Job Hunting
Cold Calls
If you are seeking freelance work, phone calls are the proper method of contacting a potential employer or client rather than an emailGuidelines for making a good first impression
- basically use good phone etiquette and be professional
- be prepared and informed about the client you are contacting
- both design and content of your resume represent you so your layout and typography on your resume must be perfect. Some designers have gotten hired based solely off of their resumes
- offers several layers of information within a consistent and clear hierarchy
- the type needs to be highly legable
- your resume should look as though a designer created it - do not follow a standard resume format
- email address should not be smaller than 10 or 11 pnt type
- spelling and copy editing stuff is very important
- paper choice needs to be high quality and not be too dark or too textured
- listing non-design jobs is a waste of time and space
- have samples prepared from each job you list on your resume
Cover Letters
- Needs to have a consistent style with your resume and business card
- must have perfect grammar and impeccable spelling
- encourage the reader to look at your portfolio
- this is where you describe your work ethic and your ability to work with others well and things along this manner
Thank-you Notes
- follow up materials should reflect the interview and should have meaning
- do not be overly gratuitous because it will seem insincere and possibly dishonest
- it is also acceptable to send a grouping of work in lieu of a note
- this is where you show them how committed you are to being a designer
- a virtual presentation does not have the same presence as a physical object
Follow-up Phone Calls
- time line for call backs for a staffed job postion is one to two weeks depending on the timeline you were given in the interview
- If you are looking for freelance work, there is no rule of thumb so you need to work on their terms and be considerate of them
