Building an idea requires facts–or at least reasonable assumptions. For creatives, these facts should be contained on the sheet of paper known as the creative brief. The creative brief covers the basics of who, what and why, including client, media format, key background information, target audience, problem to overcome, product “reason why” points, objective, and tone. When building ideas, this creative brief defines the space. The creative team serves itself well when it writes and rewrites its own brief, spending time getting it razor sharp and approved by the client. It’s the kind of trench work ad guys like Lee Clow recommend in 10 to 1 ratio with brainstorming time, for without a tight brief, there are too many potential messages to muck an idea. If you’ve seen ads that say everything and nothing at the same time, then those ads probably didn’t put enough effort in boiling down the creative brief.

The second, intuitive kind of idea, seems to come out of nowhere. It wakes you up at 2 a.m. and makes you stumble through the dark for a pen and a scrap of paper. It seems perfect, even though it may not make absolute sense. The idea has always been there, but now it jumps out at you. It may be a big fat zero in the final analysis, or it may be brilliant.

Artist Matthew Buckingham focused on this second sort of idea in his recent exhibit at the Denver Museum for Contemporary Art. In a black and white photo called “Northwest Passage,” Buckingham shows Ellis Island with a fishing ship and a submarine together in the waters around the Statue of Liberty. An accompanying piece of text tells a condensed history of efforts to find viable water trading routes between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. Only recently in human history, thanks to global warming and melting polar ice caps, has the opening of a Northwest Passage become a future reality. The government of Canada has partnered with an American company “in preparation for the thawing of the Northwest Passage and the opening of new arctic shipping lanes.” Or at least that is the history Buckingham tells us. But what’s important is that the idea of the Northwest Passage has come before the reality. The idea of the Northwest Passage was not built on facts, but it’s still true, even against its own apparent falseness.

Written for 52′s Blog by KFann who is wicked awesome.

Use Direct and Respectful Communication: Style of communication may differ from person to person, conversation to conversation but building a solid working relationship with your teammates through communication is key.

Set Clear Expectations: This means making sure each party has heard AND UNDERSTOOD the expectations.  Just because the words come out of your mouth, doesn’t mean they made it into the ears, much less the brains of your team.  You just might have to restate your expectations, better yet, put them in written form (multiple times) before you can expect all members of your team to be on the same path.

Come from a Position of Understanding, Not of Being Right: For the good of the team, put your own agenda off the table. Being right makes someone else wrong. Work to understand the situation together, see each other’s point, and work together toward a resolution.

Be Flexible: Schedules will slip, expectations will change, time always flies…find ways to work together to deal with change, if you’ve planned properly you’ve probably anticipated the change and can adjust accordingly.

Trust Each Other: This is huge.  As we know, trust is earned, you earn it by setting expectations, meeting expectations and being consistent. Oh and It doesn’t hurt to be kind.

Deal with Tension Directly and Swiftly: Don’t let tension fester, if it happens, address it head on. Trust that if you have a good relationship with your team, you can communicate directly about the tension and work together to move through it.

Have More Fun: “Work is called work, not play.”  Whatever…if you have taken the time to do all of the things listed above, work can and will be fun.

-A note from the ugly PM in the room.

Two words I dislike personally, and dislike even more professionally.  I try not to use them if at all possible.  Generally speaking… a term such as these is so absolute, it doesn’t really end up applying often in the recruiting industry.  Instead, I am a big fan of reading tea leaves, tarot cards, crystal balls, rain dancing – whatever pops your cork.  Often times these methods are quite accurate; sometimes frighteningly so.

That said, in my line of work, when working with human beings (and I’m going to brake my own rule to say)- there is ALWAYS room for error, and we should NEVER assume.

The savvy networker, Liz Ryan recently wrote an article called “Underhanded Ways Hiring Managers Say They’re Not Interested.”  Basically it describes the various ways a hiring manager tells a candidate “no” without actually saying that word. In my opinion, her thoughts veer a little too near the “always” and the “never.”

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Here’s where we differ:

Hiring Manager Says: “We’re going to look at some other candidates.”

