(Editor's Note: December 2, 2008 was my last day at my previous job. I was laid of mid-November due to budget cuts in a company that even at this date can't get the cash to pay the bills and risks closing it's doors after 30+ years of success. I've hopped on the emotional roller coaster that everyone's talking about and never seemed to even remember getting in line to ride. The wait is growing and we're all praying that the train malfunctions and the ride shuts down.)
Of all the people to lose their jobs, creatives have to have the easiest time bouncing back. It's what they do. We tailor our work for our clients and sell our selves and our product constantly. Now while we may not land a job that's a perfect match, we can still fit into the description pretty well. Everyone can use marketing help, sign design, a little product development...
But paying the bills may not go hand in hand with employment. It's been 2 months since I was given my notice that my position was eliminated and hours upon hours of job applications later, not a nibble. I've found 40 hours with a previous part-time job I had on the north side of Indianapolis. The owner is a doll and has a drive to grow. It's a fine art portrait studio specializing in a combination of techniques to create digital oil and water color paintings. It's the only place like it in America. Nifty! I have moved from a sales associate position (which I knew was a temporary fix until a full time option came along) to an artist in training spot. Excited as all get out about learning this technique of imagery, I fear that it will not pay the bills. It sure would be a fantastic skill to add for illustration and visual communication but the minimum wage part of training will not support a newly wed couple with the other spouse student teaching, banned from taking a job during that semester.
Reality: I'm earning 44% of what I had at my last job and savings is trickling out the door. I have to keep looking for other full time work as this new version of my position develops.
But with all the locations that are killing their marketing departments and outsourcing, creatives are ravenous and employers have the creme de la creme to pick from. Lost in a pile of resumes from extremely qualified executives, every day I try to stand out with my humble but solid experience. It's just that when it comes down to it, if some former art director applies for a graphic design spot because there's nothing else out there, I can't compare on paper to their qualifications.
Wheels spinning, my objectives shift. Relocate? Apply to grad school? Launch a business?
Luckily, a new President should be easing my transition shortly and I look forward to deciding where I'm going, and fast.
For now, Careerbuilder, Monster AIGADesignJobs and LinkedIn, show me the way.
CM
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
3.24.2008
Learning and Successes
Many things have happened in the last month! Still like what I do, having to evaluate how much I like it is hard. Environment vs tasks can play a large part in the life of a happy worker bee.
I wrapped up the marks developed for the University I was working with and delivered them. They're thrilled with their new youth logos and we share excitement about finally seeing them printed and embroidered on official school merchandise! Success!
Many new opportunities to do creative work at the office have found their way to me. A new coworker was hired and took over many of my non creative tasks (wonderful!!) and frees me up to spend more time on the work I've committed to. Exploring significant redesign or our company materials, business stationery system and other visual communication techniques. It's a hard sell when they don't see a problem with the stuff they have.
Mean while, I had my first life lesson in dealing with a coworker that had some behaviors violating our company's core values. I stifled my feelings for 3 months after sharing them with my boss and on St. Patrick's Day, just when I thought the entire office was going to have a sit down chat about behavior, I was asked to call out my coworker. It was not the best way to do things at all but in my boss's eyes, it was done. I guess that's all I have to say about that. Later that evening, Scott's Brew House ran out of green beer. It was a tough day.
Last Thursday, I attended a talk put on by Google and AIGA Indy about marketing and brand - how small to large businesses can use Google's tools to launch their success. Interesting presentation but I could have easily subbed for the main presenter. Eitherway, it reinforced my view that Google is hot stuff.
My fiance and I signed a lease for our first apartment together. I will be moving after the wedding and have chosen to be to commuter. It will take me around 1hr15min to get to work and 1hr30min to get home. This decision will affect my work when weather gets dangerous in the winter, when I am sick, if I have car trouble and if traffic gets bad. Discussion will begin about a month before I move regarding potential work from home scenarios or telecommuting options to save money and time one day a week. With soaring gas prices (down to $3.29 this week,) even a small car becomes a third mouth to feed. I'm exploring carpool options to cut wear and tear on my car, gas expenses, environmental impact and mental exhaustion.
New horizons, the bar is raised and I've gotta lace up my shoes.
Cait
I wrapped up the marks developed for the University I was working with and delivered them. They're thrilled with their new youth logos and we share excitement about finally seeing them printed and embroidered on official school merchandise! Success!
Many new opportunities to do creative work at the office have found their way to me. A new coworker was hired and took over many of my non creative tasks (wonderful!!) and frees me up to spend more time on the work I've committed to. Exploring significant redesign or our company materials, business stationery system and other visual communication techniques. It's a hard sell when they don't see a problem with the stuff they have.
