When I decided to write this article I was inspired by all the people I knew that were having trouble finding work; some for a few months, others moving into a year.  It got me thinking about the extended length of time it takes to find a job these days.  I thought,  with all the qualified designers out there in resume databases and design portfolio websites, why are recruiters still having difficulty finding designers to hire. 

The reason is that recruiters seldom look for designers that are looking for work.  Instead they look for designers that are not looking for work.  Confused? Well, there are two phrases in the recruiter’s lexicon that are used constantly, “active” and “passive candidates”.  They prefer to hire the latter, simply because of the perception that good people are always employed and employed people are usually talented.   

 It’s kind of like that girl you liked in high school-- you chased her around to find out that she was not interested… that is -- until you got busy, ignored her, spend time working out, playing sports and becoming popular, and voila – Now she wants to hang out. 

Same is true for recruiters.  They want to discover you and not the other way around… So if that’s the case, let them.  Instead of wasting your time searching job boards and adding your resume to bottomless databases, how about coming up with a plan to build up your personal brand, showcasing your talents so they can find you.  Yes!  the personal branding talk yet again :)

To help you get started:  I’ve outlined a plan of action or blueprint with the necessary steps you’ll need to take  to find your next design job.  This will take some time to implement, so the quicker you get started the better.

First, I’ll create a fake designer persona (profile) so I can better address the designer specific needs:

 

Fictitious Designer Profile: 

Title: Fashion Designer

Experience:  3 years experience

Expertise: Great at design and illustration

Location:  Looking for a design job in New York City

Target Company to work for:   Donna Karen, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors

 

Next, I’ll outline the necessary steps you’ll need to take to establish your online presence.

The Design Job Getter Social Networking Blueprint

 (this plan assumes that you’re starting from scratch)

 

Steps to building your online personal brand

1.     Create a design portfolio website – If you don’t have the resources to do it yourself or pay someone, use a design portfolio website like Styleapple or Carbonmade to upload your work.   To maximize your exposure on these websites I recommend filling out your designer profile completely. 

 

Most portfolio websites search engines search keywords, disciplines and categories.  You’ll show up in more search results by simply taking the time to fully complete your profile. Generally speaking, images will not help to get  you found in a keyword search.

 

2.     Start a blog – preferably on Wordpress (free) or Hubspot (monthly fee - SEO assistance)

a.     Frequency of blog postings – 2 to 3 times per week.

b.     What do you blog about?  At least once a week you should have a new illustration or design work in which you demonstrate your creative process step by step from inspiration to sketch to fabric selection.

 

What you’re looking to accomplish here is  to share how you go about developing a collection or pieces in a collection.  It’s important that your future employer knows how you work. 

 

Other ideas for blogging include unconventional inspiration, fashion shows you like, your trips to the fabric store,  cool fabrics you discovered, designers you admire (hopefully one of which is the company(s) you’d like to work for. 

 

This is necessary for one important reason: companies are actively monitoring their brands online (utilizing brand monitoring tools) by subscribing to a number of  keywords that they deem important to their brands. Company name, head designer’s name, competitors names,  and product names are keywords you can expect to trigger a response or a review of what is being said online.   So why not talk about them!

 

This can be an effective strategy when job hunting. With that said, doing your research about the company, finding out what they are up to and writing blog articles about what’s important to them is a great way to get noticed.  So when your potential employer is searching the internet to find out who’s talking…. Well-- you’re talking and you’re saying “nice” things about them.

 

3.     Start accounts on the following social networking websites: Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

 

a.     Twitter (To Do List)

                           i.      Tweet Frequency – 2 to 3 times per day.

                          ii.      Twitter Profile URL - Link your Twitter profile URL to your blog or Facebook business page, NOT your personal profile page

                         iii.      Whom Should I Follow? Start following designers from all disciplines including interior designers, web designers, industrial designers, illustrators, fashion designers, fashion companies, fashion schools, fashion editors, fashion bloggers, graphic designers, advertising agencies,  etc. – Anyone that may have some connections in your industry.

                         iv.      Twitter Bio –  Your twitter bio should be witty yet informative i.e.  Young Fashion Designer Looking For His Next Big Break – Will work for fabrics...

