A new year brings new opportunities. Make sure you are ready for them with an updated portfolio! Follow the 6 steps outlined by Behance’s Chief Designer, Matias Corea and you’ll be in tip-top shape. 6 Steps To Creating a Knockout Online Portfolio
Posts Tagged ‘creative jobs’
Freshen up your portfolio for the new year
Friday, January 20th, 2012Come on in, the water is more than fine!
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
I gotta tell ya, we have one of the best jobs around. Every day we get to meet and work with amazingly talented artists, designers, and big thinkers. One of our favorites is the lovely Mia Nolting. You may have seen her work most recently on the 2011 PICA Time Based Art Festival posters. She has the perfect quirky but subtle point of view and her drawings feel just right, never over-worked. Mia has done some work with our project team here at 52 Limited and has also been a valuable candidate on the staffing side of the house. We love working with her and can’t wait to see what she is up to next. Go check out her site where you can get some of her artwork for your very own!
What Matters Most at Work
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011
When it comes to what we want in our jobs, there are a few things we can all agree on. We want to like the people we work with, we want to feel good about the work being done, and most importantly, we want a good work/life balance. In Portland we are lucky that those ideals are commonly held and a big part of why people are here.
Outside Magazine compiled a great list of companies that ‘get it’. “Just when we need it most, along comes a wave of enlightened companies that believe success starts with smiling employees. Which means lunchtime bike rides, flexible hours, and bringing the dog to the office can now be part of your job description. Presenting Outside‘s 50 Best Places to Work.”
What is it about your job that makes you happy to get up and go to work every day?
It’s All About Who You Know
Friday, August 5th, 2011
I know you have heard it a million times: network, network, network! I also know that the thought of ‘networking’ makes most people’s skin crawl. You hear that word and picture attending an ‘industry event’ and schmoozing your way around a room with a name tag and fake smile pasted on, schlepping business cards and shaking hands… ICK. Well, I have good news for you, it does not have to be that way AT ALL.
It is no big secret the best way to land a sweet gig is through a personal connection or referral. That is why 52ltd works the way we do. We sit down and get to know every person we match with a job and do the same with clients before sending anyone over. If you are looking for your next opportunity, start chatting up friends and old co-workers, people you met at that bb-q last weekend, and your friend’s roommate that has a million friends. Invite them to get coffee or meet up for happy hour. Start a conversation on your way out to float the river, or while 
you are out on a hike. Ask them questions about what they do, talk about what you would love to do and what you are good at. Just plant the seed so they are aware you are available and looking. Be nice. Be positive. Don’t be a salesman. You are just being friendly and hanging out, getting on their radar.
The Harvard Business Review talks about how networking is the key to breaking in to the ‘hidden’ job market. It really is common sense, and more painless than you think!
Position Open: Account Executive
Friday, June 17th, 2011Great opportunity to join a global strategic brand design consultancy in NYC to manage and build senior client relationships and develop accounts strategically with the highest level of service. Be part of a company that defines their values as Family, Enjoyment, Poise, Imagination and Courage. …And qualified applicants: Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain–these will have been part of you the whole time. Email us your interest and latest resume to resume@52ltd.com with ‘NYC Account Exec’ in the subject line
Position Open: Marketing & Communications Manager
Friday, June 17th, 2011We have 2 unique opportunities with two of our clients in Lake Oswego for Senior-level MarComm Managers. Both clients are planted firmly on the upswing of their businesses. This is your chance to influence and be part of some significant growth. If you have 7+ years of broad MarComm experience–from strategy to execution; excellent project management–we want to hear from you! Email us your interest and latest resume to resume@52ltd.com with ‘Lake Oswego’ in the subject line!
Position Open: Writer
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011One of the best and most reputable firms in town is adding to its team. We’re helping them identify the right fit for their group–an awesome writer who can shoot the breeze with a beat reporter and has intimate knowledge as to how sausage is made–that is, a solid background in PR, Public Affairs, MarComm. Email us your interest and latest resume to resume@52ltd.com with ‘Awesome Writer’ in the subject line.
Settling in to a new job
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
So, you are one of the lucky and talented ones that landed a new job, now what? No matter how good the fit, we all go through that awkward getting-to-know-you phase with our new co-workers. Starting off on the right foot can make a big difference in your productivity and success. Today Lifehacker has a nice write up about how to handle being the newbie:
How to Be the New Guy (or Gal) at Work?
Melanie Pinola — Dear Lifehacker,
I’m about to start a new job and I’m feeling a little anxious about it. How can I go about fitting in as “the new guy” at the office and start out on the right foot?
Signed,
The New Guy
Dear TNG,
Congrats on the new job—and we completely understand if you’re both excited and anxious. Most of us have been and will continue to experience being that “new guy” (or gal)—in new jobs and as new members of teams.
