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Posts Tagged ‘freelancers’
The Mobile App Quandary – iPhone or Android?
1/18/2012 3:09 PM By Vince Font
One of the biggest myths about the development of smartphone apps is that there’s more money to be made on the Apple market than on the Android market. If you’re an aspiring smartphone App Developer, this sort of thing can muddle your decision on whether to focus your efforts on becoming an iPhone App Developer or an Android App Developer. Before you make that choice, it’s important to take a few things into consideration.
1. Android has quite a bit of catching up to do. No question about it, ever since the release of the first iPhone, the rest of the tech world has been busy playing catch-up with Apple. The trouble is, it’s tough to catch up with a trailblazer and Androids are still engaged in a high-speed pursuit. What’s encouraging, though, is that the Android market has something that Apple lacks: diversity. There are far more Android handsets available than there are iPhones, and at far more affordable prices to boot. What this means is that the demand for quality apps is much higher on the Android market, which could impact your earnings significantly.
2. First movers don’t always win the race. In other words, don’t declare iPhone the winning platform yet. For a perfect example of how this can work out, just look at the space race between the ex-Soviet Union and the United States. The Soviets were the first to launch satellites, monkeys and eventually men into space— but with a lot of ingenuity and even more cash backing, the US emerged victorious in that regard. If you want a more earthbound example, take a look at Google and Facebook. Neither were the first to move into their respective fields, but having seen the diminishment of Yahoo and MySpace, there’s proof that being first is no guarantee of longevity. If you’re a smartphone App Developer considering focusing your efforts solely on the Apple market, you’d do well to remember this.
3. There’s always a dark horse. In the future, the competition will expand far beyond the iPhone and Android markets. So apart from hopping into a time machine and traveling a few years into the future to see what newfangled platforms and operating systems are headed our way, what’s a smartphone App Developer to do? Keep your eyes and ears open, because if there’s one thing in this world that you can count on every time, it’s change.
If you’re a Mobile App Developer, the best thing you can do is pursue as many opportunities as you can while building your resume and gaining valuable experience. You can accomplish this handily by getting registered with Artisan, a staffing agency that focuses on matching up talented freelancers with companies hiring for freelance projects. To crack open a new chapter on your earnings potential, visit our job board today.
Why Hire a Freelancer? 3 Cost Effective Reasons
1/11/2012 2:25 PM By Vince Font
Creative staffing companies like Artisan offer hiring solutions for companies seeking world class, A-list freelance talent. But is hiring a freelancer necessarily the best thing for you, or would you be better served by hiring a fulltime in-house employee? Here are a few things to consider when deciding:
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When you hire a freelancer, you save money hand over fist. True, freelancers don’t come cheap—and if you want the best you’re going to have to be willing to pay top dollar. However, when you weigh that against costs you won’t have to incur, such as running background checks, extensive training and providing health benefits, hiring a freelancer is much more cost effective.
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Bringing in a freelancer to handle a project is one of the best hiring solutions for companies that want new blood but can’t afford to hire anymore fulltime staff. If you hire a freelancer, you get the best of both worlds: a breath of fresh air and a temporary solution.
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Hiring a freelancer gives you an “out” if you determine after a few months that the relationship isn’t what you’re looking for. That’s not so easily done if you hire a fulltime employee, where you run the risk of having to pay unemployment benefits for letting them go even if the firing is on reasonable grounds.
If you’re now officially sold on hiring a freelancer, register with Artisan, a creative staffing agency that can get you in touch with talented freelancers in the field of print, web and multimedia marketing.
The Top 3 Realities of Being a Freelance Marketing Consultant
1/6/2012 3:18 PM By Vince FontIf you’re considering leaving your day job to pursue a career as a freelance marketing consultant, it’s critical that you look before you leap. Most importantly, you should take a long hard look at some of the realities that freelance marketing professionals face on a daily basis.
• Reality #1: There’s no guarantee that you’ll get to work from home in your jammies. While this might sound like the dream environment for many, even if you’re a wildly successful freelance marketing consultant you may never spend any work time in slippers and sweats. Lots of companies that hire marketing professionals require an in-person presence, in which case you’d better not get rid of your business wardrobe prematurely.
• Reality #2: There’s no such thing as long-term job security. Although you can improve your chances of never running out of work by hooking up with a staffing agency like Artisan, there are no assurances that the job market for freelance Marketing Consultants won’t dry up. Then again, there are no assurances these days in any job market at all… so why not explore your opportunities in the freelance field?
• Reality #3: You may have to move around a lot. At very least, you should be prepared to do a lot of traveling. Part of being a successful marketing professional will require that you take project assignments in various locations throughout the country. If you’re not comfortable moving around or traveling, freelance work in this role might not be for you. At Artisan, we not only offer to connect you with plenty of hiring companies—we also offer health benefits and time off. To find out more, contact us today.