                          v.      Tweet Content – Let you personality shine here. Talk about things you find interesting personally and professionally.  Have your blog feed attached to your twitter account.  Retweet and comment on tweets from companies that you have an interest in. 

 

b.     Facebook (To Do List)

                            i.      Facebook Accounts - Start a personal profile as well as a business page (this will allow you to post design related content and get a fan base going.

                           ii.      Blog Feed On Facebook - Have your blog feed attach to your Facebook business page.  You can use the Social RSS application to do this.

                          iii.      Facebook Fans - Ask all your friends, family and associates to become fans on your business page, the more fans the better.

 

c.      LinkedIn

                           i.      LinkedIn Accounts - Start a LinkedIn account – Take the time to complete your profile (above 90%) for reasons mentioned above.

                          ii.      Get recommendations – Ask your colleagues or previous employers to write you a recommendation, at least three(3) recommendations will give you a leg up when being considered for a job.  I’ve gotten many jobs purely on a recommendation.

                          iii.      LinkedIn Groups - Join all the groups you have an interest in.  LinkedIn’s limit is 50 groups.  Join 50 LinkedIn Groups.  There are many design and recruiter groups you can join including Creative Design Pros,  Designers Talk and Fashion and Lifestyle.

                         iv.      Connection Selection - Find designers and recruiters in these groups and ask to network with them.    Be sure when asking to  connect with recruiters not to be pushy by asking them if they have any jobs available.  They’ll likely ignore your request simply because they get these requests all day, every day.  It’s better to start building a professional relationship first. 

 

It’s also important when networking and finding connections that you do not only ask fashion designers or designers in your discipline to connect with you.  It’s better to connect with designers outside your discipline as well. This is so if someone approaches an interior designer looking for a fashion designer, chances are good that they’ll only know one(1) fashion designer, YOU!

Once you’ve set up the above accounts, now you’re ready to look for a job or rather have your job find you.  Which, I will discuss in my next post where you’ll learn how to work these networks  and contacts to get your next design job.

Feel free to leave your questions and advice in the comments below, I would like to get your feedback.

--

Step 1 in finding a design job is creating a design portfolio of your best work.  Start by creating your design portfolio on the Styleapple Designers Network!  It's free and simple.

 

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Ok I admit it; I'm kind of a social media junkie.  You know you listen to people talk about being addicted to Twitter, Facebook, and the likes but its only when you really get into it and fully utilize these resources correctly that you realize how great a networking tool these websites really are. 

I'm a part of quite a few networks and groups across the internet. You can find me on  Twitter- @calvincox, Creative Design Pros on LinkedIN, Creative Design Pros on Facebook, Pro Marketers on LindedIN, LinkedHR group on LinkedIN, you name it I'm probably in it.  And what I've noticed is the  high caliber of group members sincerely looking to network and find resources and sometimes  even Human resources. 

I've come across recruiters  looking to fill positions by sending out emails to group members  asking if we knew of anyone that could fill certain design positions at their companies.  Just imagine if you were a group member looking for just that job or project?  How cool would that be?  It's like sitting having lunch (without the lunch of course)with a recruiter  you wouldn't have otherwise met- considering  all the weeding out a design company does before even looking at your resume or design portfolio.  I hope the wheels are turning in your head enough for you to  go out and find groups that are related to your field of interest.  This could  possibly be the inside track you've been looking  for.   CC

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So you would like to become a Freelance Designer. You've gotten tired of the 9-to-5 and would like a little more freedom. You're bored with the monotony and crave more exciting projects. You would like to build your own business and achieve financial independence. That's great but you need a plan. You say to yourself, I'll quit and register with the top temp agencies in the area and have them find me work. You figure after they've taken a look at your design portfolio, you'll be well on your way to financial independence, RIGHT!... not so fast.

I was recently talking to a friend of mine about freelancing and how one can successfully transition to becoming the highly sought after, genius, guru, freelance designer guy or gal that everyone wants to be like. Well a few years back I started freelancing and my idea of freelancing was to simply sign up with a few fashion temp agencies, sit back and have them call me when new projects came up! (yes I was that guy) Surprisingly enough it worked for a while... BACK THEN. Today we're in a recession. We have to be alot more proactive when decided to take the freelancing route. I've outlined a checklist that will help make your transition as smooth as possible bacause I would hate to see you prematurely go out there, find yourself in financial trouble and end up begging for your old job back... not cool.

