Creative
Profile:
Eric Baird
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Eric Baird is a busy man. He runs his own design studio ICON,
is a past President of AIGA Colorado,
is a Certified Apple Consultant, and has his own business selling vintage men's underwear (no lie, just click.
Plus, he was featured in cosmo for this). Oh, and did we forget to mention? He is also a top Liaison talent! A senior-level design contractor for our Denver operation, Eric likes
to stay ahead of the technology curve. He also likes to stay independent - and ski a lot. |
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Fall
2007
Welcome to the Fall issue of SWOOSH, Liaison's
quarterly newsletter created to help us stay in touch
with our favorite creative talent: you! Every few
months we offer our perspective on the job market,
advice on applying to jobs, profiles of some of our
valued talent, links to career resources and completely
random thoughts. We hope you find it helpful, and
we welcome your feedback.
Sincerely,
The SWOOSH News Team
www.liaisonresources.com
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True Stories of Job-Hunting Trial and Triumph
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In previous issues of Swoosh, we've written about the best ways to get a job (applying to jobs, networking, interviewing). With this issue, we ask five recent job-seekers to share some of their thoughts on an even greater challenge- how to make the best of the time between jobs. To protect their privacy, we're using their Secret Agent names. Each of them were job hunting for at least three months. Here's some of what they had to say.
Liaison: How long between the time you started looking and when you landed your target job?
El Cangrejo: About 5 months, though I have not yet landed my target job. When I was laid off, a lot of things in my life changed simultaneously, including my career goals and the fact that I had just gotten married. I had worked freelance and was used to the ups and downs - but my lovely new wife was not. So it came down to the last possible week when I could afford not to have a job. Anyway after 8 days working at the liquor store (oh yeah, great discounts BTW), making a dollar more an hour than I made at a pizza place in college, I got a hit on the good job I have now.
Liaison: What were some of the challenges you faced during that time?
Sneaky Kiki: I did some freelance work, which was great, but definitely not something I wanted to do full-time. I like being around people too much! Artistically, it took an effort to stay motivated and inspired. During the job-hunt months, I had an ideal in my mind of the description of the job I wanted, but wasn't finding that job description through my searches and networking.
El Cangrejo: It was a challenge convincing my patient new wife that something was just around the corner. I really took a look at myself and my career and wondered if I was always destined for the bronze medal at the design Olympics. Would I ever get the job that allows me the creative freedom I want? Did I even love it anymore? As luck would have it, in the middle of that pity-fest, my current job came calling. It's not the ideal job for me, but being employed now helps keep at bay a lot of those other doubts.
Agent MC: Frustration was one of the biggest challenges. In many situations, I had the skill set but was rejected because I didn't have industry-specific experience. I have over a decade of sales experience, but that wouldn't always translate into making the next logical career move. Looking for a job is so much like being an actor. You audition, and more likely than not, you get rejected. The rejection becomes a part of the process and increases the frustration.
Liaison: What did you do to stay 'in the game'?
Sneaky Kiki: During the time I was out of work, I took some classes: a knitting class, a silk-screening class, and a few open figure-drawing sessions. I spent some time making hand-crafted holiday cards with my mom and selling them at a local art fair. I learned a bit about sewing and stitching, all the while, picking up what freelance design opportunities came my way. I was so refreshed creatively, my job-seeking mission had fallen to the bottom of my "should-do" list. Everything I got involved in brought different opportunities, and I met some really fun, talented people.
Agent EMH: I created a professional web site to share with job-seekers, which proved to get me the most leads.
El Cangrejo: I called and e-mailed old freelance clients to see if they needed anything. I sent out an email with a "coupon" for design time. I guess I interviewed so frequently that I saw it as practice. It really solidified my interview skills and my confidence. I tried out different combinations of items in my portfolio when I presented. However, I didn't work on keeping the creative juices flowing. I regret that.