Three Tips to Success for Mobile App Developers
1/5/2012 2:47 PM By Vince Font
One of the biggest misconceptions that Mobile App Developers have about their work is that it’s identical to developing computer applications, only on a smaller visual scale. But nothing could be further from the truth—as exemplified by smartphone applications that cater specifically to mobile users and don’t translate well to a large scale PC or laptop environment. If you want to be a successful Mobile App Developer, you’ve got to learn to think outside the box. Easier said than done? Yes. But here are some great ideas to help grease the wheels.
• Study the competition. Don’t spend all your time thinking of how to revolutionize the application market. It’s not a bad mental exercise, but just don’t let this activity run your daily work life. Mobile App Developers more often than not create programs that are incredibly simplistic and improve upon existing applications. For this reason, you should make studying the competition (i.e., all other successful mobile apps) your full-time job when you’re not actually coding.
• Embrace simplicity. If you look around, you’ll see that the most popular apps on the market were made by Mobile App Developers for the express purpose of performing basic tasks. Take, for example, barcode scanner applications. Or weather apps. Or note-taking apps. Trying to design a mobile app that takes on more than a single task is not only a gargantuan undertaking, but also a counterproductive one. People like simplicity and reject complexity, especially on their mobile devices.
• Don’t procrastinate releasing your app. If you wait to release an app until you feel that you’ve worked out all the kinks and that you’ve produced a flawless design, you’ll be waiting until the end of time. Do your due diligence by testing, but accept the fact that you’ll be working out bugs and releasing updates on a near-constant basis. Releasing early also gives you an opportunity to make improvements that you might not have thought of based on the feedback of those who matter most: end users. Never discourage or discount any feedback. It can only help you refine your application.
Without a doubt, the best way to become a truly successful Developer is to rack up an enormous amount of experience working in as many mobile design roles as possible, and for a wide variety of clients. The encouraging news is that the world is rife with companies seeking talented Mobile App Developers for one-off projects, short-term assignments or full-time employment.
Tips to Keeping Your Resume Locked and Loaded
1/4/2012 2:01 PM By Vince FontA lot of jobseekers aren’t aware that keeping their resume up to date is critical. The fact is, if you’re a freelancer for instance, you can go for months at a time from one job to another, not needing to provide your resume. Then all of a sudden, a potential client asks for it. If you haven’t worked on your resume in nearly a year, this can induce something akin to panic. But if you take action now, you won’t have to rely on scouring the web for freelance writing resume samples at the last minute. Here are a couple of tips to help you out.
• Get yourself signed up with a creative staffing agency. One of the benefits of being represented by a recruitment firm like Artisan is that we’ll assign you a Talent Representative who will go through your resume and make suggestions on how you can improve it. They may also remind you what key points to mention on your resume from your last gig. Having this free service at your disposal can be an invaluable tool to helping you land future copywriter freelance jobs, graphic design jobs or any other kind of gig you’re qualified for.
• Dedicate an hour per week to working on your resume. This may not seem like much, but in the long run it can make all the difference between being able to spring a job opportunity and missing out because you didn’t have your act together.
• Keep a text copy of all job postings for projects you get hired for. Even those who specialize in editorially-oriented fields like copywriting or technical writing need help with their resumes from time to time, and having these pre-written job descriptions can come in handy when updating your resume. The less thought you have to put into it, the better.
Even if it’s been years since anyone last requested your resume, don’t take this as indication that nobody ever will again. Use all of the tools at your disposal to keep your resume updated frequently so that if and when a potential employer asks for it, you won’t have to delay your response or rely on cheap resume samples to get you through.
Cover Letter Tips for Freelancers: Explaining Employment Gaps
12/21/2011 3:20 PM By Vince FontSearching for employment is a lot like hunting for food. If you don’t arm yourself with the right equipment before heading out, you’re going to come home hungry, empty handed and maybe feeling a bit defeated.
One of the most critical pieces of equipment for a freelancer on the job hunt is a cover letter. Writing a cover letter for freelancers is no different than if you’re searching for a permanent position— all the same rules apply. One of the most critical parts to focus on a cover letter is explaining employment gaps if you’ve been between jobs for a long time.
Why is this such a big deal? Simply put, because most employers who see gaps in employment on your resume will automatically assume the worst—that you’ve been out of work for a long time because you can’t hold a steady position or you’re not passionate about working. Of course, this isn’t necessarily accurate. But it is a sign to potential employers that you may not be the most reliable individual for the job. Not unless there’s a good reason for your spell of inactivity.
How should you best address it? By being honest and forthright. If you stopped working to take care of a sick family member or to go back to school or because you wanted to spend more time with your kids, say so. Keep in mind that a cover letter for freelancers may include inactivity spells due to a slowdown in work, and that you don’t necessarily have to address every single gap in employment.