Mean while, I had my first life lesson in dealing with a coworker that had some behaviors violating our company's core values. I stifled my feelings for 3 months after sharing them with my boss and on St. Patrick's Day, just when I thought the entire office was going to have a sit down chat about behavior, I was asked to call out my coworker. It was not the best way to do things at all but in my boss's eyes, it was done. I guess that's all I have to say about that. Later that evening, Scott's Brew House ran out of green beer. It was a tough day.
Last Thursday, I attended a talk put on by Google and AIGA Indy about marketing and brand - how small to large businesses can use Google's tools to launch their success. Interesting presentation but I could have easily subbed for the main presenter. Eitherway, it reinforced my view that Google is hot stuff.
My fiance and I signed a lease for our first apartment together. I will be moving after the wedding and have chosen to be to commuter. It will take me around 1hr15min to get to work and 1hr30min to get home. This decision will affect my work when weather gets dangerous in the winter, when I am sick, if I have car trouble and if traffic gets bad. Discussion will begin about a month before I move regarding potential work from home scenarios or telecommuting options to save money and time one day a week. With soaring gas prices (down to $3.29 this week,) even a small car becomes a third mouth to feed. I'm exploring carpool options to cut wear and tear on my car, gas expenses, environmental impact and mental exhaustion.
New horizons, the bar is raised and I've gotta lace up my shoes.
Cait
12.10.2007
Crunch
Self induced piles of paper work flood in after I foolishly mailed them out to gain signatures from clients. Now I must process them all and send half the stack back to clients... it hurts me to know how many trees I'm killing! Can't wait for paperless.
Logo development hasn't strayed far from sketches in free time as dedicated creative time doesn't exist. It can't be scheduled (yet) and it isn't an obvious priority to the office yet. Still teaching them. I get to present the logos I've worked on to our client and I realized I have no cutting mat or Exacto knives to cut the illustration board that I haven't purchased yet.
That's so funny to me!
Such is life stretching the creative limits of a marketing company.
Next bold step I'm holding out for, telling them our logo sucks and showing them our stationery system needs a revamp!
Tah-tah
Logo development hasn't strayed far from sketches in free time as dedicated creative time doesn't exist. It can't be scheduled (yet) and it isn't an obvious priority to the office yet. Still teaching them. I get to present the logos I've worked on to our client and I realized I have no cutting mat or Exacto knives to cut the illustration board that I haven't purchased yet.
That's so funny to me!
Such is life stretching the creative limits of a marketing company.
Next bold step I'm holding out for, telling them our logo sucks and showing them our stationery system needs a revamp!
Tah-tah
11.27.2007
Simple Pleasures
Yesterday, was taken to lunch to celebrate coworker's 2 year anniversary with the company.
Today, gave a presentation to a local University about developing a youth logo. Explored all the different facets to consider: stances, personality, accessories, abstract/realistic... It was fun and there's a lot of information I can take with me to further the mark now as it grows...
This is the fun part!
Today, gave a presentation to a local University about developing a youth logo. Explored all the different facets to consider: stances, personality, accessories, abstract/realistic... It was fun and there's a lot of information I can take with me to further the mark now as it grows...
This is the fun part!
11.21.2007
Half Way There
Living on a prayer...
One of the benefits of working in the collegiate industry is that work flow echoes activity on campuses. People go home the day before Thanksgiving thus work slows in the office. We might get to go home early. We even get the day after Thanksgiving off!
I'm told that winter holiday time reflects much of the same activity, with our campus contacts out of the office for more than a week. Maybe I'll get a winter break too?!
Slow times = catch up times + creative down time that lets me do REAL creative work.
As for now, I'll probably use the slow time today to go home early and clean my apartment as God only knows my later hours (6pm, sometimes 7pm) working at the office kill my ability to keep up the homestead right now- a habit that will have to change.
One of the benefits of working in the collegiate industry is that work flow echoes activity on campuses. People go home the day before Thanksgiving thus work slows in the office. We might get to go home early. We even get the day after Thanksgiving off!
I'm told that winter holiday time reflects much of the same activity, with our campus contacts out of the office for more than a week. Maybe I'll get a winter break too?!
Slow times = catch up times + creative down time that lets me do REAL creative work.
As for now, I'll probably use the slow time today to go home early and clean my apartment as God only knows my later hours (6pm, sometimes 7pm) working at the office kill my ability to keep up the homestead right now- a habit that will have to change.
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