Ms. Ryan’s  translation:  Sometimes they tell you that you’re one of three or five or some other number of candidates in the pipeline. That’s fine. It’s reasonable for a hiring manager to consider a number of people before making a hiring decision. The big red flag is when the hiring manager or the HR person says, “We’re going to look at some other candidates.”   Wait–you’re going to go find some new candidates, after you’ve interviewed me? That’s a sign to get out of Dodge. For whatever reason, you’re not their cup of tea.

My take:  With unemployment being near or over 10% – the client holds the cards in this market.  If the position isn’t a 911 fill (recruiter speak for ” I need this person 2 weeks ago!”) then they have the time, and the right – to be choosy with the talent pool that they have in front of them.

Hiring Manager Says: “We also have some qualified internal candidates.”

Ms. Ryan’s thought:  If you were a hiring manager, who would you look at first: the people who already work around you every day or strangers who responded to a job ad? You’d look at your internal candidates, of course. You’d talk to those people, and if you wanted to hire one of them, you’d never place a job ad. When you post a job publicly, you’re proclaiming to the world that you’ve already ruled out whichever internal candidates applied.

That’s why, when you’re into a recruiting process and you hear, for the first time, “You know, we also have some qualified internal candidates,” it’s time to cut and run. If there really are internal candidates, it’s a huge disservice to those folks to not make decisions about them before bringing in outside people like you.

And an ethical employer owes it to you and other external candidates to make up their dang mind about internal applicants before wasting your time. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

And Me: Especially in larger organizations, HR folk are often required to post internally, and those talent need to be vetted the same way that your resume does.  Sometimes internal candidates pop up at the last minute.  Don’t sweat it – if you are the right talent, you’ll get the job.

If the Hiring Manager Says: “You’re still in the running.”

Ms. Ryan Reads this as: If anyone from the hiring organization says this to you, that’s your cue to bail. This is the professional equivalent of your sweetheart saying, “You’re awesome, but I think we should both see other people, too.”

I think: It’s summer. People are on vacation.  More than one person needs to give buy in before a final decision is made.  Life is in session.  Budgets need to be approved and procurement is holding up the process.  Any number of things can illicit this response.  Our time frame and sense of urgency isn’t always the same as the hiring manager.

If you hear: “We need to decide what kind of person we’re looking for.”

Ms. Ryan Thinks: This is the mealy-mouthed manager’s way of saying, “Whatever kind of person we’re looking for, it ain’t you.”

She’s close. I think: This is a peeve of mine. I prefer that the hiring manager knows what they want before they begin the search. Sometimes once in the search – they realize that what they thought they wanted and what they actually need are 2 different things – so this makes complete sense.

And LAST, if the Hiring Manager says: “We’re going to sit down and discuss all of the candidates next week.”

Ms. Ryan understands this to mean: Imagine that you’re a hiring manager with a big, expensive problem to solve. (If you didn’t have an expensive problem, you’d never have gotten approval to fill the position.) Imagine that the perfect person shows up, someone you know could solve your problem and let you sleep at night instead of tossing and turning. Can you imagine saying to that person, the one you desperately want on your team, “We’re going to sit down and discuss all of the candidates?”It would never happen. “We’re going to sit down next week” not only means “We’re in no rush to hire you” but also means “We don’t mind telling you that none of us would burst out crying if you decided to move on to other opportunities.”

I think: Again – a lot of the hiring process is a matter of timing.  Maybe they are bullshitting you. Maybe they aren’t. Bottom line, and I tell talent that I meet this all of the time: Trust your gut, follow your bliss.  Have faith. Leap, and the net will appear.

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As a headhunter, recruiter, placement advisor, and part time shrink, I have heard it all. Sure – sometimes the client or HR manager will run you in circles instead of giving you a firm “thanks but no thanks”. For me, I prefer the direct approach. It’s in my east coast blood -I can’t help it.  Unfortunately, not everyone has a broken filter like me and they end up taking the less direct approach.  I’m not saying that Ms. Ryan is completely off base on her thoughts above…. I am saying that there are two sides to every story.

Unpretentious, relaxed, quirky, and fiercely independent, Portland’s creative community is very much on the down low in terms of nationwide visibility. Even though our agencies consistently garner national awards, and our boutique agencies produce some of the most original advertising, marketing, and creative material anywhere. But people are beginning to take notice that Portland is truly a dynamic creative hub.

