OPPORTUNITY:IT 'IS' THAT SERIOUS

A statement I always here being used is, 'It's never that serious' which is true once you really get to look at your past problems, they were really not that serious! However, people are using this statement on things that they ought to be taking serious e.g your family, your career, your relationships etc. They ARE serious, not serious to the point they are killing you but serious to the point that you should conduct yourself accordingly.
This week I wanted to get the word out that I needed creative assistance. My requirements were simple, send me links to your work e.g a portfolio and an estimation of your charges because I understand creative work varies with a clients needs. I didn't specify much because thats what I wanted at that time. The responses were great, I was so confused about what to pick because I needed a minimum of five to present to my boss, so here I am with HUNDREDS of talented creatives with amazing portfolios, someone say DREAM! However, the real problem comes here, PEOPLE DO NOT TAKE THEIR WORK SERIOUSLY!
I had people responding to me in such an unproffessional manner it was crazy. It had me reflecting on the number of times I probably missed out on an opportunity because I wasn't knowledgeable enough to be courteous or proffessional and in turn I wasn't taken seriously. I am a light hearted person by nature, I love joking around, seeing the humour in most things but when it comes to my work, girl doesn't play. If I didn't have someone guiding me and telling me, you must learn how to be serious, not dead- boring serious but organized, interesting and articulate serious, then I wouldn't even have the opportunities I have now.
Thing is if you don't take your work seriously, no one will. If you don't take yourself seriously, no one will, it's that simple. And many times I have failed because I didn't see the importance of taking an opportunity seriously
1. Take the time to put your work in one place being organized says alot about you.
2. Be honest. Send in your work and not someone elses. Atleast don't lie about something so huge that it will cost you.
3. Learn how to respond as requested. The devil may be in the detail but relax and keep your responses simple and to the point.
4. Be proffessional, if you don't know how, just avoid being rude and seeming like you aren't taking your own work seriously.
Apart from the fact that I just wrote a post that sounds so much like my mother...lol. I think it is helpful and hopefully someone applies some of it and it ends up opening doors to something meaningful and worthwhile.