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Posts Tagged ‘artisan’
Hiring Solutions: Freelance Graphic Designers for Rapid-Fire Marketing Projects
1/30/2012 1:50 PM By Vince Font
Do you work for a marketing company that needs to hire Graphic Designers for projects with an incredibly rapid turnaround time? The mere thought has been known to send hardened career marketing experts into tailspins of panic, especially considering the time and effort needed to launch a search to find qualified job candidates. If this story is starting to sound all too familiar, take a deep breath and relax. It can be done.
First, consider all of your options. Finding a freelance Graphic Designer or Production Artist might just be a far better solution than making a permanent hire. But will bringing in a freelancer—or freelancers, if your project requires nothing short of a small army—into the mix be cost effective? In a word, yes. Think about the following things you won’t have to worry about if you opt to hire Graphic Designers from the freelance market.
- No legal requirement to provide healthcare benefits. And fortunately for you, Artisan offers that option for its talent.
- Far less overhead costs, especially if the Graphic Designer in question can work remotely.
- Less need to provide training unless it is project or software specific. Most professional freelance Graphic Designers for hire are highly experienced, having worked in a variety of environments.
And if you work with a talent staffer like Artisan, where we’ve already taken care of everything from background checks to prior work history, you’ll have even less on your plate. Get a jumpstart on your marketing project by contacting us today.
Most Popular APIs Used By Freelance Coders
1/27/2012 4:19 PM By ArtisanApplication programming interfaces (APIs) are the tools that enable web coders to develop applications that function with existing services and websites. A perfect example is when a developer uses YouTube’s open API to embed videos onto the main page of a client’s website or when a website uses the Google Maps API to enable brick-and-mortar establishments to map their location so customers can easily find them.
Even more websites are turning to social media platform APIs like Facebook and Twitter as a way of integrating their websites with their social media accounts. This is something that YouTube, Google, Twitter and others encourage, as it is mutually beneficial by creating an interactive, integrated user experience while promoting further use of the API provider’s services.
The following is a list of some of the most popular APIs that are commonly used by freelance coders and website designers for integration with client websites. It’s by no means a comprehensive list of all of the APIs that you can find; therefore, it should only be used as a starting point for your continuing education as a web designer:
If you’re a freelance coder eager to get your name listed in a prominent position on a heavily trafficked web designers directory, learning to be fluent in some or all of the above listed APIs can help you accomplish that. Having a dozen or more websites to your credit that utilize these APIs to drive traffic can also infuse your portfolio with the kind of pizzazz and diversity that potential employers looking to hire freelance coders will sit up and take notice of.
Yet another effective way of increasing your profile in the ever-competitive world of freelance developers and web coders is by allying yourself with a creative talent agency like Artisan, where you’ll be listed alongside other in-demand professionals. To get started, sign up with Artisan today.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Three Myths About Interactive Design and Web Development
1/19/2012 2:52 PM By Vince Font
Being a full-time Interactive Designer doesn’t mean you know all there is to know about building the perfect website. Believe it or not, there are tons of professional ecommerce Web Developers out there operating on totally false principles, completely obliviously. The real trouble with this is that buying into certain myths can turn a potentially fabulous designer into a mediocre one. Here are three common myths that Web Developers all too often take as gospel.
Too much white space makes a website look empty.
Wrong. While we’ll admit that too much white space can be a bad thing, it all depends on what your definition of too much is. Some people’s idea of the ideal website design is one that doesn’t waste a single solitary pixel. But as you might imagine, taking this approach can result in an incredibly unattractive and cluttered site. When used properly, white space can make a web page more digestable and leave a user with a far more positive impression of a brand or product.
Quality content isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Occasionally, you’ll hear someone ranting about how unimportant online content is by pointing to a popular website with zero content as a perfect example. The only thing is, situations like these are total anomalies and ecommerce Web Developers have to understand this. Effective interactive design balances quality content with quality layout and visuals. If one or the other falls out of balance, the whole site’s integrity is shot. Well-developed content may not be the only determining factor that gets someone to come to your website, but it can play a huge role in keeping them there long enough to make a purchase and often ensures they’ll come back again.
