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Posts Tagged ‘recruiting agency’
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.
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.
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.
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.
Promising Job Growth for Graphic Designers in DC
9/28/2011 3:02 PM By Vince Font
Although the DC graphic design job market isn’t exactly predicted to explode into meteoric growth anytime in the near future, there’s good news in the here and now for job hunters looking for graphic design jobs in Washington. Employment opportunities for graphic designers nationwide is expected to grow 13 percent between now and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The basis for this estimation comes from the fact that the demand for talented graphic designers will continue to be fed by the growth of interactive media like business websites, the proliferation of mobile devices and the continued growth of social media. Experts agree that taking these key factors into consideration, the BLS’s meager 13 percent job growth prediction might be a conservative estimate. The fact is, there are now more cell phones on the planet than there are personal computers, and if the trend continues DC graphic design jobs – as well as graphic design opportunities elsewhere – will likely increase sharply.
So what does this mean for aspiring graphic design specialists on the job market in the nation’s capital? In short, it announces that now is the time to start focusing like that proverbial laser beam to put yourself in front of as many potential employers as possible. Aside from hiring a Washington DC resume company to imbue your portfolio with pizazz, pairing up with a high quality creative staffing agency will open doors to opportunities you might otherwise have strolled right past.
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.
Creative Staffing + Networking = Serious Employment Opportunities
9/19/2011 2:09 PM By Vince Font
Few social marketing jobs are found through traditional channels. If you rely on scanning the classified section of the morning paper to look for work, you’re severely limiting yourself. Taking smart steps, like doing tailored online searches or connecting with a creative staffing agency to match you up with likely employers, are two great ways to extend your reach.
But when it comes to finding freelance marketing opportunities, one of the best ways to find work is through the time-tested method of networking. Who’d have thought, right? Well the fact is, a lot of people do. Many of the people that are the most successful at uncovering freelance marketing opportunities understand the value of good old-fashioned face time. So how do they do it?
• They attend seminars, industry events and job fairs where employers offering social marketing jobs congregate to shake hands and say howdy to the job-seeking masses. Putting yourself in the right places at the right time has a lot to do with opening up doors of opportunity that would otherwise remain shut.
• They’re friendly. They know how to initiate conversation with strangers, whether at a job fair or at the local shopping center, that can sometimes lead to surprising discoveries. Without chatting with the guy ahead of you in line, how else would you know he is the president of a company looking for talented social marketing experts?
• They know how to promote themselves. Modesty is a great quality, but there are ways of tooting your horn and letting people know that you’re awesome without coming off like a total braggart. Yes, this involves some practice – but it begins with finding a creative way of telling people what you do for a living. Don’t just say, “I program websites.” Say, “I work with businesses to improve their web traffic.” There’s a huge difference. And that difference could be the response that goes something like this: “Oh! I have an uncle who’s looking for someone who can do that.” Bingo.
Working with a creative staffing agency can lead to plenty of job opportunities, but in order to succeed beyond your expectations you have to be ready to take your job hunt with you 24/7. This isn’t to say that you should hit up every suit and tie at the local pub on Friday night. Just don’t close yourself off to opportunities that could be right around the corner.
Pairing Information Architects with Employers Proves Challenging
9/7/2011 3:42 PM By Vince FontIf you ask two information architecture specialists what they do for a living, you’ll likely get two very different answers. That’s because it’s not very often that two information architects perform the same job function, even within the same company. Add to this the fact that the field of information architecture is still really in its infancy – even though the work itself isn’t anything that anyone would relegate to a child to handle – and you’ve just asked an even more difficult question.
At the risk of further encouraging your insistence on asking tough questions, we’ll tell you this much: Information architecture specialists are tasked with doing something that very few people know how to do – designing complex information systems that drive a business. Enterprise information architecture can run the gamut from designing proprietary systems that are used on a daily basis by company employees, to designing the architecture of interactive websites that customers use.
Because enterprise information architecture is so difficult to nail down, it makes sense that many employers end up taking a hit and miss approach when filling positions in this particular line of work. To phrase it simply, companies are sometimes at a loss to be able to determine if the person they’re about to hire will be a complete wash or a knockout success. It’s for this reason that many approach third party creative staffing agencies to help them narrow their potential employee choices.
If you’re an information architecture specialist seeking employment or a company interested in hiring information architects, working with a third party staffing agency can be that one smart move that eliminates the guesswork and facilitates the act of getting on with business.
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.
