ArtisanTalent Blog » Sharon Potsch

A Summary That Sells

Sharon Potsch — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:34:00 +0000

Very few employers will read every word of your resume, even the interesting bit at the end about your motocross and corgi-breeding hobbies. Your job is to make it easy for them to want to read more. Just like a successful ad has a lively headline, your resume should have a well-written, engaging summary at the top to entice the employer.

A successful ad goes beyond merely describing the product, instead selling the benefits to the consumer. Your summary should sell the benefits you offer as a freelancer, based on your knowledge of what that employer wants.

Spend time perfecting the summary — as much time as you spend on the rest of the resume, perhaps. Each time you send your resume out, tweak the summary section so that it offers a good match for the job being offered.

What Can I Learn In An Interview?

Sharon Potsch — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Don’t forget that an interview is a two-way street. You are presenting information and selling yourself, but you’re also learning more about the job being offered, and whether or not it’s right for you. An employer would much rather have you turn down a job that isn’t a good fit than have you fail at it later. As you talk with the hiring manager, pay attention to the person’s tone and your own reactions. If it’s an on-site interview, pay attention also to the physical environment, the demeanor of other people you encounter, overheard snippets of conversation. All of these can provide clues as to the state of the company (after all, you want them to pay your bill!) and whether it’s oriented toward the kind of work you do best. Ask questions about the job duties and how they fit into the organization’s larger picture. If the job itself seems ill-defined, be sure you and the hiring manager are on the same page about what you would actually do. You’re just gathering information now, not making judgments about it. By the end of the interview, if you’re sure you want the job, ask for it, communicating your enthusiasm. If you’re not sure, just thank the person and go home to think it over.

How Do I Prepare for Interview Questions?

Sharon Potsch — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:23:00 +0000

Of course, there’s the dreaded “Tell me about yourself.” Your elevator speech provides an answer to this, particularly if you tailor it to the job being discussed. Here are some other questions that may trip you up if you aren’t prepared:

“If you were to stay at your current organization, what would be your next move?”
“Tell me your greatest accomplishment.”
“What makes you stand out from the others?”
“How many hours a week do you need to get your job done?”
“Tell me about your professional experience before you went freelance.”
“How many clients do you work with at a time?” (Your job is to convince the interviewer that you can be trusted and that the task at hand won’t conflict with anything else.)
“How do you charge for your services?” The answer to this should always be, “It depends on the job.”
“Here’s a sample of some work we did last year. I’d like you to look at it and critique it.” (Point out mistakes, but also find something good to say about it. Don’t be afraid to say how you would have approached the job differently.)
“What are you reading?” (This one is often meant to discover if you’re a literate, informed person, but can also be targeted to ask things like “What books have you read about design?”)

What If the Client Wants Me to Give Away My Hard-Earned Knowledge?

Sharon Potsch — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:15:00 +0000

Freelancers often get hired because they have expertise the hiring organization doesn’t have in-house. If this is the case, you may find staff members at the work site asking you to teach them the program you’re using, or give them advice on how to approach their own projects. Here you have a dilemma. You want to be responsive, informed, and friendly. Yet if you share your expertise too freely, you may find yourself out of a job. A better approach may be to encourage the company to hire you as a trainer, to develop staff expertise that’s focused on organizational goals. If they can’t or won’t do that, approach local colleges and technical networking groups about doing an evening class which company employees could take.

2011: Mobile Hackathon

Sharon Potsch — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:22:16 +0000

Mobile app development is hot. We all know that. But how does someone actually gain experience developing mobile applications?

Developers and UX designers interested in mobile app development will have the opportunity to collaborate and create a real-life mobile app on Saturday, January 15, at the first in a quarterly series of locally-held mobile “hackathons” sponsored by Artisan.

The series “Ji-V Hack 2011 Hackathon & Workshop” provides hands-on mobile app development to interested folks no matter experience level within mobile technologies or mobile design. Each participant will be placed in a six-person team comprised of beginners through expert-level developers with a chance to not only build an app but have the opportunity for their team to win $1,000 if the app is selected for implementation.

January’s hackathon will focus on creating and building an app to support a flourishing online start-up, Web2Carz. The mission is to create a functional app to support this site which generates over 10,000 consumer hits per day. Each quarterly hackathon reflects a new organization, site, or mission.

Registration for this event is happening now.

In addition to hands-on web application development, participants will have the opportunity to hear from mobile design and development pioneers and forerunners from organizations including Adobe, Motorola, Sears, as well as local mobile-based start-ups in the Chicago area. Hackathons are truly a revolution in developers and designers partnering together to share their knowledge, talents, and ambition to reach new heights and frontiers. Artisan is proud to sponsor the next level of thinking in the mobile space but we’re even more proud to partner ambition with possibility. We hope to see you at the event!

Use Social Media to Build Your Brand

Sharon Potsch — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:39:00 +0000

Social media isn’t just about Tweeting your whereabouts. Used effectively, social media can actually be leveraged to create and promote your entire brand as a creative professional.

In order to use social media to its full capacity, you will need to build a brand for yourself or your company. Branding reinforces your message on the Web and can help you prove that you are a polished professional–whether you are looking for work or just trying to cover all the bases by putting together a social media presence. So how do you build a brand? Here are some tips to get you started:

Strive for consistency in format. Use the same bio picture or logo for Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you use your middle initial, make sure all your social media sites have it. Remember that you are creating a package, and that it should be visually cohesive.
Watch what you say. Remember that everything you say can be seen. Don’t let something slip that will come back to haunt you. Present a professional image at all times.
Choose colors and a design. This doesn’t have to be super fancy–but you’ll want to stick to a similar color scheme if possible. If you are a designer and can create a custom logo, add it to your social media where you can.
Make sure all the information is the same. If you describe yourself as a designer on one social networking group, don’t list “writer” on another. Keep the flow of information the same so that no matter which site someone visits, they get a message that reinforces your brand.
Create a tagline. Taglines are a punchy way to get to the heart of what you do and they tend to be short. Use them if you can on social media.

