Sending a cover letter each time you apply to a job is crucial, but it's hard to be sure if the person who read it was able to also read into your personality. All the technology in the world can't take the place of a simple smile and a handshake. Websites like LinkedIn offer tremendous capabilities to cold-email versus cold-call, but combing the job boards all day long is enough to make you cross-eyed. Making an impression in any industry means greeting someone face to face, reading their body language, and giving off those "Hire me!" signals through your posture and enthusiasm. Going to a networking event and talking to strangers might seem daunting, but just think of how many potential hiring managers you’ll have the chance to impress!

Out of Work Chicago
Artisan is participating in an upcoming event sponsored by Out of Work Chicago. Their next cocktail-hour/meet-and-greet is on Wednesday, May 6, from 5-9 p.m. at Midtown Kitchen. Advance tickets to this event are $10, and $20 at the door...but for Artisan blog readers, it could be FREE! Why pay to go to a networking event? In addition to lots of APPETIZERS there are speakers who really know what they’re talking about. Check out the faces.

 

 

Let's face it: your resume and portfolio are the visual components of your job search; what a hiring manager really needs to hear is your voice. Who are you? What are you up to? What are your design philosophies? Visual matter can only translate so much. You need some serious face time, and that means networking.

Have you heard of the group Out of Work Chicago? This organization stated when a group of people from a variety of industries found themselves suddenly back on the job market. They decided to come up with a networking event that would bring people together on a monthly basis to swap job search stories, combine resources, and figure out next steps in their job search. This is just the sort of kick in the pants that you need: an opportunity to meet other people who can hold you accountable for what you’re doing with your job search, while teaching you new tactics to help you land your next job. Plus, there are hiring managers there ready to meet new talent on the market. Check out these posts to read about why networking is important and how Out of Work Chicago could be a great way to dip your toe in the networking pool.

If all of your tried-and-tested lead-generators have dried up...It's time for an about-face.

How to Win a Free Ticket 

What’s the wildest way you landed a job interview? Share with us your craziest networking tactics, escapades, and near-escapes. Post your experiences to our blog by Sunday, May 3, and Artisan will treat five lucky winners to FREE admission!

Winners will be notified on Monday May 4.

 

Oak Park, Illinois is the first city directly west of downtown Chicago, and the village is loaded with important architectural buildings, many of which were designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. He was well-known for his work in the "Prairie" style, with its low horizontal lines and harmony with the natural surroundings. If you are looking for a sleek, yet classic design style, these homes can definitely serve as inspiration. Many have an almost Asian feel to them.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio is on Chicago Avenue and is open to the public. Here, you can see the beginnings of the Prairie School of architecture and begin to learn more about this type of look. Opt for a guided tour of the building, or set out to take in all the sights and sign up for a walking tour of the Historic District. You'll see the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright designs in the world here, and the repeated themes and craftsmanship of these homes are sure to amaze as well as inspire. The clean lines and basic ideas on which this style of architecture is based on translate very well to Web design.

Paychecks for the hundreds of freelancers working with Artisan arrive electronically in bank accounts or are slipped into mailboxes across the country each week. Benefits enrollment materials arrive on doorsteps at the appropriate time, last-minute details are arranged flawlessly—all by one person – PC Singsuwan. Today we are honoring PC Singsuwan for 10 years of tremendous contributions to Artisan and the creative community.

As accounting administrator, PC impeccably processes nearly 100 timesheets each week. In her ten years of service with Artisan, PC has processed over 50,000 timesheets for three states: Chicago, New York, and Indianapolis. Doug Wolterink, Artisan’s controller, relays his pride in working with PC who is a wonderful advocate to Artisan and the creative community: “PC's advocacy for the both the talent and client are truly her greatest strength and evidenced by the great rapport she's had with the thousands of talent and clients she's worked with in her time here at Artisan. Her other responsibilities include accounts payable, administering talent health benefits, and handling virtually any other support request her coworkers may have. Though not required, PC even ensures her coworkers will be wide awake each day by making the strongest coffee this side of Starbucks! PC's complete dedication, loyalty, and friendly personality have been a privilege to work with over the years. She's given Artisan 10 years.... my hope would be for another 20!”

