No Fear Interview Preparedness

If you are anything like me, or anyone else actually, then the idea of a job interview gets you nervous. Thankfully, I've had a lot of practice with interviews. I've had several interviews, design related and part time job related, and the more interviews I've done the easier they get— but that's not to say I don't have a few tricks to do well on the interview prepared as well. So here are a few of the tips that my dad taught me, from the perspective of an employer, that helps me go into the interview a little more confident even if my nerves are shot. By the end of this blog post, you'll be able to interview for supreme ruler of the world and take over the universe.

Step One: Research Ok, so the first step would be actually be getting an interview in the first place. But let's just assume for this blog post that you already sent in your resume and landed an interview.

Ok so you have the interview, but the first thing you gotta do is a ton of research. Obviously, if you applied to the company you must have done a ton of that already, but now it's time to come up with your interview questions. You never want to walk into an interview without a set of questions ready to ask the interviewer. When the guy interviewing you asks "Do you have any questions?" the kiss of death would be to say "nah, I'm good." So fire up your internet and get on their website to come up with a list of questions. First, look for what their mission statement is. The mission statement is what that company is all about, and is usually hidden somewhere on the about page. Note: This might not jump out at you.

Next, look at their work, and see how their mission statement applies to their work. If they are a place that prides itself on tailoring their style to meet the clients needs, then see how their body of work reflects that. These are the kind of things you are going to sneakily use for conversation, like "I see you guys don't have a set style, that's cool how you make each project for each specific client." Or something along those lines. You're basically regurgitating what is on their website and using it to show you are interested and did your research on them. Flatter them.

Not like this Besides their work, one of the big things to remember is asking about their office culture. The biggest concern I found from most places I interned or interviewed at was making sure I got along with their vibe. Employers could potentially be spending 8 or more hours a day with you, and if you're a jerk or annoying or too stiff they are gonna look elsewhere. To combat the performance anxiety, just think of it like you're having a conversation with someone you just met at a party or on a first date, whatever. You wanna give a great, professional first impression of yourself as well as show that you can hang. Coming in too professional makes you a robot, and creative jobs thankfully have dislodged the corporate stick from their asses. So relax, let them start the convo, and try to make it a balance of interview and your personal interests. I usually can tell an interview is going well when the conversation steers to internet references or my favorite Game of Thrones characters.

Those are just some things to prepare you for hopefully many successful interviews. Here are some more useful things that might help you out and another great place to turn to is Reddit's subreddit InterviewFauxYou. They help you practice for your interview, go over your resume, and even help you stay calm and collected!

How To Identify, Deal With, & Solve Creative Block

As creative people ideas come naturally to us, at least most of the time. However, when it is demanded of us so often sometimes the well runs dry. How do you deal with designers block?

Obviously not everyone is the same. Some people need pressure to get the big idea, personally I need to be as relaxed as possible and most of the time my ideas come right before I go to sleep. There are also different kinds of creative blocks caused by different issues. 99u.com describes a few creative blocks and some helpful solutions. I chose my top five.  

1.     Mental Block 

Being stuck in the same way of thinking or losing perspective.

Try finding a way to challenge your brain’s thought habits by either changing your surroundings or talking to someone who can give you a new outlook.

2.     Emotional Barrier

Maybe your working on something that is personal and is bringing up unwanted feelings. The only solution is to face your fears and use it as fuel for your creativity.

3.     Poor Work Habits

As I mentioned earlier, everyone has a different way of being productive creatively. You have to look at yourself and discover what makes you most efficient. Maybe you’re working at night when you should be working in the morning.

4.     Overwhelm

I suffer heavily from blocks when I have too much on my plate, or when there’s too many ideas it’s hard to organize my thoughts. When you’re dealing with too much the only thing to do is start making cuts. Either cutting down your to do list or start exploring a few ideas and leaving the rest behind.

5.     Poverty

99u describes more than one type of poverty. Not having enough time, not having enough knowledge on the topic, not having all the tools you need to complete a project. For this you have two paths. You can either make it possible to get wealthier or you can be inspired by the challenge of not having what you need but still trying your best to complete the task.

Hopefully some of these can get you out of a creative jam. For more detail on creative block visit 99u site:

http://99u.com/articles/7088/7-types-of-creative-block-and-what-to-do-about-them

The Illustrative Guide to Freelancing

Illustrators have few studio or agency jobs anymore, therefor they must be fierce and creative freelancers. The world of freelance Illustration has it’s own series of rules and practices. However, now that the line between design and illustration is blurring more and more, we can borrow freelancing rules and tricks from illustrators to become the best freelancers we can be. Here is the typical cycle the newborn Illustration freelancer, take what you will designers.

PASSION PROJECTS

So you’ve graduated, you have ample talent but nothing to pour it into. How about a Passion Project? It could all start here. We have heard of the miracle stories of illustrators doing some quirky, fun thing for themselves, posting it online, having blogs pick it up, those blogs turn into studios or agencies and then that turns that person into a legend. (Jess Hische-cough,cough) Well if it worked for them, it could most certainly work for you. Start off creating work that you love and have fun with. Grow as a creator and get the attention from those who are attracted to the same aesthetics as you are. Doing your own projects keeps your work fresh and creative!

MAXIMIZE YOUR VISIBILITY

This is perhaps the most important part of starting off in the freelance world. Here are several tips, old and new. 

