bringing their full selves to work. According to research conducted by Catalyst, a global nonprofit promoting DEI efforts in the workplace, only half of LGBTQ+ employees in the U.S. have come out to their supervisors.  

And, U.S. employees who have come out report experiencing lower inclusion at work compared with their straight counterparts, particularly as it relates to feeling connected with colleagues.  

Being an LGBTQ+ ally can transform lives.
Did you know allies are some of the most effective and powerful voices for LGBTQ+ people? Every new ally adds their voice and actions to a growing shift in mindset and behaviors, making it easier for the LGBTQ+ community to show up as their authentic selves at work and in life.  

In partnership with our employee resource group, Prism, we’ve outlined four ways you can be an active LGBTQ+ ally in the workplace — instead of a passive one.  

Prism is Creative Circle’s employee resource group that welcomes and works to address the interests of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning communities, as well as allies.  

1. Use LGBTQ+ Inclusive Language 


Source: Academy to Innovate HR  

David Allen, senior recruiting coordinator at Creative Circle and chair of Prism, says, “Your language matters — be mindful of the words you use and avoid gender assumptions. Using LGBTQ+ inclusive language in the workplace can help your employees and colleagues feel respected and included.”

  • Use people-first language that centers on the individual rather than their descriptor.  
  • Use gender-neutral pronouns, especially when the gender of your colleague is unknown. If you’re unsure of someone’s pronouns, ask politely.  
  • Remember, making mistakes is a part of learning. When you make a mistake, genuinely apologize (without making it about you) and use the proper inclusive language next time. 

2. Include Pronouns in Your Communication 

Add your pronouns to your email signature, video call nametag, and Teams/Slack bio.  

Beyond claiming your own identity, including your pronouns shows you’re an ally to the LGBTQ+ community as it indicates that you don’t make assumptions about people’s gender.  

Rose Boyer, Creative Circle recruiter and Prism ERG member, says, “This simple, low-effort act provides an opportunity for inclusion and helps colleagues feel more respected at work. When you share your pronouns, you’re providing others a safe space to share theirs.”  

It’s important to normalize this practice and encourage others to do the same. 

3. Educate Yourself Independently

As an LGBTQ+ ally, the most important thing you can do is educate yourself on issues pertinent to the community.  

David Allen says, “Self-education is important. While some of us enjoy teaching others, don’t expect the LGBTQ+ community to educate you.” It can be exhausting to educate person after person on LGBTQ+ issues, so make the effort to educate yourself and meet them halfway.  

To get started, look through this list of resources provided by Prism.  

4. Practice Allyship Year-Round

While it’s great to express allyship during Pride Month and other days of visibility, don’t stop there. Show your support consistently throughout the year. 

Additionally, Rose Boyer emphasizes the importance of listening. She says, “Allies should offer a safe conversational space for a loved one. With their consent, talk to them about their experience(s) and truly listen. They might need it.”  

 

Creative Circle’s Support for the LGBTQ+ Community

At Creative Circle, we are committed to providing an inclusive environment for all employees, promoting diversity, and advocating for equal rights. In partnership with our LGBTQ+ employee resource group, Prism, Creative Circle works to cultivate an inclusive community for all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. 

We offer robust parental benefits and family-building resources to our internal employees, including the Maven Wallet Program which covers up to $10,000 of IUI and IVF treatments. Annually, Creative Circle gives charitable donations to organizations for LGBTQ+ advocacy including The Trevor Project, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Lambda Legal, Broadway Cares, PFLAG, and GLAAD. 

 

If you enjoyed this blog post, you might love these too:  

 

About the Author. 
Kayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer — when she’s not chasing around her two young boys or weeding her garden, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you’re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter to ensure you never miss the latest.  

Let’s face it — the recent release of GPT-4o is a bit anxiety-provoking for many. In our recent poll, 55% of our online community said GPT-4o made them feel “worried and uneasy.” And the comments on OpenAI’s YouTube videos joking about humans being “toast” aren’t comforting to read. The world is going to implode!  

Wait.

Pause for a minute. Take a deep breath. And, try to avoid catastrophic thinking.  

What is AI anxiety, exactly?

Coined by Day One Agency, AI-nxiety is a term used to describe unease about the overarching ramifications of artificial intelligence on human creativity and ingenuity. 

Fear of and resistance to new technological advancements has been common for centuries.

This technology newsletter by Jennifer Walter at Discover Magazine articulates it clearly. She explains how it’s normal to be wary of things we aren’t familiar with. When the bicycle began to rise in popularity in the 1890s, consumers were fearful of the harm the transportation technology might inflict on society. Physicians wrote about “bicycle face,” a condition described as “dark circles under the eyes” in female cyclers — physicians said the activity was dangerous to their health.  133 years later, it’s hard to imagine being so resistant to a bicycle, right?  

In the 19th century, photography was an “art world outcast.” People saw it as a thoughtless device for replication, one that lacked the refined feeling and sentiment that we get from paintings. When you fast forward to today, photography is considered fine art, and it can be an incredibly lucrative profession.  

