WE’RE A CREATIVE, DIGITAL, AND MARKETING TALENT RESOURCE
FacebookXLinkedInInstagramTiktok

5 New Paradigms for a Socially Engaged Company

The age of social media is not just changing our personal lives, but is increasingly affecting how business is conducted. No longer satisfied with strictly top-down models that view employees as cogs in a system, businesses are quickly adapting to a new paradigm that emphasizes connection, collaboration and innovation.

When people in companies and teams feel engaged, the benefits are significant. Towers Watson (formerly Towers Perrin), the global professional services firm, interviewed 90,000 employees in 18 countries, and found “companies with high employee engagement had a 19% increase in operating income and almost a 28% growth in earnings per share. Conversely, companies with low levels of engagement saw operating income drop more than 32% and earnings per share decline over 11%.”

Companies are realizing that it is not enough to get people to show up to work; the real challenge is creating cultures that enhance creativity and innovation. Below you’ll find what leaders in the field had to say about this new age of innovation and engagement.

Read the full article on mashable.com!

Attention Freelancers! 3 Simple Ways to Attract Higher-Quality Clients

Lower-quality clients suck. All they focus on is how little they can pay. They make unreasonable demands for the amount of work they want you to do and how fast they want it done. And they’ll inevitably ask you for designs that you don’t really enjoy creating. Does this sound familiar? Then chances are you have suffered from working for clients like these. We all have at some point, especially when starting out. So how do you avoid working for lower-quality clients? You attract higher-quality ones. How? Well, you’re in luck: there are 3 simple ways to attract higher-quality clients.

There aren’t any tricks involved. It’s simply adjusting your attitude and approach towards clients. You stand your ground and don’t compromise on what you’re worth and who you’re willing to work with. By doing so, you’ll be well on your way to attracting higher-quality clients that you actually want to work with. Without further ado, here are 3 simple ways to attract higher-quality clients:

Read the full article on speckyboy.com

Quote of the day

“What is it that you like doing?  If you don’t like it, get out of it, because you’ll be lousy at it.”

~Lee Iacocca

Why Your Next Business Card May Be Virtual

(mashable.com) – Pundits have been calling for the death of the business card for years now. Writing in The Globe and Mail in 2007, for example, Amy Verner wrote that the growing number of Blackberry users (this was pre-iPhone and Android) presaged the end of the traditional business card. As more people began to carry smartphones, predicted Verner, more people would begin to ditch paper cards in favor of swapping digits.

Of course, reports of the business card’s demise have been exaggerated. At South by Southwest this year, as at any conference I have attended over the past 4 years, I collected a stack of business cards that nearly tore the seams from my wallet. Clearly, for most people, the business card is still the networking tool du jour.

Read the full article here!

20+ Infographics to Help Web Designers and Developers

(designtutorials4u.com) – Infographics are a great, creative and concise way to present vital information in a visual and interesting way that’s easy for most people to understand.   There are many of us that learn visually and be presenting data in graphic format is more useful.

Today lets take a look at 20+ Infographics with concepts important to Web Designers and Developers that could perhaps provide them the information they need to get their jobs done quicker.

Read the full article here!

How to Prepare for a Phone Interview

(about.com) – Some employers choose to prescreen job applicants over the phone before doing an in-person interview. If you’re selected for a phone interview, prepare for a phone interview just as carefully as you would for a regular interview.

Prepare for a Phone Interview Research the job and the company so you are prepared to discuss the company and your role if you were to be hired. Compile a list of answers to typical phone interview questions. In addition, have a list of questions ready to ask the interviewer.

Read the full article here!

Quote of the day

“Wednesdays are like Mondays in the middle of the week!”

~Lee Fox Williams

Logo Design Trends for Big Companies

(www.graphicmania.net) – Logos are one of the most important components of a brands identity which promotes instant public recognition. Although logos are designed to be instantly recognizable, they don’t always remain the same.

Some modifications are minor; others can result in an almost entirely different logo. In this article, we will look at some logos from well known companies and see how they have changed throughout the history of the company.

Read the full article here!