Young creatives fresh out of college and art schools flock here. Talented people with established names and businesses in larger markets are moving to Portland for quality of life reasons a smaller city with outstanding arts and culture, diverse and urban with great planning, respectful of the environment, and with some of the best food, wine, and beer in the country. In a word, Portland exemplifies livability. Often they’re also bringing their high paying clients with them who positively impact our economy.

Major companies already recognize the city’s wealth of creative talent. Nike is a homegrown powerhouse that has forged a long-term advertising partnership with Wieden and Kennedy. Adidas has their North American headquarters here. This competitive atmosphere also helped raise the profile of local companies such as Columbia Sportswear. Now a new wave of companies is drawn to Portland for its talented creatives and energized setting. Nautilus, Keen Footwear, And Icebreaker all come to mind.

We’re seeing this exciting new wave of talented people in our own practice. At 52 Limited, we’re working with creative and inventive people from many places and backgrounds: art directors from New York, designers from Minnesota, copywriters from San Francisco, fashion designers from Los Angeles to name a few. As a creative resource company, we’re able to match highly talented individuals with our best businesses. We work diligently to ensure success at all levels. Our growing creative base has made this an easier task. Success breeds success. The more outstanding our industry becomes, the more Portland shines as a creative center.

Still, with all of this talent and all of this great work, why doesn’t Portland have the national recognition of L.A. or Chicago? Certainly agencies like Wieden & Kennedy and Sandstrom Design are doing high profile international work and being acclaimed for it. Unfortunately, most of our best work goes unnoticed outside of the Northwest. Our small shops and boutique agencies lack the marketing clout and bold-faced bravado to push their products to a higher level of recognition.

But maybe smaller and quieter is better in the long run. Do we really want to be like L.A. very talented but lacking in proportion, balance and livability? We cherish our unassuming nature, and we hardly revel in the bling bling of everything. Maybe, though, we could use a little push. Perhaps we need to blow our own horns more, attracting attention to our work with just a bit more panache. We can keep our vibrant, independent Portland aesthetic but join together to coax ourselves more noticeably upon the national stage. The challenge, of course, is how to do this. Who will step up and take us to that higher level? Self-promotion certainly has its merits! Everyday fascinating and imaginative ideas originate in the Portland creative community. We just would enjoy more people knowing about them.

The recession is over!! Right?  Uh…well, I guess that kinda depends.

IF you’re highly connected designer, WITH a killer (and I’m talkin’ “holy shit that’s insanely awesome”) book/site, AND you are well versed in something digital (e.g. Mobile Apps, websites, etc.) you are probably feeling a fair upswing.

HOWEVER, for the new grad, the newly relocated, or those otherwise without ALL three aforementioned qualities, you are probably still wildly wielding your machete to maintain a slight view out of the woods.

Well folks, this isn’t a Get-The-Answers-to-Finding-Your-Perfect-Gig-Post.  In fact if you see one of those…it’s probably loaded with a bunch of cockamamie information that doesn’t really apply to you 100%.  You see, and this is going to be profound so you may consider employing some advance jaw support in case of abrupt droppage: everyone’s situation is different.  Whoa… huh.

So, you ask, if you’re not offering the holy grail of Job-Acquiring-Advice, then what the hell is the point?

Answer: The one thing all ye of the struggling design class do have in common is you do plan to eventually leave your filler job at “Cuppa Joe” or “Jiggles” (a specialty Jello mold shop, of course) to return to your design career.  So… you need to stay sharp!

One good way to keep your skills honed and your portfolio from starving a slow death from lack of new content is to pick up pro bono work.  Easier said than done, I’m aware.  But, check with non-profits, small businesses, your brother’s snow cone stand.  Also, if that doesn’t work out… you can piddle around, when you’re not making iced skinny caramel macchiatos, with spec ads.  (You have to be careful not to misrepresent spec work in your book though!)

To keep costs down when doing work for free, AND to avoid a stuck-record-redundancy in your work due to lack of new inspiring tools, check out sites like bittbox.com.  Run by a fellow Oklahoma State Cowboy (yes, the other orange and black OSU) and friend of mine, Bittbox offers “freebies” to any designer looking.  Things like fonts, backgrounds, brushes, textures, vectors, etc.  Pretty wicked cool if you ask me.

So, don’t loose your spunk. Hang in there.  Keep hacking away at the foliage standing between you and that design gig.  It’ll give eventually.  Now, no one knows when… could be 50 more lattes, could be 5,000… but it will.  And when it does, you will want to be ready!

