I’ve written about using LinkedIn to find design jobs here and here, but I’ve yet to suggest ways to use Twitter or Facebook as part of a design career search.

Needless to say, it is an obligation today that during the application process for a new job you take a moment to see if the company offering a position to which you might apply maintains a Facebook page or Twitter account. If so, Fan and Follow them, read some of their social media content, and then tailor your application / cover letter based upon the insights you have gained by doing this little bit of homework on the company. I know all seems obvious, but it is still worth illustrating because each experience using social media for this purpose is different.

For example, I’ll go look at Coroflot’s Twitter feed right now and check the most recent job announcement to see if this whole application process using social media works… Read the rest of this entry »

As a follow to my post on Using LinkedIn to Find Design Jobs, here is a slightly different technique to go after the design business that you want.

If you decide that your ideal client type is a travel-oriented company because your aesthetic is a match or because you already have some experience in that space, then search for travel companies within LinkedIn. You search companies using the search feature in the upper right-hand corner of the page, pulling down the menu to change the search from “people” to “companies.” I just did a search for “travel” and got 4772 results. Now you have an idea of the volume of possible new client contacts on LinkedIn, but that’s a global and really broad search so let’s narrow it using better search techniques.

Follow this link:
http://www.linkedin.com/companies

The page at the link above also lets you browse by industries. Here I have started browsing “Philanthropies”:
http://www.linkedin.com/companyDir?results=&sik=1251911248496

…where I can then focus the results by country, zip, company size and even if they are hiring by using the search features on the right of the page. Read the rest of this entry »

What is your design aesthetic? It’s hard to be objective, but important to know. It helps determine who you are likely to land as a client. And who you are likely to land as a client are your “Client Types.”

So with your aesthetic in mind, what are your “Client Types”, and do you know any / have connections to any of them? To connect with your Client Types use your network — or start building one — and find them.

Join LinkedIn Groups comprised of those types of clients and do the soft-sell. Position yourself as a specialist. Suggest that you are doing contextual research Read the rest of this entry »

Creative achievements seldom happen in isolation. A big part of making ideas happen is controlling how you come across to others. Of course, the Creative’s tendency is to say, “who gives a crap what other people think.” While there is merit in never compromising oneself for the sake of another’s opinion, creative professionals need to make an effort to be understood. You need to present yourself effectively to engage others and get the support (and the business) you need to push ideas forward.

Do you feel that your strengths come across in your everyday interactions? Every meeting, phone call, email, and resume or portfolio sends a message of who you are and what you are about. Everything communicates something about you. Remember that the strongest brand is your own. Read the rest of this entry »

You are a strong graphic designer? Then find several strong web designers, make them aware of you, and suggest a reciprocal relationship that would help both of you meet clients’ broader needs. Also, consider approaching hosting providers in an effort to be on their short list of referrals for work.

Contact all friends and associates with design skills complementary to your own and set up an informal reciprocal agreement.

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From the NoD Sponsor:

Sessions Online Schools of Art and Design is an accredited online graphic and web design school offering design career preparation including Web Design Certificates, Graphic Design Certificates, Multimedia Arts Certificates.

It is crucial for the client to make a financial commitment to you at the project kick-off. Upon signing a contract, make sure that you get a deposit and have payment milestones. Consider 5% / 55% / 40%. 5% at signing. $55% at a midpoint deliverable that you have designated in the contract. 40% upon delivery. Some like to make 50% at kick-off. Your call…depends on your comfort level with the client. To explore these types of policies in more detail consider purchasing a copy of the Graphic Artist Guild’s Pricing and Ethical Guidelines.

Put this deposit and payment milestones requirement into your template agreements now.

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From the NoD Sponsor:

Sessions Online Schools of Art and Design is an accredited online graphic and web design school offering design career preparation including Web Design Certificates, Graphic Design Certificates, Multimedia Arts Certificates.

There are many, many ways to structure retainers. Here are some suggestions. If a client hires you to build a website – or a portion of a website – and they do not have an in-house designer to maintain it, then offer your client to place you on a monthly retainer with a reduced rate. For example, if you charge $40/hour for freelance work, suggest a retainer of 10 hours per month at $30/hour or $300 per month. Invoice them at the beginning of each month Net 30. If they use you, then great. If they don’t, the hours do not rollover. If they are close to you then suggest a meeting once monthly to go over any needs. You’ll want to be proactive and ensure that they use you or the relationship will end.

Contact all current and past clients now and suggest a phone call / meeting to discuss the potential of a retainer. If you have no retainers in place now then don’t reveal that fact…you are a busy and sought-after designer.

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From the NoD Sponsor:

Sessions Online Schools of Art and Design is an accredited online graphic and web design school offering design career preparation including Web Design Certificates, Graphic Design Certificates, Multimedia Arts Certificates.

The best jobs I’ve ever earned were through colleagues and connections. In an interview, ask the interviewer who else might appreciate your work, or who else is hiring. Keep in touch with everyone you meet to build a large and strong net of connections. Indeed, just sending postcards, letters, or connecting on facebook, has allowed me a happier career and broader options. Dear Claudia, if you are reading, I am still indebted to you.

In the jobs that I’ve held, I’ve really enjoyed being friends with the people behind the creative scenes and I know how hard they work to make the organizations succeed in ways that you wouldn’t expect.

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From the NoD Sponsor:

Sessions Online Schools of Art and Design is an accredited online graphic and web design school offering design career preparation including Web Design Certificates, Graphic Design Certificates, Multimedia Arts Certificates.

How can you, an enthusiastic, creative solopreneur, not give away all your ideas in the first meeting with a potential client?

1. Listen more than you speak. That will help you restrain your enthusiasm (or desperation) PLUS you’ll get more information, which you’ll need to do the project.

2. Offer a paid, 1-hour brainstorming meeting instead of a free interview or portfolio review. To do this, explain how your prospect will benefit much more from a brainstorming session than a mere portfolio presentation. Then, even if you decide not to work together, they’ll walk away with some good ideas and you will have been compensated for your time.

Unless you’re interviewing with a teensy design studio, chances are good you’ll meet with more than one person. At the very least, you should know your interviewers’ names and titles before you show up. If the hiring manager doesn’t give you this information, simply ask for it: “I’d like to be well-prepared for our time together. Might I ask who I’ll be meeting with during the interview process?”

To really impress, though, it’s smart to know more about these people, and then tailor your message to them. Get their names and titles, and then visit the firm’s website to learn more about them. Google them — see if they’ve been written about in the design media, if they’ve won awards, if they’ve presented at industry events, if they’ve authored white papers. In a recent Career article for HOW, columnist Julie Sims recommends, too, that you target your conversation to whoever you’re meeting with. For example, you shouldn’t get super-detailed about your creative process if you’re meeting with a CEO, but you should be prepared to explain your thinking if you’re showing your book to a creative director.

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From the NoD Sponsor:

Sessions Online Schools of Art and Design is an accredited online graphic and web design school offering design career preparation including Web Design Certificates, Graphic Design Certificates, Multimedia Arts Certificates.