Copying a proven model will work every time.
This isn’t really a dangerous myth as much as it is a time-wasting one. Far too many people believe that they can take shortcuts to website preeminence by blindly following the example put forth by far more visible websites. The only problem is, that’s breaking one of the very basic tenets of organic interactive design. The most successful websites got to be that way as a result of trial and error, and years of making tweaks that not only took user feedback into account but that also anticipated the wants and needs of future users. Copying someone else’s model is like copying someone else’s Bingo sheet pattern. It just doesn’t work.
If you’re having trouble finding work as a full-time Interactive Designer, take heart. Even though companies hiring Interactive Designers and ecommerce Web Developers may seem few and far between, there are still ways to make money on the full-time or freelance market. Artisan is a creative staffing company that has established clients who are regularly seeking developers and designers for full-time and lucrative freelance projects.
Weeding Out Web Designer Pros From the Flakes
1/9/2012 1:15 PM By Vince Font
The trouble many companies face when hiring Web Designers has little to do with finding people of skill and more to do with finding individuals who can produce high quality work on time. The reason? It’s easy for someone to get an education as a Web Designer. Work ethic, on the other hand, can’t always be learned and is seemingly in short quantity these days. If you’re looking to hire a Web Designer but want to avoid finding certain things out the hard way, we’ve got a few tips to help you out.
• Approach a creative talent agency in your search. You can still hire a Web Designer by listing the position on your company website or job boards, but top staffing agencies pre-screen all candidates and even perform pre-qualification interviews to be able to present you with a list of ideal job candidates.
• Know what you’re looking for. You don’t have to be an expert in web design to hire a Web Designer, but you should know enough to be able to discuss what you expect of them. It’s not enough to know what you don’t want, and it’s certainly unfair to expect someone to read your mind.
• Follow up on referrals. This is particularly important if you’re not using a creative talent agency or other staffing firm to find qualified people, since they’ll usually take care of all of the verification for you. You don’t want to find out that the individual you’ve hired for a critical project is not at all who you thought, so do your homework before signing a contract.
If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, it’s strongly recommended that you work with a staffing agency like Artisan who will be able to work with you to determine the quality of Web Designer you need and can provide a qualified match faster than it’ll take you to say “We should have come here sooner.”
Promising Outlook for Freelance Programmers
12/7/2011 9:59 AM By Vince Font
One of the biggest myths about being a professional freelance Programmer is that work is hard to find. Statements like that, apart from being downright negative, suggest that programming jobs are in great abundance on the in-house market. But the unemployment rate will tell you otherwise. Yes, web design careers are secure and job opportunities are going to continue to grow—but the majority of that growth will be experienced in the freelance arena.
As if you needed any more reason to strike out in search of work as a freelance programmer, it’s not just the dire unemployment scene that should prompt you to do so. People with freelance web design careers can make more money than those who work in-house as salaried employees. Even when you consider the fact that freelancers aren’t guaranteed certain perks like medical benefits, paid time off, and emergency family leave, they’re still able to command far higher pay for their work for their dependability and flexibility.
What’s even more encouraging is the fact that at Artisan, freelance Developers are actually eligible to take part in group medical insurance and can even get paid time off. If this sounds like a marriage of the best of both worlds—better pay with benefits—that’s because it is. Get registered as a freelancer with Artisan today to take advantage of this truly unique opportunity and jump start your career.
Join Us for Upcoming Events in Indianapolis!
11/15/2011 4:01 PM By Julia ShiplettHey Indy Talent and Creatives, we’re proudly sponsoring some very cool events coming up that we want you to be apart of! Check out the information below and make sure you say hi to Artisan once you’re there – we’d love to meet you. And remember to register for these asap before tickets sell out.
