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Posts Tagged ‘creative freelancers’
Self-Employment Advice: The Importance of Mapping Out Your Work Schedule
12/22/2011 3:20 PM By Vince Font
If you’re working with a creative staffing firm to find freelance job assignments, you’re still self-employed. Even if you work through a recruiment agency like Artisan, where you may be granted access to actual paid time off and benefits, you’re still essentially a free agent, which to is music to many freelancers’ ears.
But beware, there are some pitfalls that you might fall into, and the need to manage your time properly is one of the most critical bits of self-employment advice you’ll ever get. It’s also the one that can make the biggest difference in determining whether you succeed beyond your wildest expectations or end up taking a job you don’t want at hours that conflict with your life.
Your first step to tackling the issue of time management is to assign yourself specific office hours. Don’t work around the clock or you’ll burn out. Likewise, by working around the clock you run the risk of slacking off and not getting things done by misusing flexible hours. Failing to keep a regular work schedule is one of the biggest mistakes that self-employed people make, and it can lead to a pile of messes including backed up work, missed deadlines and killer stress.
To help you accomplish this, get a day planner specifically dedicated to your freelance life. Every few hours of your work day, from lunch breaks to max productivity time, should be mapped out in advance so that you don’t fall behind on a project or deliver a substandard end result. It’s also important to plan days off for yourself even if you’d rather work. Taking a break from the stress of a job you love is another vital piece of self-employment advice that’ll help ensure your longevity and continued passion.
Four Trends in Mobile App Design Today
12/12/2011 4:46 PM By Vince Font
To continually come through with highly functioning mobile app designs, you’ve got to stay on top of evolving trends. After all, what good are User Interface Designers who constantly have their heads turned the other way focusing on what’s long since passed? For those of you seeking high profile jobs as User Interface Designers worried about falling behind the curve, here’s a rundown of some of the most popular trends in mobile application design.
• Use of bold colors to help make apps stand out. User Interface Designers know that in order for a mobile app to make an impression on a user, it’s got to pop—visually speaking, that is. And no better way exists to make something really stand out than to imbue it with bright, bold, primary colors. Considering the fact that your intended audience is probably only spending a few minutes trying out the application of your design before moving on to the next to determine which will meet their needs, first impressions are as critical here as they are anywhere else. If you don’t grab their attention quickly, you’ve lost them.
• The less gloss the better. People’s tastes change with the wind and what was once appealing to the eye—glossy finishes—has now been replaced by an increased popularity of the matte finish look. However, unless the change is an easy one and if you haven’t already made lots of headway in your mobile application design, you may not want to waste your energy changing this. After all, once the pendulum swings back to glossy, your mobile app style could be all the rage again.
• Text based interfaces are eternally user friendly. Never think that simply because your particular app design isn’t as flashy as the next developer’s, you’ll be left behind. People still have a fondness and desire for the kind of simplicity that can only be rendered on their mobile device screen through text. Finding the right font, however, is always critical—just as choosing the right combination of colors that won’t make it impossible for users to read what it is they’re supposed to be reading in the first place.
• Voice recognition commands. Although you’d think that the advent of such a thing as Swype text would make communicating via mobile device far simpler, recent trends have seen an increase in the popularity of mobile apps that can be controlled by speech recognition. With more and more developers incorporating this into their mobile design, failing to consider its inclusion is equal to overlooking the obvious.
Staying on top of mobile app design trends is critical to making yourself an attractive candidate for user interface design jobs—but if you don’t know where to look for those jobs, you might as well be spinning your wheels. User Interface Designers looking for work can expand their reach by also taking on freelance assignments through an agency like Artisan that connects you with companies interested in hiring Designers and Developers on a full-time or freelance basis. Register with us online and let your career unfold.