The Recession Proof Freelance Designer Check List

1. Are you business minded?
2. Are you currently working full time?
3. Are you freelancing on the side right now?
4. Do you have customers that can transition to a full time gig if you quit your full time job?
5. Do you have savings to help you with your transition to freelance?
6. Do you have a list of potential clients [contact names and numbers] that you know can get you freelance projects (at least 15 contacts)?
7. Is your Design Portfolio up to date?
8. Do you have a freelance website and blog?
9. Have you discussed your plans with your wife or significant other?
10. Is the quality of your work/design portfolio competitive in your field?

If you've answered yes to the above questions, kudos to you, you're ready to rip the chains off your neck, flip your boss the bird (not recommended) and get on the highway to financial independence. On the other hand, if you didn't answer yes to the above questions, you might want to hang around for a little longer; prepare yourself by making sure you're well equipped to weather the first 3 months on your own. Preparing for freelancing is like anything else, if you're not well prepared you may not be successful. I've noted a few articles and websites that will help you with additional questions. As I find them I'll update the Freelance Designer Wall. Please don't sit and wait for temp agencies to find you work; go out there, be proactive and demand the work; excel and show your clients that you are serious about your business; once you've done some amazing work for them; that guarantee repeat business and referrals coming your way. Happy Freelancing. Cheers.

 

FREELANCE DESIGNER WALL [Articles, Advise and Projects]

• Freelance Switch is a great resource for Finding Freelance work as well as getting some valuable advice; I found topics such as 101 Ideas to Get More Freelance Work and Generate New Client Leads to 101 Essential Freelancing Resources.

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Many of you are probably thinking the same thing. I'm a designer... not a blogger. The reason I know this is because I'm also guilty of saying the same thing until I became aware of the overwhelming benfits of blogging.

I recently did a post on the reasons designers fail and one of the points I talked about was the misconception of a saturated market. A market only becomes saturated when clients see no difference between you and your competition. Blogging is great way to set you apart by simply allowing your clients to get to know you, first as a person and then as a designer. Trust me the pros in your industry have no trouble finding work.

This is why I recommend that designer start a blog first; then work on your website. Another option is to create a design portfolio on styleapple.com, where you can use your personalized URL they provide to link to your blog or website. I've outlined 5 compelling reasons to support my position on designers blogging:

SIDENOTES & UPDATES:

I recently came across a well done interview of Jacob Cass, a talented and respected Graphic and Web Designer done by Andrew Houle of MyInkBlog where Jacob explains his blogging impact on his freelance business. Here's an excerpt:

 Andrew: How has running a successful design community blog helped you land more freelance work?

Jacob: By having the blog that I mentioned above, it has brought me higher search engine rankings and it has put my name out there in the design community which in turn means more visibility... My work is 40% local, 10% national and 50% international which shows just how varied the work is.

To read the complete interview check out Andrew's Blog Post "Interview With  Jacob Cass"

Ok... here are my top 5 reasons:

1 NO EXPOSURE NO CLIENTS

I think one of the most difficult things to get as a designer is exposure. We are talented and broke, usually due to the lack of exposure . When you're blogging about what you love, people will visit and read your point of view; some will like it and tell others about it, giving you the necessary exposure you'll need to grow your business.

2 TRUST IS THE ANSWER TO THE 'WHY SHOULD I HIRE YOU?' QUESTION

Trust is the answer to the ‘ why should I hire you ?‘ question your clients will ask themselves. By blogging about creative design topics that you are an expert, allows your potential clients to get to know you personally before they consider working with you. When they are ready to hire someone for a project; chances are, you'll be on their short list.

3 DRIVE MORE WEB TRAFFIC TO YOUR SITE

Most of your business as a designer will probably come from the internet. If your website is not changing constantly, chances are your traffic will decrease over time. Blogging allows for new content every time you post a new article, the search engines are happy because they have new content to index, your potential clients are happy because you're talking about a topic of interest, and you're happy because your traffic continues to increase from all the fresh content you are posting.

