I’m happy to announce the two winners of the We Are What We Do notebook and bookmark giveaway.
For our first winner, drum roll, please…..
Alisia!
And our second winner is….
Bridgett!
Bridgett requested the large notebook and Alisia was not particular so I’ll be sending her the smaller notebook and bookmarks so everyone is happy. Thanks to everyone for entering our drawing and stay tuned for the giveaway!
Having a “well-appointed desk” goes beyond just having the right pen or paper at hand. I believe that it is also about having the right mindset and this includes a bit of office etiquette and professional strategies.
A great example of that is knowing how to make a good impression and that starts when you interview for a job. Take the time to write a thank you note.
I’ve seen it so many times in my career – a job is open, resumes are submitted and candidates are selected to interview. Then the interviewers go back to the day-to-day tasks of keeping their company or department running and the decision about which candidate to be offered the position is put on the backburner. Then, in the hectic-ness of the day, a small envelope appears on the desk. “Hmmm, I wonder what this is?” is the thought that springs to mind as the envelope is opened. Inside is a Thank You note with a few short lines thanking the recipient for the chance to interview and a word or two that brings back a conversation from the interview. “Oh, that’s right, I remember that candidate. And he/she was thoughtful enough to send a Thank You card. Maybe I should take another look at their resume?”
See how that works? It helps make you memorable and shows that this job is important enough to you to scrape ten minutes out of your day to write a note.
I believe that writing a thank you note is also important if you ask for a professional favor – a lunch meeting with a mentor to help you solve a problem – or anytime you ask someone to go above their normal duties for your benefit.
Just a little professional PSA for all our fine readers.
(via Crane & Co.: The Blog)
I realize this particular article might have been more timely last week, I hadn’t realized until I had time to read it fully that it dealt specifically with the liberal use of capital letters in the Declaration of Independence, specifically the flourished “original” document with the signatures at the bottom including John Hancock’s enormous flourish.
In the end, the author’s case is that we should not lose cursive handwriting and the ability to write it and read it in this era moving ever more forcefully into the digital age.
(via The New Yorker)
Write a few notes in the rings of this tree-themed post-it note paper that sits atop a plastic tree stump. Oh how I wish I could get paper refills for it! $7.70 from Jet Pens.
This image could also be called “lawn art for office supply junkies”. Now my question is where can I get my own!
As I have previously mentioned, after swearing that all ballpoint pens were the vilest of all writing tools and eating crow when introduced to the Uniball Jetstream 0.5 in Ash Green, I decided to test drive one of the Jetstream Multipens. This model is considered part of the F*Series (F for feminine but I think F* looks like a swear word and there is nothing about this pen that is all that feminine other than it is a fairly narrow body for a 3-tool multipen) and was purchased from our fine sponsors, JetPens for $11.50. The body of this pen is a smooth black plastic (called Luminous Black) with bits of metallic mica flakes in the plastic that gives it a sparkly, starry night look. Inside the pen are two Jetstream pens, one red and one black and both 0.5 and a mechanical pencil that is also 0.5. There is no eraser included with the pen. While I normally find on-pencil erasers inadequate, I thought I’d point it out.
The ink is super slick but the fine point and whatever hoodoo magic Uniball worked, the inks dry quickly, even for this messy overwriting lefty.
To be honest, I think the Uniball Jetsrteam perform best on cheap office papers, legal pads and copy paper. I think its also writes extrememly well with little showthrough on the thin paper in most Moleskines. Its the perfect budget tool for the office for this reason where you may not always get the option to choose high quality papers for notetaking.
There are lower-priced Jetstream multipens available in both 0.5 and 0.7 widths with erasers and soft grip areas but I chose this one for its good looks. I have a Pilot Opt Mechanical Pencil in Stardust Blue that compliments the Jestream F* nicely.
Additional reading:
The Pen Addict reviews:
Happy Fourth of July, my fine friends! Hope your have a lovely day of fun in the shade (its too hot this year for fun in the sun) and I’ll see you back here on Thursday!