On behalf of Artisan’s employees, the talent we represent, and the clients we partner with: Thank you, PC!

As writers and designers, most of us have experienced a time when the ideas just wouldn't come. Instead of trying to push through this type of thing, why not allow yourself a "design getaway" for a little bit of inspiration? Design getaways can be anything from spending a few hours in the park with a sketch pad to a road trip to a particular town or destination.

A client will often come to us with a general idea and expect us to fill in the details. This can be tricky, and to do it well, we must both educate and inspire ourselves to meet their expectations. Luckily, there are many things we can do to achieve that inspiration. Looking to the past can help inform our work, as can man-made items like art and sculpture. Nature is another wonderful source. We can also find help in architectural design, museums, and the work of others. Coming up with a design concept or the perfect catch phrase can be a challenge, but inspiration is everywhere. The next time you need a little help, try a little getaway instead of more resolve. It works wonders!

One of our freelancers sent out an HTML email earlier this week talking about his latest news. It included links to recent freelance projects he's worked on along with individual case studies. While this might be a good deal of work to write the copy, upload samples, build a contact list, and keep the email fresh and current, it's a great way to keep track of your freelance projects and promote yourself. Sending out a promotional HTML email is also a tremendous way to stay in front of recruiters and potential hiring contacts.Try it out!

It can be difficult enough to pay the bills you HAVE to pay let alone set money aside for your "golden years." Although retirement itself may be a pie-in-the-sky dream or something enjoyed by a different generation, it's doubtful that you're going to want to do the freelance hustle well into your, ahem, senior years. Are you aware of a Freelancers Union co-op retirement plan you can join for with no minimum deposit required? Sure, Artisan offers its freelance employees a 401(k) contribution but what about those who don't yet qualify or are freelancing on their own? You can learn more about this excellent and possibly little-known financial jackpot on freelancedom.

Thanks to Brian, a great Chicago Graphic Designer, I read a very interesting article on Design Observer today. No such thing as bad clients, huh? How true can that be? Take a look at this article to read about the 10 paradoxes of graphic design. As if you didn't know what they were already....

It's the final stretch before Cut&Paste Chicago on April 2 -- we're freaking out. Can you tell how excited we are about the event? If you still haven't gotten your tickets, you better pray there are some left -- go online now and get yours. Don't wait -- you don't want to miss this one-time-a-year competition. How else are you going to know that you want to try and participate next year if you have no idea what goes on? Well, here to tell us a bit more in the fifth and final segment of our interview, is Lucas Buick, the founder/creative director of design company Synthetic Infatuation and the Chicago design ambassador for the Cut&Paste Digital Design Tournament 2009. Seriously, when you're done reading, go buy your tickets.

Artisan: So, after multiple rounds and a winner is announced in each category, what happens when it's all done?
Lucas Buick: The winner is crowned with an actual crown or tiara, the winners get prizes -- anything ranging from new laptops to software to design ephemera. The winner of each city in each category will fly to New York in June and take on the rest of the world. Each of the 17 cities will fly into New York in June for the Global Championships. I think the prize is a new workstation from Apple, software, a new library from Pantone -- things like that. Wacom is a big sponsor as well and the winner will get a Cintiq screen where you can draw on.

Artisan: Who judges the event?
Lucas Buick: Our judges are the esteemed panel from all the design studios and ad agencies from here in Chicago.

To learn more about the judges, visit the Cut&Paste website for each category:

• 2D Design
• 3D Design 
• Motion Design

Google describes its mission as: "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful," and they are well on their way. Several factors combined make this one of the most well-designed Websites out there, which has helped propel it to center stage as a search engine. The search page itself is very plain and straightforward. It has become the search engine of choice for many people because it is uncluttered, intuitive and straightforward.

Another feature that is part of Google's smart design is the automatic spell check that helps correct--and suggest--alternate spellings for a particular term or item. Directly to the right of the search box there is also an advanced search option, as well as links to set preferences. This helps the user customize things easily to make their overall experience a smooth one. Over time there have been many new features added to Google, including Web mail and a map program, but the search feature remains what the company is best known for; and the main page still retains that uncluttered feel.