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The Ins and Outs of Working In-house

I started my career at the in-house design department of a Fort Lauderdale-based construction company. It was a terrible experience that lasted all of seven days. After that I swore to never work in-house anywhere, ever again. For four jobs (and about as many years) I kept that promise. Then I moved to New York City.

In other cities, I never had any trouble finding work. I would decide I hated my job one week, only to have another one lined up the next. I got unsolicited job offers and was the subject of a few hostile take-over attempts. I ignorantly assumed that New York would be the same. As one of the capitals of design, it must have thousands of jobs to offer, no? As you can all imagine, I quickly discovered it was quite the opposite.

Read the full article by Johanna Björk on aiga.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

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!

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!

Get organized with these free planners!

It’s time for a fresh start! Seize the New Year and streamline your calendar. We stumbled across this great resource; several free and quite unique planners are available for download. Definitely worth checking out!

Momentum: The Key to Making Your Big Ideas Happen in 2011

(www.openforum.com) – According to Newton’s First Law of Motion, the tendency of a body in motion is to keep moving; the tendency of a body at rest is to sit still. In other words, it’s a lot less work to keep moving once you have some momentum, than it is to start moving from a dead stop.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re running a marathon or running a business – momentum is key. If we can take small steps to execute our big, bold business objectives every day in 2011, it will be infinitely easier to stay focused, make great strides, and blast through the roadblocks that inevitably come up.

Read the full article here!

Get a Taste of HumanKind

(Jenny Torres on talentzoo.com) – Attention all young creatives, not-so-young creatives, and creatives who are young at heart: Leo Burnett has recently published a new book titled HumanKind. Written by chief executive officer Tom Bernardin and global chief creative officer Mark Tutssel, this book is about people, purpose, and creating acts, not ads. HumanKind gives the reader an inside look into how their creative teams approach popular brands. Read the full article here!

30 Great Holiday Gifts for The Designer and Developer In Your Lives

Its that time of year again. Time to buy those important holiday gifts for your loved ones or coworkers. As we all know, it is never easy to find the right gift for the designer or developer in your life. They are generally very hard to shop for since they speak a different language and sometimes live in a different world, but now you have more unique, fun and useful gifts than ever. Today lets take a look at 30 Great Holiday Gifts for The Designer and Developer In Your Lives:

Read full article here!

Start Now to Reduce Holiday Stress

(Dawn Foster on gigaom.com ) – We’re right in the middle of the holiday season, when the stress starts to accumulate until it reaches a breaking point. Start taking steps today to make some positive changes that will help you manage our stress over the next two or three weeks.

Read full article here!

Debrief Yourself After a Job Interview

(Dave Johnson on bnet.com) – Statistics show that the average person has to weather a dozen interviews to get the job they want. All those meetings with HR and hiring managers aren’t just wasted effort, though — you can use the experiences to be better prepared for next time.

Specifically, The Wisdom Journal recommends that you thoroughly debrief yourself after each interview rejection. There are several key questions you should take the time to answer:

What did you learn from the interview?
Were you adequately prepared?
What could you have done or said better?
How can you be better prepared for the next interview?

Be honest, think about your performance objectively, and use your answers to improve your next interview. As Wisdom Journal points out:

Try to view your job candidacy from another perspective – the hiring manager’s. Would YOU hire yourself? Before you answer that – think about why you would hire yourself. Then make certain you mention those in your next interview. [via Lifehacker]

7 Tips for Succeeding as a Social Media Strategist

(Erica Swallow on mashable.com) – The role of social media is expanding rapidly and many organizations of all types are trying to stay afloat amidst the changes. Meanwhile, a small group of innovators pulls the industry onward.

In the past few years, the social media marketing role has become increasingly present, leading the way to more strategic social media programs. Enter the social media strategist.

Read the full article here!

Get Creative with Your Resume

(Cameron Chapman on instantshift.com) – With the current economy, it’s important for job-seekers to stand out if they want to land a job, whether that’s in the corporate world or a freelance gig. The good news is that if you’re a creative-type, there’s a ton you can do with your resume that will set you apart.

The key in creating a great resume is to make it unique. Your resume should reflect you: your skills, your personality, and your experience. Combining those in a way that will catch the eye of whoever is in charge of hiring is what this article will teach you!

Read the full article here!

The Ins and Outs of Working In-house

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

20+ Infographics to Help Web Designers and Developers

How to Prepare for a Phone Interview

Letters of Recommendation

Get organized with these free planners!

Momentum: The Key to Making Your Big Ideas Happen in 2011

Get a Taste of HumanKind

30 Great Holiday Gifts for The Designer and Developer In Your Lives

Start Now to Reduce Holiday Stress

Debrief Yourself After a Job Interview

Get Creative with Your Resume

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!

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!

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!