4 BRANDING COMES FROM FAMILIARITY, TRUST AND QUALITY OF PRODUCT.

Branding as you know is a long term endeavor. Branding comes from familiarity, trust and quality of product. It is very important that your content is true and valuable to your visitors. Your goal should be to provide useful information even if it isn't directly related to your creative design services. When you stick to providing quality content you start to build a following, once you've gained the trust of your readers it will translate to them patronizing your services, hence growing your brand.

5 HERE IS THE REASON LOGO DESIGN DOES NOT COST $5 DOLLARS

Blogging about what interest you is great; Ideally you'll want to blog about the services or industry that you're in. For example, If you're a trusted graphic designer and you're talking about the reasons logo design does not cost $5.00, and you do a great job explaining why; your potential clients will consider you an expert and may look at you favorably when seeking to hire for their next design job or freelance project, hence allow you to indirectly market your product.

Continuing to build relationships through blogging is an excellent marketing resource all designers should be using.

What are your thoughts on creating your freelance design business around a blog?

 

 

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Here it is, my top 10 reasons designers fail to reach their creative potential. Whether your goal is to get more work or simply to gain more exposure in order to get more work. As a designer it took me a while before I figured out what kept me stagnant. I've come up with a list of 10 things to avoid.

#10 Saturated Market:

Yes its true; we're global. The internet has introduced many more choices for your clients. Have no fear though, because the same web that introduced your competition also brought the global market to your feet. Become a specialist and an expert in your field. Focusing on your niche market will allow you to be much more competitve. Also, keep in mind that your customer base is now global so your niche market is not as small as it use to be.

#9 Wrong Starting Point:

Chasing after the big prize right out the gate will only get you exhausted and frustrated. Very few people get rich and famous quickly. Start by building a strong design portfolio, Hone your skills, get noticed by friends and family; become viral - your friends know people you don't. Use social networking sites to meet other creative pros and potential clients.

#8 Runway Addiction

I call it the runway addiction. We get out of school... finally, and want to show the world what we've learned RIGHT AWAY. We spend all our time and money to put on a fashion show and have very little contacts or buyers at the show to justify the cost of it. We become broke and frustrated. Be patient! Spend your money wisely, invest in building a great portfolio, invest in training, software, a great website, then go after the bigger prize.

#7 Pay Me Syndrome

When creative pros are starting out; they often want to get paid for their work. ‘ Show me the Money' Potential clients need to know what kind of work you're capable of doing. A few calculated freebies can go a long way. My suggestion is to charge when you can but if the right pro bono opportunity comes along, grab it. Get the exposure, get the contact, get the experience. Take this opportunity to network and build your portfolio and potential client base. A successful pro bono can lead to many paid design jobs.

#6 Not meeting the Criteria for Exposure

Like any business, Creative pros need exposure to succeed. Post your work online in as many places as possible, give out your cards and promo materials to friends and family, Have your images available for others to use on their site with your copyright and web address on your images. http://www.flickr.com/ is a great place to start. Offer your expert advice on forums and blogs. Your website is not enough for you to get noticed. Most of my contacts comes from sites other than my own. Find the right design community and create a design profile/portfolio.

#5 People Pleaser

You cannot be creative and be a people pleaser at the same time. Design for yourself and the right people will love what you do. These people could be your niche market ;)

#4 Afraid of Criticism

This is an age old problem for designers. We design in our heads and in private. We reveal our work only to people that we know won't criticize us. Designers must expose themselves to be noticed, criticism is the necessary evil for growth. Create a design portfolio online and start the inevitable process already!

#3 No Point of View

Designers need to have a point of view. Find your voice and sing loudly. New designers must work on their individual style, whether it be with the use of colors, line quality, an edgy perspective or stylize illustrations. Find it, hone it and make it your primary selling point.

#2 No Plan

It's not enough to be a great designer anymore. You've got to have a plan. Create goals and flesh them out as you go. A plan does not take away from your design vision it adds to its completeness and success.

#1 No Ambition

Many talented designers never make it because they are not motivated. Success takes a long time. You're guaranteed to have bumps and bruises along the way. Work hard and stay focused. You've only failed when you stop trying, so go get them!

I'd like to get your feedback or feel free to add to my list!

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