How to Cope with AI Technology Advancements  

With the rise of generative AI, we are on the cusp of more groundbreaking changes that will alter our reality. Here are five productive ways to digest the changes, leverage what’s available to you, and ease your mind a bit.  

Be mindful of media exaggeration.   

With rapid AI advancements getting all the buzz lately, it can start to feel like you’re an AI adaptation laggard. You’re not. The media often dramatizes news stories about AI, which can fuel anxiety and misconceptions.  

A 2023 Gallup study of nearly 19,000 U.S. employees and leaders discovered that most employees — seven in ten — don’t regularly use AI in their job. Only 1 in 10 employees uses it daily, and within that 10%, most adapters reported using it to carry out routine tasks.  

However, like the evolution of AI, these usage rates are expected to change quickly, so now is the time to jump on board.  

Educate yourself. 

Understanding how AI works, as well as its potential benefits and limitations, can demystify the technology and reduce fear. Reliable sources of information can provide a more balanced landscape and help ease the anxiety coming from the unknown.  

Thanks to the AI innovators and early adopters, there are hundreds of how-to videos on YouTube — high-level tutorials for beginners, step-by-step instructions for specific AI tools, guides on using AI to boost your productivity, and more. Consider checking out these four channels recommended by an expert panelist on a recent Creative Circle webinar:  

  1. AI Explained 
  2. Sebastian Kamph 
  3. Two-Minute Papers 
  4. Matt Wolfe 

If you work in the creative space, review the summary of this webinar where three experts share how creatives can best position themselves to thrive in era of AI. 

 Focus on control.  

Anxiety is often related to a lack of control. Get a feeling of control back by concentrating on the aspects of AI that you can influence. 

Consider staying informed about how AI impacts your field, advocating for and using ethical AI practices, or learning new skills to stay relevant in our changing job market.  

Join the conversation. 

Talking about our problems and verbalizing our fears has been a source of relief for centuries. Process your anxieties with a friend or a coworker. Perhaps you’ll find that others feel similarly. 

Prioritize participating in conversations with AI experts or online communities to gain different perspectives and reduce feelings of isolation. Attending a webinar with an open chat might be a good place to start! If you’re looking for an online community, here’s a list of seven popular AI communities to choose from.  

Practice mindfulness and stress reduction techniques. 

If the latest news on AI is triggering a tightness in your throat and a knot in your stomach, try stepping away from it and leaning into a mindfulness practice. Techniques such as mindfulness meditation have been proven to help reduce stress for decades. Consider finding a meditation or yoga studio near you, or give this Spotify playlist a listen. 

Remember, AI is a tool — a powerful one — but it doesn’t replace the human touch. Embrace its potential, stay informed, and find a balance that allows you to thrive. AI can help humans do some incredible things, but YOU are still the artist behind the masterpiece.  

 

About the Author.
Kailey is a Creative Circle freelancer — when she’s not chasing around her two young boys or laughing at Corporate Natalie videos, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you’re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn to ensure you never miss the latest. 

If you’re passionate about your career — and about being a great parent — welcome to the juggle… er, jungle? Only kidding.  

Caregiving can be challenging, exhausting, and incredibly rewarding, all at once. If you’re feeling the weight of responsibilities both at home and in your career, you’re not alone. Our online community recently shared some of their biggest challenges as employed parents — their top response? Finding work/life balance.  

While there is no one-size-fits-all parenting plan, it can help to hear what’s worked for others. So, we asked 10 parents from Creative Circle to share their advice for juggling employment and parenting. Here’s what they had to say:  

Meeting Caregiving Responsibilities and Spending Time with Loved Ones 

Prioritize Your Tasks

To-do lists can feel overwhelming, but it can help to prioritize. Some tasks are urgent, while others can wait. Be intentional about what truly matters to you. Does the laundry need to be folded RIGHT NOW? Do you really need to answer that email on a Saturday? Probably not. But if it gives you mental peace, then absolutely yes.  

Lauren Ferrara, senior vice president and mother of two, says she prioritizes her tasks and time ruthlessly and sets clear boundaries between work and home. “I focus on quality over quantity with my children. When I’m with them, I aim to be fully present,” Lauren says.  

Lyla Weiss, recruitment manager and mother of two, finds quality time in the little moments. She says the best part of her day is when she picks her girls up from school. “From pickup to bedtime, we get the next several hours together,” says Lyla. She goes “full mom mode” during this time, putting the employment part of her brain to rest as much as possible. Lyla recognizes that things come up and sometimes schedules need to shift; she advises that parents embrace flexibility and be adaptable as family needs change. And she reminds us, “Don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t go according to plan.”  

Leverage Workplace Flexibility

While it’s not for everyone — or available to everyone — working from home can be instrumental in supporting parents and caregivers. Eliminating your daily commute gives you precious time back to accomplish other things, be it playing with your kids, tackling a home project, or making space for self-care. If you have the type of job that can be done from home, even if it’s just some of the time, consider taking advantage of this flexibility.  

Brian Pope, lead recruiter and father of two, says in the 14 years of his career, the shift to a remote workplace has been the most impactful in achieving a more balanced work and home life. “And all the caregivers I’ve spoken to feel the same,” Brian says. “Hopefully remote work will be here to stay.”  

