Job Opening

Kane/Miller is seeking a part-time Marketing Assistant. Please submit a resume if you reside in the San Diego area and are interested in applying for this newly created position.

Position: Marketing Assistant

Summary: Long-term, part-time position, approximately 25 hours a week during the afternoon hours, in the La Jolla office.

Eligibility: Fluency in speaking Spanish, proficiency working with Microsoft Word and Excel, experience in professional writing and communication, familiarity with children’s publishing and/or child development is preferred, but not required.

Duties: Tasks include (but are not limited to): packing and shipping of review copies and other press materials, organizing and maintaining marketing calendar, online research, data entry, and light office duties. Occasional travel may be required (both out of state and within driving distance).

Pay: Competitive, hourly rate, with a potential for an increase after six months.

Contact: Please submit resume and references to Sondra Santos LaBrie, Marketing Manager, Kane/Miller Book Publishers, P.O. Box 8515, La Jolla, CA 92038, 858-456-0540, sondra@kanemiller.com

Stuck in the Muck...Oh #$%@!

I swear this is something that was sent to all Kane/Miller employees last week but I won't give away the sender's identity...

This article, posted on the UK's Metro News site, claims that swearing at work is good and I have to agree that swearing does (as the article mentions) "help to relieve stress and build team spirit."

Now, if only we could argue for this in all professional settings. I'm sure NFL coaches and players on the sidelines would love to shout out some expletives if it weren't for the TV cameras on them during the entire "show." After all, building team spirit is what the game is all about, right?

What about surgeons, when they've discovered that they've left some important tool inside their patient after surgery? I'm sure they don't wash their mouth out with soap after these frustrating situations, but probably should.

Let's face it, feeling comfortable enough to use whatever type of language you feel is necessary under any circumstance is what makes a workplace great (or not). This article explains - in a lighthearted way - how speaking openly encourages employees to express their feelings and to further develop and strengthen workplace relationships.

Speaking of relationships, we've decided to change the name of our Customer Service / Accounts Manager position to Relationship Manager. We're hoping that the relationship we have with our accounts / customers will improve greatly with the use of this new language.

And we promise we won't swear if you call us with a problem - at least not until we've hung up the phone.

From England
Duck in the Truck
by Jez Alborough

Hotel Room Confessions

My sister and I got back to the hotel after dinner last night feeling pretty exhausted. We took our time peeling off our shoes and getting ready for bed. Somehow, we managed to start packing, take turns using the bathroom, and check our email before finally sitting down on the bed to unwind. The room was very quiet, except for a strange noise that I couldn't quite recognize.

When I finally figured out what it was I was hearing, I started giggling - quietly at first - but then I couldn't stop. What I heard was the man next door snoring! The walls were so thin in this hotel that it sounded as though he were literally right next to us.

I wonder what types of things our neighbors heard from our room over the last few days. I'm sure we talked about our sons (on at least one occasion). I think I may have brought up the negative aspects of potty-training, such as having to continually wipe urine off of the walls, cabinets, floor and anything else within a 3-foot radius of my son (we're working on his aim).

From Belgium

Standing Up
Written by Marie-Anne Gillet
Illustrated by Isabelle Gilboux

It's always interesting to hear what others have to say when they think no one else can hear them. And so, with the Website of the Week (that I have grown accustomed to sharing in the weekly Kane/Miller newsletter) in mind, I thought it'd only be fitting to mention this quirky (and dare I say vulgar at times) website:

Overheard in the Office

I can't decide which I enjoy better - this new discovery or True Office Confessions. I'll let you decide.