Freelance Creative Directors Must be More than Creative
12/8/2011 3:03 PM By Vince Font
There are two kinds of creative people in the world: those who play well with others and those who don’t. The latter may have talent coming out of their ears and the ability to create jaw-dropping deliverables– but without the kind of cooperation that translates well to a professional environment, it’s a talent that no one wants to work with. On the other hand, a Designer who has command of his or her people skills can make one heck of a living as a freelance Creative Director.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that just anyone with a penchant for creating beautiful campaigns and the ability to communicate well can strut their way to a Fortune 500 company or top digital agency and pull off the kinds of killer marketing campaigns that freelance Creative Directors are hired to orchestrate. A buildup of specific skills is also required. By far, the most important are brand development skills.
Being a Creative Director isn’t just about being, well, creative. There’s more to it than being able to communicate your visions to multiple teams of people. It’s also about understanding brands and markets, and what makes consumers view a company in a certain light. In other words, a Creative Director is an artist who understands their audience and knows what they will respond to. The successful ones are also those who can listen to their peers, consider new ideas and effectively collaborate.
There are numerous freelance and long-term Creative Director opportunities available out there in both digital and print – it’s just a matter of knowing where to find them. By working with a creative staffing service like Artisan, you’ll be put in touch with companies seeking out only the most qualified and capable talent in the country.
The Delicate Balance of a Freelance Art Director
11/29/2011 4:36 PM By Vince Font
Are you the kind of creative that’s always had a gift for telling people how they can improve their work? If so, you might be ideally suited for a career as a freelance Art Director. But beyond having a great eye for good design and art direction, there’s one more thing that anyone in a Creative Director position needs to have if they want to separate themselves from the rest of the pack of hungry freelance job hunters: tact.
Let’s face it, the job of the Art Director is to be the strong guiding hand that reels in all of the wayward brushstrokes and off-the-mark design attempts that can steer a marketing campaign in the wrong direction. But when it comes to telling Designers that they’re doing something wrong, certain approaches have to be taken to ensure minimal offense.
The best suggestion? Accentuate the positive. Never tell someone they’re “not doing it right” if you don’t want to deal with a passive aggressive work relationship in the future. Instead, take a constructive approach of informing them of how close they are to hitting a creative bull’s-eye. This kind of feedback will go a lot further in the long run.
There’s a reason Art Director freelance careers are typically occupied by professionals with equal amounts of artistic talent and interpersonal skills. Without that delicate balance, nothing would ever get accomplished. If you think you’ve got that balance, seek out our latest opportunities at http://www.artisantalent.com/.
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.
Finding the Right Creative Talent Agency
10/11/2011 3:10 PM By Jeff Orloff
Chicago is one of the best places for freelance designers, writers, developers and marketers because like most big cities there are more opportunities to find work with equally ambitious people. Yet like in other places, there are people who take advantage of others and this seems to be happening more often when it comes to freelance talent.
Finding the right Chicago-based talent agency doesn’t have to be difficult though. If you know what to look for then you can certainly find an agency that will connect you with clients and help you build your career. Here are some questions to consider asking them:
What are some of the companies you have placed freelancers at?
Obviously you want to know who an agency has relationships with. If you prefer working with smaller companies and the agency only works with large corporations, you may not find them to be a good fit, or vice versa.
How long have you been in business?
A company that has been around for a while is likely one of the more well reputed Chicago talent agencies. They may help you get in the door with established clients quicker. On the other side, a new up-and-coming agency may attract local start-ups that are looking for less traditional talent who are looking to grow with them. Consider both sides when determining the worth of an agency’s age.
Do you offer any professional development?
Good recruiting agencies know that as much as they represent talent, their talent represent them. By providing access to learning tools, they make their freelancers more marketable and productive. Obviously, you want to work with an agency that understands and encourages this.
How do you handle problems your freelancers have with clients?
Not all freelance workers are going to get along with their clients. You need to find out if the agency will intercede on your behalf or if they take a hands-off approach when it comes to dealing with disputes. The answer may help you decide what kind of agency you want to work with, and also make you aware of how you handle conflicts yourself.
Why Indiana Design Companies Love Creative Staffing Agencies
10/5/2011 2:29 PM By Vince Font
If you’re seeking a website design job in Indiana, there’s nothing that says you need to pound the pavement in downtown Indianapolis with resume in hand to find employment. To the contrary, more and more companies these days are starting to lean heavily in favor of third party staffing agencies as a way to find talent. Why? The benefits of doing so are obvious.