Put Down the Device

In our increasingly connected world, it’s essential to recognize the impact of technology on our relationships. Have you looked at the screen time report on your phone recently? According to Data Reportal, the average screen time spent by users aged 16 to 64 across different devices is 6 hours 37 minutes per day. Consider putting down the device and being present — for you, and for your family. 

Jason Lindberg, managing director and father of four says, “Work responsibilities aside (I have a job to do), I force myself to put down the device and be in the game. I only have so many nights to be present before the kids are grown. Spending time is as simple as talking to my family without the phone, iPad, or TV being on.”  

Performing Well at Your Job and Reaching Career Goals 

Communicate and Set Boundaries

Clear communication helps set realistic expectations. By communicating openly, working parents can express their needs, challenges, and limitations. And this applies both at home and in the office — communicate with your manager, with your partner, with your children, with your caretaker. 

Brian Lamsback, regional director and father of two, says he’s blessed to have a great parenting teammate at home. They communicate about schedules, career needs, and goals often. Brain says, “Ask your spouse, friend, or a family member to help you juggle things at home so you can prioritize your work when you need to.”  

Lauren Schneider, lead account executive and proud mother of her baby girl, says, “You can absolutely be an ambitious career person and an amazing parent.” She confirms that communicating with her manager has been pivotal in her success with this. 

Kurt Brown, senior vice president and father of three, says his boundaries with his family are crystal clear — especially because he works from home. “If Dad’s office door is shut, you cannot come in,” he says. Set physical barriers so you can focus on work, and stick to them.  

Have a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset can significantly benefit working parents by encouraging them to view time constraint challenges as opportunities. You don’t have to log 50+ hours per week in the office to succeed — learn to thrive in your allotted work time and approach your tasks with optimism. And while it won’t be easy at first, over time you will establish routines and practices that help you juggle home and work.  

Chris Coates, chief financial officer and father of three, says it’s all about effort and attitude for him. He says, “There’s always going to be folks that are ‘smarter’ than me, or may have other perceived advantages, but they might not have what I’ve got — determination. And I’m always in full control of that.”  

Self-Care: Being Kind to Yourself  

Use PTO and Sick Time

If you receive paid time off or sick time at your company, remember that it’s part of your total compensation and should be used when you need it. PTO isn’t just for vacations. Take the day to tend to your needs, whatever they might be. And if you’re sick — physically ill or mentally drained — take the sick day to heal and keep your life in balance.  

Regional director Brian Lamsback says his team has taken an intentional approach to destigmatizing mental health days. He says, “We’ve agreed ahead of time, as a group, that we don’t have to say we’re sick when we’re not. Telling our managers that we ‘need to take a sick day’ is sufficient.” He says this approach helps his team check in with themselves more often, and hopefully helps avoid potential burnout.  

Nurture Your Well-Being

There’s a reason the airlines tell parents to put their oxygen mask on first: you can’t pour from an empty cup. Prioritizing self-care is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family. Sure, it might not look the same as it did before children, but it can, and should, be on your list of priorities — right up there with “feed the kids breakfast.”  

Katie Welker, manager and proud mother of her baby boy, says she’s recently made a list of “non-negotiables” to help recharge after a busy work week. “I go to a Pilates class, walk my dog, and plan meals for the week ahead.” Katie emphasizes how important this is for her. “I look forward to this time and my family knows I need to do this to avoid getting overwhelmed.”  

Emily Webber, senior vice president and mother of two, can’t say enough about the importance of prioritizing self-care. “Taking care of my body through nutrition and exercise has made a difference in my overall attitude, patience level, and happiness.” She says it doesn’t take much time — she dedicates 30 minutes to one hour each day. “The time I commit to myself is just an important as any care I give directly to my children. Plus, I know I am setting a healthy example for my daughters,” she says. When parents take care of themselves, it benefits everyone in the family.  

Lead account executive Lauren Schneider reminds us to lean on our village. “Don’t just lean on your village when you need to take care of things at work — lean on them when you need to take care of yourself, too.” Lauren adds, “There’s a strength in accepting support and a beauty in watching your loved ones experience your family along with you.”  

Managing director Jason Lindberg shares an important reminder: “Flush the Instagram influencers’ sparkling homes and perfection! It’s not real. Raising a family can be messy, and sometimes frustrating. Real life isn’t social posts. It’s dishes in the sink, laundry for days, and basic house projects you should have finished a year ago. The mess and frustrations will soon be gone. You only have so long with kids before you’ll be longing for the chaos  again.”  

Creative Circle’s Support for Working Parents and Caregivers 

At Creative Circle, we’re committed to providing support to our employees through family-building resources, parental benefits and leave, and work-from-home-flexibility. We have an employee resource group dedicated to parents, caregivers, and allies; their mission is to empower and nurture our parent and caregiver community and to support healthy and productive lives — inclusive of work relationships. 

 

About the Author. 
Kayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer — when she’s not chasing around her two young boys or biking on the canal with her husband, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you’re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter to ensure you never miss the latest.