Quote of the day

“If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well”

~Proverb

Important Factors of Minimal Web Design

(www.instantshift.com) – Less is More’, an aphorism coined by the German – American architect for Coining suits the term ‘Minimalism’ in an apt way. In today’s world where everything is growing in a fast paced manner, we have to compromise somewhere to catch up with the speed, like a skyscraper cannot be constructed with all the architecture and the fine details as in case of a palace, but a skyscraper does justice to its part and everybody accepts this. In the world of darkness, a simple candle can light the whole place rather than a chandelier or heavy lightings. Similarly a minimalistic design is created to justify its purpose rather than incorporating all the materials and create a chaos.

Read the full article here!

5 Ways to Improve Meetings

(www.openforum.com) – Meetings are very expensive. Time is precious, and having many people in a room is quite costly by any measurement. The cost of an interrupted workflow is even worse, especially for a small business.

 You might be especially productive early in the morning, from the moment you start working. I might require an hour or so of build-up time before I’m ready to get cranking. But when a meeting starts, our preferences and differences are cast aside. Meetings strip us of the core tenet of the creative process: autonomy.

 We can’t rid the world of meetings. After all, the benefits of meeting do sometimes outweigh the costs. But we can meet more wisely.

 Here are five tips for improving the experience and outcome of meetings:

Read the full article here!

Quote of the day

“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.”

 ~Arnold Toynbee

Top 9 Job Sites to Bookmark for Your Career Search

(mashable.com) – Approximately 84% of employees in North America plan to look for new jobs in 2011, according to a recent survey by global talent management firm Right Management. Put them alongside those who are unemployed, and you have a whole lot of people searching for work.

If you happen to be in either of those positions, it’s essential to get organized about your job search by understanding what information and resources are available to you on the major job sites.

Over the years, job boards have become more than just job search sites — many now offer additional resources and functionalities to job seekers. Here are nine of the top job sites, including a few of the basics, that boast valuable services beyond job postings.

Read the full article here!

Failure And Imagination

(jonathanfields.com) – On this first Monday of the New Year, I thought how powerful it would be to share J.K. Rowling’s marvelous 2008 Harvard commencement speech on failure and imagination, two things she illuminates in a way that brings fresh life to their power and impact as we look ahead.

Listen to her words, watch her energy as she speaks.

Fifteen years ago, she was unknown to the world, a young divorced mother living near poverty. In this speech, you’ll see a glimpse into what took her from there to being the creator of a series of books that have sold more than 400 million copies, earned her over a billion dollars and created the opportunity for her to do what she’s here to do.

Read the rest and see video of the speech here!

Quote of the Day

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

~Confucius

Do you have your own blog? Thinking of starting one?

(instantshift.com) – 23 Good Habits of Successful Bloggers

I’m sure all bloggers wonder, “How did others make it to the top? If only someone would share the secrets of becoming a popular blogger.”

Summing up and categorizing the good and bad habits of highly effective bloggers could be frustrating; you might begin to see that some successful bloggers have certain behaviors in common, while others absolutely don’t. What does it take, then, to become a popular blogger, to be accepted, trusted and followed by many? I’ve discovered some interesting similarities among the successful bloggers who I follow. Some traits are common, some unique.

To become a successful blogger, open yourself to your readers as well. Treat them with the same respect and honesty that you would give to your friends and clients.

Read the full article here!

Quote of the Day

“The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.”

~ Oscar Wilde

Letters of Recommendation

(about.com) – What job seekers and employees need to know about references, including information on reference and recommendation letters, sample letters of recommendation and reference lists, how to ask for a reference, and how to use references. There is also information on what reference checkers can ask about you and what previous employers can disclose.

Read the full article here!

Roundup of 40 of The Best Photoshop Tutorials from 2010

(designtutorials4u.com) – 2010 was a banner year for Photoshop, with the release of CS5 and countless amazing tutorials to help us all improve our skills.  As we all know Photoshop is probably one of the most sought after and indispensable pieces of software in a designer’s skill set. It can be used for just about anything, including designing for the web, icons, posters and retouching.  Since we all have new years resolutions, lets make one of them improving our skills and to learn new tip, tricks and methods in design.

Read the full article here!

Ready to get smart? Give us a ring.

Sure, you can email us to introduce yourself. But why not pick up the phone?
To get a relationship going, there’s nothing like one person talking to another. Conversations make us smart!

Chicago 312.284.1350

Stay connected to the hottest jobs around.

smartdept. is a certified Women's Business Enterprise. Working with us helps support diverse markets and furthers economic growth.

© 2021-2023 smartdept. inc.

Go to Top