It’s great that you’re getting prepared beforehand, since the first couple of months can really make a difference on your success and happiness in your new role. Here’s some general advice for getting acclimated:
Learn the company culture. Whether you’re coming in as a manager to shake things up or a staff member, one of the most important things to do is pay attention to learn the company culture and politics.Harvard Business School writes that for new leaders especially, this step requires the most preparation. Observe how others act—the hours they work, main modes of communication, lunch habits, etc. At US News & World Report, Alison Green writes that you could also just ask someone, for example, “How does lunch really work?”
In terms of dress code, look to your boss and choose similar job clothes.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Green says:
Frankly, it’s unnerving when a new employee doesn’t ask questions, because this signals you’re either too shy (bad-how will you get what you need?) or not paying enough attention to realize what questions you should have (really bad). However, to the extent that you’re able, save up your questions and ask them in bunches. This way, you’re interrupting less but still getting the information you need.
Take it slow with your co-workers at first. Listening more than answering is probably the wisest course for any new person. CNN says you should resist trying to impress your co-workers with all your great ideas or past accomplishments. Win them over by doing your job well and keep from being overly gregarious (which could make it look like you’re trying too hard). Soon you should be in a better position to be your true self.
Do, however, take lunch with your co-workers (if that’s the culture) and accept any offers of help.
Check in with your supervisor. We’ve previously mentioned this tip for starting out on the right foot: make sure you check in with your supervisor to see how you’re doing. Don’t wonder in silence, which could make you feel even more anxious.
You should ask your manager for the kinds of goals and tasks you should be accomplishing in your first few weeks—and then meet those to the best of your ability. One of the best ways to make a good impression is to find out what people need or what’s important to the company, and then help make that happen.
Even if you feel like you’re not cut out for the job, fake it ’til you make it. If you have little work experience or are in a new field, it’s normal to feel stupid. But you were hired for a reason, and as Bankrate advises, be the person your employers thought they hired. “Stop feeling stupid and focus on ways you can add value even if you don’t know anything.” That means paying attention to the culture, asking the good questions, and getting those small accomplishments under your belt.
Good luck!
Yours,
Lifehacker
Is Any Job Better Than No Job?
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011Employers shouldn’t be surprised that Americans won’t take their crummy low-wage jobs.
Posted originally on Newsweek.com.
This article doesn’t talk directly about the creative industry but it definitely relates. Often times in a poor economy, employers assume that the unemployed are happy to take ANY work regardless of how well it fits their experience level or expertise. Employers also assume that those who are out of work quit caring about what wage level they’re at. This is no different in the creative industry. Just because we’re on the tail end of a recession doesn’t mean employers can post a job for a designer or a PHP developer on Craigslist, plan to pay them 10 bucks an hour, and expect to receive loads of willing applicants ready to work their tails off for $40 an hour less than they’ve been making. High levels of unemployment also does not mean that just because a company needs a project manager, designer, programmer, and a receptionist, that someone who has a skill set to tackle ALL these things will magically materialize… if that person didn’t exist before the recession, that person doesn’t exist now.
No, recession doesn’t create a new breed of super employee who just loves to work for the sake of being employed. No, recession doesn’t create a candidate that will do the same job they just got laid off from for 80% less. Recession creates a group of people who still have the same bills, the same amount of mouths to feed, the same hours in the day, the same experience level, and the same abilities as they did pre-recession. It does however create SOME flexibility within the working class as long as this flexibility isn’t taken advantage of.
Shop Uses Freelancers to Avoid Hires
Monday, November 22nd, 2010Originally posted in the Boston Business Journal – by Lisa van der Pool
As companies trim their advertising budgets, the ad agencies they work with are also learning how to survive the recession with less business than in recent years.
Jeff Freedman, co-founder and marketing principal of Boston-based ad shop Small Army, says that he has had to tweak his – and his clients’ – strategy.
Many of the agency’s clients, which include Bugaboo Creek Steak House, SolidWorks and Emerson Hospital, among others, are focused more on planning and how to spend their media dollars in this economy. For instance, some clients have trimmed print work, but beefed up their online advertising.
“There might be less ads, but more messaging and positioning work,” said Freedman, who is encouraging clients to be bold with their marketing messages to grab attention during the downturn.
As for his own business, Freedman, whose 18-person shop is on Newbury Street, has a positive outlook.
But Freedman is nevertheless taking precautions to keep costs in check by being conservative about hiring.
“We won’t hire people unless we know we can take care of them for a while. We never want to be in a position where we hire people and then the economy hits us. So we’re more dependent on freelancers,” said Freedman, who notes that there’s a large pool of talented freelancers in the market now.