The Old School Way : Back in the day (like a two years ago) illustrators would send out promotional mailer to art directors all over to get their work seen. Promotional mailers are usually post cards (4 x 6) used show off artwork. The postcard can wish your contacts a happy holiday, let them know about a new website or blog, or simply just reminder that you are a living, breathing person in the world. This method is slowly dying out because of the internet, but perhaps now it is the perfect time to send out these tactile promotions. A person couldn’t ignore a beautiful card the same way they ignore an email. It is a much more personal way to get your foot in the door and I mean, who doesn’t love getting a card? 

For some dollar bills you can get a mailing list of art directors, companies and other clients through HERE

HERE are some other options to build your contact list.

Need to be convinced more?  Go HERE

The New School way:The more we put our work out there the more chance we have to be “discovered,” however it’s crucial for the freelancers of the world, we already know this. So, start a blog, upload all your goodies to Behance, Dribbble, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr. Email blasts are another great way to promote yourself and also remind people that you exist!

Agency Representation: Psht.. You’re Busy, you have some extra graduation cash, take the “self” out of “self promotion” and get someone else to do it. There’s no shame in finding an agency to market you. Your work will pour through the relevant channels that usually attract bigger companies and agencies because of experience and convenience. This may also cut out having to deal with clients which is a huge plus. 

This LIST has a ton of agencies to look through if you are interested.

WORK FLOW

So you got that killer job you wanted, or even several. Time to get to work. Make sure you are organized and prepared for the assignment you are given. Respond to those emails right away, stay on schedule and no matter what, be kind. A good experience with a client could lead to more jobs with them or even better, they will sing your praises more people. Part of doing the best job you can is to not say yes to everything that comes your way. Be reasonable with yourself and your time. These first few projects are vital for your name to connect with good vibes.

PAYMENT

You made that fantastic illustration, but now the bills are calling your name. Payment is usually the trickiest and most awkward part of any freelance experience, especially when your starting out. 

Come up with your price: Start off with a base of how much you would like to be paid per hour. Consider how much time it will take you to come up with an idea, how easy it is to make fixes, price of materials, is this for something local or national? When your starting out it is better to give your clients a little more bang for their buck. Just like you have a food place or store simply because they took a little bit more time to make your experience or your product extra special.

HERE is some more information on pricing.

Make some killer invoices: Your invoice is your bill. On it you list all the services and products you provided and you sum up the cost. Think of your invoice as an extension of your resume, cover letter and business card. Design it with care since it will be the last experience your client has with you. Make it clear, easy to follow and memorable!

Click HERE for Invoice Inspiration

Hopefully this can come of help to those seeking a freelance career or just some freelance gigs. 

If you want more resources THIS LINK will rock your socks off.

A Primary Installment

It comes as no surprise that as graduation nears, we can all find ourselves thinking about the next step. What will that step be? For each person, the answer is different. However, as designers, we will all find ourselves doing freelance work at some point in our careers. With this comes certain obligations, not only to the clients, but to each of us as a creative professional.

There are many things still left to learn past the moment when our names are called and that piece of paper is in our hand signifying we’ve finally done it. For that reason, many new designers move forward feeling uncertain and a little timid, especially when it comes to asking for payment. One of the most common mistakes a young designer makes is not requiring a deposit when starting a new project for a client. Here are a few reasons why taking that initiative is so important.

1. The dreaded spec work. We are all well aware of what spec work is and the need to turn it away. Each Tyler GAID graduate has the talent and experience to be treated for what we are: professionals. That means being paid for the work being done. By asking for a deposit, it minimizes the chance of future financial loss. It also reduces the risk of precious time and ideas being wasted.
2. Investment and interest. In general, when a person makes an investment in something, they remain invested and interested. Working closely with a client to achieve the best possible results can be incredibly rewarding. Invested money can act as motivation for a client’s involvement in the design process.
3. Common practice. Asking for a deposit is common practice in the design industry. If a client is refusing to put down a deposit, regardless of the reason, it is acceptable to say that we are professionals and requiring a deposit is reasonable in this field to ensure we get paid for all of our work. 
4. The logistics. We all have a wide range of talents and experience within the design industry. However, there may be projects that require skills we do not possess, demanding outside help from illustrators, web developers, copywriters, etc. Having the deposit upfront can help cover the costs of this outside help. If there was no deposit or payment agreement, the client could disappear and the money spent on outside help would be out of pocket and thus, gone.

As strange as it may seem, we are soon to be professionals in this field and with that, comes the necessity to act as such. It is completely acceptable to be assertive (yet respectful), despite how uncomfortable it may feel. Asking for a deposit ensures the start of a healthy professional relationship that demands mutual respect and fosters shared trust. 

Job Hunting: Out of State

So I don't know about you, but one of my biggest fears about graduation is job hunting. I know we're pretty lucky because we have so many connections through the program and always getting emails about job opportunities and such, but if you're not planning on staying in Philly or even PA, such as myself, it's a little scarier going out there where the connections become fewer. 

I've been doing research about the graphic design job market in different states and cities, particularly on the east coast. Here are some shitty looking maps I found that actually have some good info. They are from 2013, but I don't think things have changed too, too much since then and can still give you a general idea about jobs.

One of the biggest things to consider is the amount of job opportunities in an area, because as much as you may love the Dakotas, it’s not exactly a hot spot of graphic design at the moment.

Another big part is wage. And I mean, there’s a give and take to how much you’re willing to accept based on who would be working for, where it is, and the type of work you’d be doing. But it is a big thing to consider since different areas have different wages and different costs of living.

To wrap this thing up, there’s a lot of factors to consider when deciding where to live/work and what I can tell is that, if you keep your options open and abundant, use the resources and connections we have, and just apply and put your name out there too as many people as you want, you will find a job and city that will make you happy.