- Companies who work with third party staffing agencies have to spend far less money on their own internal human resources. This isn’t to say that the job function of HR is totally outsourced. But an Indianapolis web design company can stand to save a significant amount of money in overhead if the duties of pre-screening applicants is already done for them by an outside agency. Considering that having an employee tasked with the job of fielding questions from prospective employees and weeding out resumes is a full time job, that’s one additional resource freed up to perform other important company tasks.
- Creative staffing agencies can afford to be choosy about who they represent. This can be an added benefit to an Indiana graphic design company that only wants to entertain offers from the cream of the crop of job applicants.
- Job hunters can be persistent. And when an Indianapolis design studio uses the services of a creative staffing agency to handle all follow up inquiries for them, they’re not just hiring someone to do the applicant screening – they’re also paying for someone to provide cover from overly-persistent candidates.
If you’re serious about finding a job in website design in Indiana and want to get your resume seen by as many employers as possible, double up your efforts by teaming with a creative staffing agency that can get your foot in the door with the highest number of hiring companies.
Starting Out and Finding Success as a Freelance Writer
10/3/2011 2:43 PM By Patrick Ogle
A freelance writer faces obstacles in the job hunt arena that are unique, but certainly not insurmountable. Getting a copywriter freelance job is not only possible, but many make a living doing this and only this. The trick to getting work is catching the eye of the right people – content developers, marketers, advertisers - even while a myriad of other writers are doing the same thing.
There are many different kinds of writers but those interested in freelancing need to develop a diverse collection of writing samples and a solid resume. Building samples across a wide variety of topics and styles of writing is a good idea. But how do you do that in a time when it seems like printed material is becoming obsolete and there is more competition than ever on the web?
Many freelance writers started out writing for newspapers or magazines, but now it is very common to start your career with an online publication, agency or in the marketing department of a small or large business. Many have also simply started blogging on their own and maintaining a website full of their own work. If you plan to use your own blog or website as a portfolio when applying for freelance writing jobs, be sure to uphold the same standards of quality you would for any paid assignment.
No matter where you begin, always keep your eyes turned toward the type of writing you aspire to do and stay up to date on what sort of writers employers are hiring. Is there a growing need for web copywriters? Are you an aspiring novelist who sees a rise in the need for ghost writers? You’ll learn that writers with a medical background can often find work, or that technical writers are in high demand and typically receive generous compensation. But these things change over time, so staying up to date on the qualifications of different opportunities and continuing to write on a broad variety of subjects will likely help you gain employment.
Of course your passions and interests matter, as well, as people write best about what they care about. When you are putting together samples, writing on what you know and what you care about is a good place to start. Ultimately, the practice and mastery of language you gain from this will enable you to write about any topic placed before you.
Amid Layoffs in Chicago, Hope for Employment Remains Strong
9/26/2011 12:28 PM By Vince Font
If you’re a creative Chicago freelancer looking for work in the Windy City, you may have been a bit shaken up – or even frightened into a near panic – over the news that the Chicago branch of the advertising agency DraftFCB had let go of over 100 employees at the end of July. This comes as the result of DraftFCB losing a lucrative, longtime partnership with S.C. Johnson. According to reports, the shakeup will result in a total of 250 lost jobs worldwide for the agency.
Despite this distressing piece of news, the market remains wide open for Chicago freelance workers, especially those operating in the area of marketing who are willing to expand the scope of their job search to include Chicago staffing companies. But don’t staffing agencies typically focus on temporary employment for clerical jobs and not higher level marketing positions? The answer to that question is yes and no.
There are staffing agencies that specialize in placing workers into creative jobs that can’t simply be filled by anyone looking for work. They differ from typical staffing agencies in that individuals are required to have a specific skill set developed through prior work experience or education.
The types of jobs you’ll find advertised by a Chicago creative talent agency lean more towards marketing, advertising and web, but also include specialty areas like social media marketing and content development for websites. Chicago freelance workers seeking new employment opportunities are encouraged to turn their attention to these types of agencies which can dramatically improve their chances of finding gainful employment.