How Can a Contract Job Help Me Build My Network?

Sharon Potsch — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Each job you do well adds few more contacts to your network. Hold on to the names of people who supervised you or worked with you on specific projects, so that you can reference them in the future. These “networks” can attest to your credibility and creativity as a freelancer. You can maximize these opportunities by meeting new people while on-site, and listening to them talk about what their jobs are like, what their frustrations are, and where they excel. Don’t subject yourself to hours of petty grievances from the designated whiner (every office has one, right?), but don’t be too picky about who gets your attention — you never know when the quiet guy in the corner cube will start his own company and need your services. In all your interactions, be positive, productive, and accommodating. Listen more than you talk, and you’ll be surprised what a good impression you make.

Consumer-Run Print Shops

Sharon Potsch — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 20:05:45 +0000

One of my favorite school projects of all time was way back (way back) in fifth grade when we got to decorate and write our own books. Mrs. Deacon brought in dozens of blank books with assorted black and white cover designs. I immediately selected the book with the illustrations of lollipops and hard candy just begging to be colored in and I titled my book none other than, Candy Shop.Hopefully through the years my writing has become a bit more creative. Fast-forward to today with the advent of true do-it-yourself books offered by I-Photo, Shutterfly, and dozens of other print-and-click online photo shops that allow you the ability to see your images, art direction, and copy in glossy print.

A “year-in-review” personalized photo book is a no-brainer gift idea for the in-laws and I’m dizzy with options and choices but I narrow down 4,000 images to the best 45 and select “ship” once I’ve slightly modified the Modern template. The templates are great—the site automatically positions and resizes images you select on the fly to fit inside pre-ordained layouts. Brilliant.

A week later snuggled in my mailbox is a bright orange box holding my masterpiece. Visions of 300 dpi images, bold bleeds, and saturated black fonts dazzle through my mind as I rip open the package. I pull out the book with its puffy, high gloss cover which wasn’t wrapped in bubble wrap but was instead slipped inside a rough, plastic cover. The book was scarred, a victim of plastic friction which rubbed and scratched my project all the way from California to Chicago. No matter. This company guarantees satisfaction! I call the super-duper-efficient 24-hour customer support center and am immediately issued a replacement at no cost. Superb! Certainly this is a one-off problem. Two days later the bright orange box appears. I envision a crisp, jet-black glossy cover and yet again I’m disappointed to see no bubble wrap and familiar war-wounds of travel buffed into both the front and back of the cover.

Trying to explain proper printing and shipping requirements of printed pieces with glossy covers to a call center instead of a designer or printer is a losing battle when a big company’s response is to throw money at a problem. Each day, designers (especially in this economy) do the dance of working within constraints to realize their vision. A big company finds that it’s just easier to issue credits or re-ship the same problem over, and over, and over. I personally can’t stand the thought of another FedEx driver tossing yet another bright orange box through the truck, filling the tank, and hauling yet another marred book to my doorstep.

Small print shops take the care to bind, package, and deliver a glossy black cover book with nary a scratch but not necessarily with free shipping, 20%-off coupon codes, and a $24.99 price tag. We rely on big chain establishments for so much—Black Friday shopping deals, free shipping, and quick service. It seems like the personal touch behind the things we consume is slipping faster than ever. Quality over cost is certainly a lesson learned and two weeks before Christmas it’s back to the drawing board with my creative book project. Oh, and it’s also time to find a way to use up my $24.99 online credit.

How Should I Follow Up After an Interview?

Sharon Potsch — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:30:00 +0000

Due to the resonating presence of this age-old question, we at Artisan thought we would share what has had the most positive effect in our experience.

A thank-you note used to be a way to stand out from the pack in a job interview situation. Now it’s expected in many industries, and those who don’t send one stand out in a negative way. Send separate notes to everyone who talked with you during the interview. Besides thanking them, use the opportunity to re-emphasize your skills briefly and ask again to be hired for the job. When considering how to send your note, think about the style of the organization. A very traditional and formal institution might be best thanked in a handwritten note on good stationery. A more businesslike but still old-fashioned organization might welcome a letter of thanks that’s more like a business letter, printed on a laser printer. For companies that are more technical or forward-looking, e-mail has become the best way to convey a thank-you note.

Whatever your medium, proofread your note before you send it, both for basic writing skills (spelling and grammar) and for tone. If you promised to send any information, such as samples of your work, do so promptly. If you were referred for the interview by someone in your network, be sure to thank him or her as well.

Tweets Lead to Treats for Those in Need

Sharon Potsch — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:23:22 +0000

Artisan loves to give back…and we’re continuing our efforts this holiday season by accepting toy and gift donations to underprivileged children who find refuge within the walls of Aunt Martha’s. Aunt Martha’s is a health and human services provider and a beacon of light and hope for countless children, families, and communities across Chicago.

With over 25 locations across the Chicago area, Aunt Martha’s provides housing and shelter, access to doctors, and juvenile justice services to over 80,000 individuals and families on a yearly basis. We are honored to be collecting toys for these deserving children. If you’re interested in dropping off a toy donation, you can bring a new, unwrapped toy to our Chicago office at 216 South Jefferson, Suite 202.

A special thank you to Artisan’s Veronica Ludwig who found this unique donation opportunity through Twitter connections and conversation. Social media plays fantastic roles in keeping us connected and also helps those in need. We are grateful for the opportunity to assist people and we hope to make these children’s holidays a bit brighter this year. You can track the progress of our gift drive on Artisan’s Facebook and Twitter pages.