Using Digital to Build the Brand
Thursday, Nov. 17
11 am - 1 pm
Learn how digital advertising fits in today’s marketing landscape presented by Shawn Riegsecker, President of digital media firm Centro. This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone looking to incorporate online media or social marketing into their business strategy or just learn more about what the digital space can mean for companies.
AIGA Studio Tour – Publicis
Tuesday, Nov. 29
6 - 8 pm
Continuing their Studio Tour series, AIGA Indy invites you to a rare peek inside Publicis Indianapolis, a premier global agency. Take away some new insight and connect with other creative professionals at an event that is sure to be both fun and inspiring.
Artisan Download Center Offers Additional Resources
10/19/2011 3:49 PM By William PirragliaAlong with some of the best creative jobs in the country, Artisan recruiters offer valuable resources to improve your professional achievement. Whether you are an employer or a creative professional, our Download Center offers tips that help you make better decisions related to your career and business.
Artisan is a graphic design recruitment agency—but it’s also much more. As the recession finally seems to ease up a little, hiring managers are expressing more confidence in the economy. As a prominent Chicago talent agency, Artisan enjoys the expanding job market in the area. We also maintain a commitment to help both employers and candidates construct a successful match. Generating consistent win-win results depends on more than just procuring job and candidate listings.
The company’s Download Center, with valuable tips on web design, print design and career advice, can be an important feature to expedite more profitable matches. Even the most seasoned freelancers will learn useful tips to make them more marketable. Employers can learn how to become more specific in their listings, write better positions and project outlines, ask better questions when vetting candidates and better target the right professionals.
Topics of interest to candidates include techniques for negotiating offers, constructing impressive resumes, using the best references to showcase your expertise and discussions targeted to different opportunities in major markets (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc.).
Employers can learn how to publicize web design jobs, better understand the qualifications of a superior web designer, increase their knowledge of the newest web technology and learn how to use social media to leap over their competition. Knowledge is power for employers, just as it is for candidates.
Use Artisan to find what you need to become a better professional creative freelancer. Instead of simply listing creative talent needs on job boards, employers should consider premier talent agencies to have access to the best creative freelancers. They can then use the added value options to make even better candidate decisions.
How to Stand Out at Creative Staffing Firms
10/17/2011 1:14 PM By William Pirraglia
Millions of words have been written with advice to help you ace job interviews, but less has been explained about interviews or presentations to creative staffing firms. Remember employment agencies owe their first obligation to their clients to recommend the best talent that fits their companies’ needs.
Instead of restating 5 or 10 tips to deliver a fabulous job interview performance, here is just one: Treat your approach to creative staffing firms just as you would for an employer job interview.
For example, assume you seek lucrative production artist jobs and opportunities.
- Research creative staffing firms to find those that seem to offer the exciting assignments you like. Seeking freelance or fulltime web design jobs with a staffing firm that specializes in accounting and finance personnel may not be the best option.
- If you’re a newer freelancer, practice, practice, practice your approach and presentation to experienced recruiters. You should practice until you are totally comfortable with discussing your qualifications and convincing creative staffing recruiters that you are a reliable, skilled and dedicated professional.
- Create a career resume that sparks sincere interest in you, not just your qualifications. If you were seeking talent for creative jobs, what resumes would trigger your interest? Put yourself in a talent representative’s shoes—if you received dozens of resume each day, what information, layout and highlights would make certain candidates stand out?
- Always remember that your recruiter (interviewer) is on your side, but has deeper obligations to their client (employer). Present yourself as a “likeable” candidate. However experienced and clinical, recruiters and hiring managers prefer to work with people they like. Recruiters understand what their clients want and do their best to match the ideal candidate for them. However, you’ll always stand out if you are cooperative, talented—and likeable.
- Remain calm and professional. Creative staffing veterans understand that you may be a bit nervous when interviewing. If you develop the ability to remain calm and professional during the “getting to know you” process, you’ll stand out, as it will be assumed that you will project this attitude during your assignments.
