http://www.adcglobal.org/connections/blog/student/rss/ The Art Directors Club Student Blog AdvertisingDesignJobs / Career http://www.adcglobal.org/connections/blog/student/?id=28
It makes perfect sense. How else can you demonstrate your skills to a paying customer? You have to start somewhere. Plus, it's good practice to be accountable to a client from start to finish.

How do you go about finding these non-paying clients? Did you do some networking through friends and family? Were you a customer who simply offered to help? Did your friend with a small business need a website? Or, did you approach charitable organizations and non-profits?

Were you satisfied with the final result? Was the client happy?

And finallywhen is it time to start charging for your services? If you're doing a project for a friend, how do you determine your fee? ]]> Sun, 30 Sep 2007 08:23:16 GMT http://www.adcglobal.org/connections/blog/student/?id=28#reply AdvertisingDesignGeneralJobs / Career http://www.adcglobal.org/connections/blog/student/?id=30
Whenever students and parents ask me for advice about choosing one school over another, location is usually factor. "Does it matter," they often ask, "if School A is in Manhattan and School B is in Fargo?" It's a complicated question, and the short answer is "Yes, but it's not the only factor to consider."

As far as I'm concerned, your primary consideration (assuming that you can afford to attend either school) should be whether or not the school is a good fit for you. Do you feel comfortable there? Have you interacted with students and faculty? Do you feel confident in the strength of the programs and instructors? Can you picture yourself living there happily for several years? Sometimes a gut feeling is enough.

But the location of a college is always an important feature, whether you're attending an art school or a traditional university. If you're planning a career in advertising or design, you're going to need some great internships on your resume by the time you graduate, so location might determine where your job prospects are. Of course, no matter where you attend school, internships will be available. The question is, will you have an easier time finding good opportunities if you stick close to a major city? Will your New York-based instructors be able to help you make connections at the most prestigious agencies?

Living near a major city would certainly increase the number of school-year internship and job opportunities. It's easiest to find a job in the city where you presently live and where you can use your contacts.

However, make sure that you research this issue at every school. I know of several excellent schools that are not located in New York, but hold portfolio reviews here on a regular basis. Also, certain schools have strong relationships with specific agencies and extensive alumni networks all over the world. Some of the most respected instructors teach at schools that aren't located in the heart of a metropolis.

There's a lot to consider, so weigh all of the factors carefully. ]]> Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:25:59 GMT http://www.adcglobal.org/connections/blog/student/?id=30#reply Design http://www.adcglobal.org/connections/blog/student/?id=29 Unbeige, I came across an item about 2006 ADC Scholarship winner Roman Jaster. His project, Neither Paper Nor Plastic" was an intervention that took place on Earth Day, in which he hand-crafted fabric tote bags in front of a Ralph's grocery store in Valencia, California. The bags were given to shoppers who agreed to use them instead of paper or plastic shopping bags.

It's a simple idea, a great cause, and judging from the Press section of his website, he's gotten quite a bit of mileage out of a one-day event.

This wasn't the first time he's tackled this issue, though. On his scholarship application, he included a project titled "Please Re-Use Me," in which overprinted paper bags were handed out to shoppers in front of a Ralph's supermarket. (Has Ralph's given Roman their blessing?) The bags read "Please Re-Use Me" and included statistics and data on the waste created by throwing away grocery bags.

It's great to see a young designer using his skills to encourage conservation on a grassroots level. This project really embodies the spirit of ADC's Designism initiative, which explores the use of design and advertising as instruments for social and political change.

Have you worked on a project like this? You can share your experiences by leaving a comment. ]]> Mon, 20 Aug 2007 12:42:51 GMT http://www.adcglobal.org/connections/blog/student/?id=29#reply GeneralJobs / Career http://www.adcglobal.org/connections/blog/student/?id=26 Knock 'Em Dead, the famous job-hunting guide, which includes an enlightening essay on how to properly dress for an interview. The advice doesn't seem to have changed in the decades since the book's initial publication: navy suits, white shirts, leather briefcases.

That kind of conservative, corporate attire is ideal if you're aspiring to manage hedge funds, but what do you wear if you're applying for a creative position? Advertising, design and interactive companies consistently get singled out as the exceptions to the "suit" rule, but writers rarely offer any specific advice:

"With the possible exception of 'creative' fields like advertising or computer programming, it's best to stick with navy, black or gray."
"Unless you are interviewing for a creative position with an extremely creative organization you are better off to choose conservative, classic styles in dark, neutral colors."
"I don't buy into the 'creative' look at an interview unless you're an art director"

So, what's appropriate if you happen to be an aspiring art director and your interviewer is wearing jeans and a t-shirt? I've actually heard tales of companies that unofficially disqualify applicants who show up looking like presidential candidates.

Consider the following:

Is it acceptable to wear a jeans/t-shirt/blazer combination to an interview at a casual office? If so, may the t-shirt be ironic? Can the blazer be corduroy?

Do glasses make you look smarter? Will they judge you on the trendiness of your frames? And what about facial hair? Visible tattoos and piercings: advantage or disadvantage?

Can you take it too far? Should you err on the side of hipster? And at what point are you wandering into "trying too hard" territory?

What if you're applying for an internship? Are the expectations lower for a student? Or is it impossible for the standards to get any lower?

What does it mean to informal and stylish? What is the ideal creative interview outfit? Let's discuss. Sign up for an Access Pass to comment!

Truly stumped? Here are a few resources to get you started: Pick Me: Breaking Into Advertising and Staying There by Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin

For women, this thread on Mediabistro has some suggestions.

This Mediabistro piece deals with this topic, specific to the publishing world.

This BostonWorks chat session talks about appropriate office wear.

Yes, it's from Business Week, but these slideshows offer some examples of more casual interview outfits: Men and Women ]]> Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:22:18 GMT http://www.adcglobal.org/connections/blog/student/?id=26#reply General http://www.adcglobal.org/connections/blog/student/?id=24
I came across a great resume last fall at a portfolio review for The Creative Circus (furthering my belief that copywriters produce the funniest resumes). It wasn't until I politely inquired about her alleged degree in sorority management that I realized she invented some funny details about her educational background. In my effort to demonstrate my open-mindedness, I looked like an idiot. (Besides, I know for a fact that there is such a thing as a sorority management degree because I saw it on The Bachelor.) The "resume" was really just a series of one-liners accompanied by funny thumbnail images, but for a copywriter it was a perfect representation of her sensibility. Furthermore, it has stuck in my mind. I still have the resume filed somewhere. If I ever need a copywriter (not likely), I'll call her up.

I've heard some professionals complain that some resumes from young creatives are too fussy and involved. Sometimes I agree, particularly when they are designed to look artfully unstudied. It's like spotting the resume-version of a hipster. Some feature so much white space, there's little or no content. Others contain funny pictures and supposedly hilarious and unique anecdotes about the writer, but say nothing about the applicant's achievements or experience.

If those basic elements are missing, what's the point of the resume? Is it just another portfolio piece? An exercise in self-branding? Where's the line? Where do you fall on the resume spectrum? Does the content of your resume matter, or is it all about form?]]> Tue, 29 May 2007 13:07:32 GMT http://www.adcglobal.org/connections/blog/student/?id=24#reply