Selling by day, reviewing concerts by night

For eleven months my days and evenings looked completely different. By day I was selling at Smart Tech. By night I was at concerts with a notebook, writing for Cookie Jar, an award winning advertising firm in Dhaka.

Was it tiring? Absolutely. Would I do it again? Probably, but with more coffee.

The problem. Music fans in Dhaka wanted to read about the local and international acts coming through the city, and they wanted it while the night was still fresh. Sponsored events had their own challenge. They needed coverage people would actually read, not something that felt like an advert wearing a disguise.

What I did.

• Wrote web articles on local and international music stories and events.

• Covered exclusive events sponsored by British American Tobacco Bangladesh.

• Reviewed concerts and festivals, including Edward Maya, Joss Stone, Gilby Clarke and the Bengal Classical Music Festival.

What happened. Eleven months of published coverage, all written alongside a full time sales job. Writing to a deadline after a full day of selling taught me to get to the point quickly.

What I took from it. Every reader of a concert review has one question: should I have been there? A good review answers it in the first two lines. Good marketing copy works exactly the same way.