- Display confidence, not cockiness. People, recruiters included, respect confidence and control. Few, if any, enjoy big egos. Being thoroughly prepared for a telephone or in-person interview with a staffing recruiter should give you the encouragement you need to make a strong impression.
Creative staffing firms (and their clients) want to deal with professionals. Even if you are a fairly new graduate or beginning a freelance career, display professionalism, commitment and dedication to your craft. Experienced creative staffing recruiters will respond with more confidence and belief in your abilities and talent.
Less Obvious Ways a Top Chicago Staffing Agency Can Help You
10/13/2011 4:58 PM By William Pirraglia
Assume you’re a graphic designer seeking freelance assignments in the Chicago-metro area. You have some contacts that occasionally advise you of potential client opportunities. You’re ready to expand your horizons and wonder how a Chicago staffing agency could help you.
Some answers are obvious. The best freelance job agencies, like Artisan, list new opportunities, often with daily personal updates. These agencies have more contacts in a number of different industries than one individual probably could ever have. If smart creative recruiters see something they like in you, chances are they will want to place you again and again.
Other creative staffing agency benefits may be lesser known. Here are a few additional benefits of which you may be unaware.
- Some of their employer clients have been partners for long periods, becoming regular and consistent sources of new jobs. Is there ever enough “marketing time?” Not likely. When you’re marketing, you’re not producing. When you’re producing, you cannot market. A good staffing agency can become a consistent source of interesting jobs because of their reputation with many active clients.
- Top freelance job agencies are a valuable resource and dispenser of knowledge that makes you a better performer. Many of the best creative employment firms offer articles, blogs and other reference information that help you become a more polished and knowledgeable freelancer. These resources help make you a more effective—and busier—freelancer.
- The best creative agencies handle many administrative duties for you. This can include providing direct deposit, collecting out-of-pocket expenses on your behalf, keeping a record of your assignments, etc. While money is like time—there is never enough—creative staffing agencies can negotiate rates for you and help manage your assignments more efficiently.
- Freelance job agencies help you become a more confident and effective marketer of your skills and professionalism. As you complete more assignments successfully, your agency will better understand your ability and, when possible, may recommend you, should clients ask for their opinion. Consistently working for new and repeated clients builds your confidence, which further develops your personal marketing ability to sell your talent better to future clients.
These advantages, beyond simple job board listings, can generate upgrades in both short- and long-term lifestyle and professional success for freelancers, whether in major cities like Chicago or smaller markets. Let superior freelance job agencies expand your influence and your bank account.
Creative Staffing: Not Your Average Job Placement Agency
9/1/2011 3:47 PM By Vince FontDespite what you may have heard to the contrary, the job outlook for people with creative skills is no less viable than the job market for people with mechanical ability. But if you’ve been struggling for quite some time to land gainful employment that makes better use of your creative skills, you’re probably understandably frustrated.
If this is the case, maybe it’s time you looked at what a creative staffing firm can do for you. Creative job placement agencies can offer quite a bit by way of giving you increased visibility and preferential access to job listings.
So how does it work? First you have to understand that creative staffing agencies put a special emphasis on helping people with niche abilities like yourself make money doing what you do best. Whether that’s designing websites or managing fast-paced interactive projects, the answer is yes – there are placement agencies for people in your line of work. Here are just a few of the benefits of working with them.
• Creative job placement firms have existing connections with companies that employ individuals in your professional field and can leverage those connections to help get your foot in the door.
• Creative staffing companies can give you access to job listings that haven’t been publicized yet, precisely as a result of these connections. Very often the staffing agency may be under an exclusive contract with the hiring company, in which case the only way to go about getting an interview is by going through the staffing company.
• Using a creative staffing agency broadens the scope of your search and can clue you in on job opportunities you might have otherwise missed if you went about the hunt on your own.
Are you ready to find a job that will actually use your talents and training? Stop banging your head against a brick wall and get yourself registered with a creative job placement agency. You may soon find a job doing something that you love.