Agent MC: As an older worker, I've had several careers that I never imagined having. I've found that flexibility has been key in working. From retail to food service to marketing, all these various jobs have paid off later. Right now, I am on a freelance marketing assignment to open a new restaurant. I'm using things I've learned as a waitress, general manager, writer, retail manager and customer service representative. One never knows what the next adventure will bring.
Secret Spy Cat: I stayed very tight with Liaison by monitoring their website. Honestly, I tried everything from message boards to online job postings, networking backwards and forwards, and sending out introductions to companies that I was interested in.
Liaison: What would you have done differently? Were there any mistakes you think you made in your job search?
Sneaky Kiki: At times, I wondered if I wasn't being ambitious enough. I networked where I saw opportunities. However, I didn't send out a cover letter, resume, and portfolio to loads of design companies. I didn't send out self-promotional kits either. I didn't always follow up after applying like I had been advised, and I sure didn't spend all my time searching for a job. I think landing this target job was pure timing, and perhaps the big man upstairs was holding the clock.
Agent EMH: I wish I had kept looking during those times when I felt I was so close to getting other jobs.
El Cangrejo: I would have done the thing that hardest for all of us design folk to do - update my portfolio website. I am an expert in print, but still "webtarded". So I could spend years and a day sifting through all of my ADDY-winning work to show the world on the web. Or I could play Xbox. Hard choice. Anyway, I was sending links to pdf's of my recent work when sending in a resume. I should have had a simple shiny new site for them to go to and browse at their leisure. It would have cost a fair amount of money and/or time, but I should have bit the bullet either way.
Agent MC: I would have been more focused on networking. Moving to a new place and needing to start a job search is a challenge, especially without a network. Building a network takes time. I was fortunate to have assistance from some very good friends who made introductions. One of the mistakes I've made was focusing too much on numbers of contacts and not creating a system for follow up.
Secret Spy Cat: I would have taken a different approach with my resume and worked to create an ultimate marketing tool. I think the resume I had been using was convoluted and difficult to read from a hiring perspective. In retrospect, I can't believe that I was actually shopping it and expecting results. Remember that the reality is there are many people looking for great positions at great companies. Putting energy into a better resume is worth the effort.
Liaison: What advice would you share with people who are on the market right now?
Sneaky Kiki: Even though something might not appear to be exactly what you're looking for, go for it anyway because you might be pleasantly surprised.
Agent EMH: Do freelance work in your downtime. The freelance work I did impressed employers because it showed that I still had the passion to design on my own. Plus, you never know what contacts you'll make while freelancing - that's sometimes the best way to get one foot in the door. Also, if you have the chance to try a job on a temporary basis first, it's worth it. That way you can check it out before committing, and still job search on the side in case something better comes along.
Agent MC: Create an organized plan. Utilize tools like Outlook to prompt effective follow up. Get support from job clubs and other organizations that provide support. It helps to be around folks who know what your are going through. Stay attached to professional organizations. These are great networking opportunities.
Secret Spy Cat: Stay positive and believe in yourself and your dreams; always. If you need additional training for your dream job, find out what it takes to obtain what you need; read, take classes, and ask people in your network for help. Just don't give up. Possibly you'll need to take a position that is merely a step in the right direction of your dream. Don't worry so much --the experience is everything. Tenacity will help you obtain your goals.
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So whether you're a graphic designer like Sneaky Kiki, Agent EMH, and El Cangrejo, a writer/sales and marketing guru like Agent MC, an account services pro like Secret Spy Cat, or an actual secret agent, the basic takeaway is the same: It's never easy to be between jobs. Sometimes it takes more time and effort than we'd like before things fall into place. But you can make the best of that time if you do a few important things: make sure your resume and work samples are great and ready to go, stay busy with things that help you stay inspired, network strategically, never give up, and always stay positive. We hope you found these secret agents' answers as helpful and insightful as we did. See you next time! |
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