You’re a creative right?  Well, look like it.

The hard part is: what does a good “creative” resume look like?  Tough to say.  Here’s a blog post that spells it out, both with examples as well as with some top tips and tricks.

Enjoy!

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Cavan Riley

F. Claire Scroggins

Sebastien Nikolaou

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Also.. here are some tips to create by.  I’m a huge fan of #7 and #9.

1. If the job you are applying to has resume requirements, follow them. Even if it means keeping a Word version of your resume for such occasions.

Our two cents… or I guess better stated: “52-cents,” get it?: It’s totally OK to have multiple copies of your resume.  In fact some folks who have a very multifaceted background are encouraged to keep a somewhat modular resume where sections can be moved, arranged, or omitted depending on what sort of job requirements the opening or company prefers.

2. Typography is key. This is your potential employer’s first chance to judge your design skills, and almost all design includes some form of type. You are expected to refine and perfect your text layout on your resume just as you would a design for a client.

3. Organization is also key. If people can’t find your information, they won’t be calling you. Some design positions bring in hundreds of resumes daily. There is no time to search for information.

4. Spell check. Spell check again. Read your resume out loud to catch any errors you may have missed. Have a friend proofread. Have someone else proofread. And, then run one more spell check. You don’t want to miss out on a job because you used you’re instead of your, or to instead of too.

5. Legibility is a must. Most interviewers will not be in their twenties. Keep your text legible — dark enough and large enough for the average person to read. Ask a parent or relative who is a little older to give you an honest opinion about the legibility of your resume. If you are planning to fax it, legibility is even more important. Do a test fax to make sure that your page is coming across clearly.

6. Less is more. If you try to add graphics to your resume, you’ll see that there is a VERY fine line between creative and cheesey. When in doubt, stick to creative type and minimal use of color. A good designer should be able to use type in an interesting way — without the need for photos or drawings.

7. Leave your photo off of your resume. Unless you’re interviewing for a modeling job.

52-cents: The photo is no bueno.  In fact, some companies will disqualify you for simply including it!  Due to EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) standards, some companies really want to know as little as possible about you, short of your qualifications.  By including your picture, you could be giving them too much information including race, age, gender, religion.  They really just want to avoid knowing that info altogether.

So… even if you’re a total hottie… leave it off.

8. Make sure your resume is standard size, standard orientation, and on one page if possible. You don’t want it to get lost in a stack, or be annoying to file.

52-cents: I’m actually indifferent about this one.  Often times, your resume may run over a page.  Especially if you’ve been working for a long time at many different “staff” positions.  In my opinion, a couple pages is fine.  Don’t omit crucial info just to get your resume cropped to a single page.

9. Stick to clean paper. Leave the cheesey parchment resume paper for the family holiday letter. As a designer, your creative type should make your statement for you — not the paper with the clouds on it.

52-cents: This really says it.  And yes, we still get resumes in the mail, on “fancy,” even scented paper.  First of all, we are not your long lost lover, don’t scent your paper.  Use a nice stock and beautiful design.  Leave the “fancy” paper to the bridal shower planners.

10. Don’t forget your grid. The grid you use when creating a graphic layout applies here also. Your resume should be balanced and pleasing to the eye.

11. Keep away from decorative, swirly, circus, crazy, or ridiculous fonts. Again, clean and professional type is best.

52-cents: Translation=legible!

12. Don’t forget to be yourself. Remember, the company you are interviewing for is looking for a creative person. Leave the cookie-cutter objective statements for your high-school resume-writing class. Show them who you really are with a few creative statements in your own language. Just remember to keep it professional (you don’t want to offend anyone or turn anyone off) — but not law-school-graduate professional.

52-cents: Ooh!  This is so good.  Nothing like a beautiful resume with amazing type, nicely done graphics, and a personal brand that kicks hiney topped by an objective that reads: “I’m looking for a work family that will enhance my already budding design skills.”  No shit.  You don’t have to write that!  Everyone is looking for that!  Be yourself.

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To view further examples, links to these portfolios, and to read the original post, please visit Creativeopera.com, brilliantly written and curated by Manda Szewcqyk.

Introducing 52 LTD, creative resourcing from New York to Portland.