Focus only on periods that extend for a few months or longer. And if you have the chance to meet with a hiring manager or creative recruiter in person, elaborate on the contents of your cover letter to paint a more holistic picture of yourself.
Freelance Design Job Opportunities in Indianapolis Buck Unemployment Trends
12/16/2011 11:30 AM By Vince FontWith Indiana’s unemployment rate hovering just under nine percent, hardworking Indy residents could use some good news. Fortunately, there’s a silver lining in every cloud and what sometimes looks like rain is often the precursor to a brilliant rainbow. Flowery language aside, the great news is that there’s plenty of work to be found, especially if you broaden your search to include Indianapolis freelancer positions being offered by major companies in the Hoosier state capital.
If you’ve got experience in web or graphic design but have had a tough time finding employment, or if you’re gainfully employed but simply checking out your future options, there are opportunities in the freelance market that might point the way to significantly greater earnings—even in a down economy.
The fact is, there are many high paying Indianapolis web design jobs waiting to be discovered. The trick is knowing just where to find them and utilizing all of the right search methods to gain access to them. One method of doing that is by going through Artisan, a creative staffing agency located in Indianapolis that can put professional web
designers and graphic designers on the fast track to landing lucrative projects with high profile corporations seeking local talent. Visit Artisan today to learn how you can discover Indianapolis graphic design job opportunities right under your nose.
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.
Getting Over the Fear of Job Contract Negotiation
9/13/2011 4:11 PM By Vince FontContract negotiation scares the heck out of people who haven’t had any experience in it. But there’s good news for the fearful. Just as you can easily pick up job interview techniques to help you increase your chances of landing a killer job, the same can be done for job contract negotiations. There are just a few steps you have to take in order to accomplish that.
Step One: Take away the power of the word. To many people, negotiation is a very intimidating idea. The reason for that is, people see negotiation as another word for “power play” or “fight” when in reality, most contract negotiations are pleasant experiences carried out in a highly civil manner. But if you enter into it with the thought that you’ll be seated under hot blazing lights while an executioner stands silently in the corner, you’re sunk from the outset. If you remove the negative connotations of the word and any erroneous associations you have with it, you’ll find one major hurdle removed from your path.
Step Two: Know your worth. This is one of those all-encompassing tips that carries over into almost every aspect of your professional career and can be used in everything from job interview techniques to contract negotiation. It’s important that you not only value your own input as a creative force in the company that you work for, but that you’re able to cite examples of how your work has benefited the company. Being able to recite your accomplishments without coming off as arrogant can be a real challenge. But doing so is certainly preferable to remaining silent out of a sense of modesty. Being modest isn’t what gets you raises or promotions – knowing how to toot your horn does.
Step Three: Don’t demonize the opposition. One of the biggest mistakes that anyone could make in contract negotiation is to demonize the other side and get it in their head that they’re headed into an adversarial circumstance. Keeping focus on the fact that the person on the other side of the negotiating table is 100 percent human, just like yourself, will help eliminate much of the stress involved.
The Wedding-less Video Production Career: It Can Be Done
8/30/2011 1:17 PM By Vince Font
Owning a camera won’t land you a job as a freelance videographer, just as owning an Xbox won’t automatically qualify you to find work as a video game designer. But with the right amount of preparation, dedication and hard work, you could carve out a lucrative career for yourself in the field of freelance web video production.
So what exactly is web video production and how does it differ from jobs traditionally held by freelance videographers? To understand that, all you really have to do is take a look at the explosion in social media marketing. These days, companies are paying people not only to design their websites, but also to write expert content, manage their social media accounts and create videos they hope will bring them high visibility among the denizens of the online world.
Does this mean that as a freelance videographer you can actually make a living without ever having to record a single solitary wedding? The answer to that question is an absolute and unequivocal “Yes!” But don’t waste your time jumping for joy. Instead, consider the possibilities of building a career in any one of the following web video production specialties:
• Creative Online Ads. Although there’s no shortage of freelance videographers, companies are always looking for innovative ways of promoting themselves with creative online video ads. If you’ve developed a signature style and have an eye for what will captivate the attention of customers, you can find many work opportunities here.
• Educational Videos. It’s no secret that how-to videos are hugely popular online and driving tons of traffic to company websites. While it’s great to have creative flair, it’s also important to be able to produce structured, logical videos that teach people how to do very simple things, like troubleshoot a product or set up a user account.
• Viral Videos. A lot of people ask the question “Is it possible to produce videos with the intent of going viral?” Of course it is – it’s just not as easy as making straightforward educational videos or even online video ads that burst with creativity. Making a viral video is a lot like catching lightning in a bottle; it’s tough to predict what will spark the imagination of the populous – but it is possible. Doing so requires having a flair for comedy and being able to think outside of the box. If you’re good at both, you stand a chance at making a living as a freelance videographer.
