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Metro-bound?

Don't be so sure that moving to a larger city will get you a better job. Nor will it get you into the designer's chair any faster. Larger cities present many opportunities, but also more competition.

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Beware of e-mail networking. There is no substitute for a phone call or a hand-written note. E-mail is very practical, but it has a certain lazy, impersonal aspect to it.

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Beware of spelling errors and contradictions on a résumé.

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Attention designers! Do not over-design your résumé. This is a frequent tendency for our kind. The résumé is an informational piece, not a portfolio piece.

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You Know QuarkXPress?

I don't care. So do I. You can make mention of software proficiency, but don't list every application on your computer. It is assumed that you know your stuff. Only list ones that are somehow exceptional or very suitable to a very specific position.

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Business Network Int'l Ottawa Small Business Meetup Group Young Entrepreneurs Association

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Networking & Job Hunting

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Job Hunting: Passive and Active

The résumé: make it short. One page. If your work experience is short, make sure you make known your interests and language skills.

The résumé serves as a basic "get to know you" tool for the designer. The portfolio is where the rubber hits the road. This does not mean you should neglect the résumé. Make sure it is clean and typographically correct.

There is more to job hunting than blasting résumés all over the city. Meeting new people is a great was to avoid the usual grind of formal interviews and presentations. Being introduced by someone who believes in you can go a long way to getting the job. This is a type of passive job hunting.

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Etiquette of Networking

Networking is not simply socializing. Don't plan on networking with people you already know. If you know of an event where attendants are people who could be customers or suppliers, go alone. Going out with the buddies doesn't count as networking.

Networking opportunities present themselves all the time. They do not need to be purposely organized events. A Christmas party at a friend's; a day on the slopes; or talking to a printer can yield new contacts or opportunities.

When you're at some gathering where you can network, don't race to meet every single person in the room. It's not a business card collecting competition. Introduce yourself to someone and get to know what they do. Don't just focus on making money. That will come naturally.

Be a generous talker. Be interested in them. Ask them open-ended questions. Questions to which they cannot simply answer 'yes' or 'no'. Don't be too eager. Let things happen naturally. People see right through a sales pitch.

If the person is boring/useless as all get-up. make a polite escape to the men's room (or the women's room, if your are so inclined).

It may take some time, but you'll find that after a few of these events, you'll have met quite a few people. Eventually, some opportunity will present itself. It may not even be directly profitable to you. It may be a chance for two people you have met to do business together. Remember: what goes around comes around.

Whether you do business with an individual or not, if he or she is someone you respect, the contact is valuable. Not only should you refer others to your contact, you should also maintain the contact. Amazingly, referrals are rarely direct. More often, the actual referral comes second- or third-hand. The wider your network, the more people you have working for you in your marketplace.

Have a prepared description of what you do. Wouldn't it sound silly if someone asked you what a graphic designer does, and you couldn't answer? This doesn't mean that you have to walk around with cue cards. Just be ready with an answer which emphasizes the importance of graphic design.The Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario could be a valuable resource here.

Being asked what we do is a fantastic opportunity to pitch the value of good design. Seize it! Don't drone on. Think of it as a thirty second commercial for yourself.

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Right Place. Right Time.

When going to a networking event, make sure it is an appropriate event to attend. Make it a relevant one. Going to a "Wives of Veterans of World War II Convention" may illicit awhat the hell is he doing heretype of response.

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Care and Feeding of Contacts

If you receive a business card, take the time to look at it. Make the person feel important. Besides it may bring up a discussion point. Be sure to make a note on it about the person or the conversation you had with them so when you find it your pocket two weeks later, you'll have a reminder about the person. It also never hurts to make similar notes on the cards you give. The recipient may not be as savvy a business networker as you.

Make sure you organize the business cards you receive. Buy some 3" X 5" cue cards. Staple cards to them. Write notes about where and when you met the person. Note who introduced you. Make sure to write down if a lead was given or received and what the outcome was.

When meeting people, opportunities will present themselves to be of service to them. If you say you will do something, do it.

Follow up. No matter the situation, a call to follow up is always a good idea. A scenario: you put someone in touch with a printing representative. Call both parties after you think the job is done to make sure things went well. It could be that everything went off without a hitch. In that case, you've been of service to someone. If there was a problem, you should be aware of it before an awkward situation arises.