Portland, Oregon and New York City. While different in many ways, they are two cities where creative is king and creative expression is celebrated. This shared allegiance to creativity is why 52 LTD, Portland’s leading provider of creative resourcing, chose New York City as the home of our second location.

Our new downtown 52 office will start out primarily servicing the print, interactive and motion design industries with plans to expand that to the full-range of creative industries we service back in Portland. In the meantime, we are already working to have the same positive impact on New York’s creative culture and community as we’ve had on Portland’s, through numerous local events like our DesignSpeaks guest lecture series.

So whether you’re looking to find full-time help for your growing business or just need a little extra creative firepower on a project basis, contact 52 LTD or learn more about who we are and what we do at the newly redesigned 52LTD.com.

52 LTD. Now in PDX and NYC. And newly designed at 52LTD.com.

For years, 52 LTD has helped fill the creative resourcing needs of ad agencies, design firms and other creative companies around the Portland area, as well as help Portland freelancers become working freelancers. But now, 52 is taking our bag of resourcing tricks to a bigger stage – one of the biggest stages around with the opening of an office in New York City. With the addition of this NYC office, we can truly say that our creative services reach from coast to coast.

And we couldn’t open a new office with an old website, so we have completely redesigned the look and updated the content at 52LTD.com. So come check it out and see what we’re up to, the latest creative openings from PDX to NYC, and everything you’d want to know about our brand new office.

Contact Sara or Patricia at 503 517-0052 to check some creative projects off your list.

Or visit us at www.52ltd.com.

Exhaust All Options

Tell everyone you know about the type of position you are looking for, network online and at industry events, go on informational interviews, work with a recruiting firm, take on temporary assignments, and be flexible when meeting with prospective employers.

When developing your cover letter and resume, quantify the value of your contributions to previous employers, including how you helped cut costs, reduce inefficiencies or improve profitability. There are opportunities available, but job seekers will have to work harder to find them and cannot afford to leave even one stone unturned.
- DeLynn Senna, executive director of North American permanent placement services, Robert Half International

Network With Smarts

Candidates must be building and strengthening their network – ideally before it’s needed. Find networking events to go find other like-minded individuals and connectors. Build your online presence through your social networks and be an active participant in the community. And remember to give more than take – share your knowledge, help others be better, and invest time in building strong, long-lasting relationships. These are the relationships that could turn into future job leads.
- Lindsay Olson, partner, Paradigm Staffing

Flexibility Is Key

Stay open to opportunities in new or related industries, companies of a different size, or in a different location; and be aware that with the advent of technology, a new location just may be your home office.

Be flexible. You may or may not have to travel a bit more, take a different title, or give up some of the perks you’ve had in the past to assume your new role. All things being equal, if you’re flexible around these topics you’re chances of getting hired increase considerably.
- Cheryl Ferguson, recruiter, The Recruiter’s Studio

Diversify and Listen

My advice is two-fold: Be ready to diversify the ways in which you communicate your experiences AND listen well.

First, make a laundry list, just for yourself, of all the projects, contributions, ideas, etc., from your last three positions. This is what’s not on your resume. It jogs your memory about how you have differentiated yourself. You’ll recall and distill examples of your success, and you’ll be ready for more questions.

Second, listen closely to what the recruiter and/or hiring manager is asking you. They are looking for something very particular, whether the opportunity is leadership or entry-level. Walking someone through your resume or citing examples that they’re not seeking could hinder your ability to seem specific to their job. You want to be very clear about your transferable skills and your willingness to adapt to their environment.
- Ross Pasquale, recruiting/sourcing consultant, Monday Ventures

Tailor Your Resume

The most important thing that job seekers must do in 2009 to be successful is to diversify the content of their resumes based on the roles that they are applying for. For example, a job seeker may have worked in the past as a Java engineer, and also obtained project management along the way. However, a resume that is oriented strongly toward being a Java engineer has only a slight chance of being considered for a project-manager position.

For job seekers to increase their chances at success, they should shape their resumes to reflect relevant matching skills with the job posting(s) they are applying to. By doing so, a recruiter and/or hiring manager will more easily understand how a job seeker’s past experiences apply to the posted role. This method increases the chance of being considered a strong candidate, receiving an interview, and, ultimately, a new position. 
- Joanna Samuels, senior account manager, GravityPeople