Cha Cha Chaaaaannnge (and writing, too!)

Chapter 17...it's over.

Roz talks about change being the only constant, and how our choices will shape the creative challenges we allow ourselves to face. It does seem like quite a challenge in a creative career to achieve continuous progress and advancement.

As a matter of fact our third IDD candidiate, Thomas, talked about this a little bit. He asked: Why the hell would you guys want to be graphic designers? We all laughed, but had our own unique reasons why this field was so important to us.

But he also mentioned the burn out/turn over rate being about five years. And I can easily understand that. It's a tough business...being creative on demand, that is.

I've always found that the designers creative process offers something that can't be found in any other profession...I also believe that the ability to impress yourself is one of the greatest things that you can do. ESPECIALLY as you get older!

After all, keeping up is, for the most part, the hardest chore.

The business keeps changing, and so we must change with it. But to me, this is a wonderful thing. Imagine never being in the same workplace...having different projects, ideas, notions, what-have-you, being thrown around across a six month time period. Transition periods that require you to relearn what you already know and to implement old skills with the new...it's such an exciting concept.

We have to be able to adapt....yep, flexibility is important.
The graphic designer is and will become a true renaissance personality.

Haha, I like the sound of that.

...Rob Rasmussen, Renaissance Man.

Written Content, BABY!

So what shoud I write in my portfolio, oh creator of large metal briefcase?

Baron suggests minimal text, perhaps identifying my work, introducing myself, explaining my ideas and processes, and speaking directly to my audience. Good stuff.

She mentions that some people can get away with no text on their sites, but this seems pretty difficult to me. For if you don't add text to your site, how is it that the potential employer will know anything about you? Can't they get a sense of your writing abilities and your personality based on how you word things via your site? Seems that way to me.

The resume stuff Baron talks about is pretty much old news at this point, making sure it's clean, less than two pages, and without error.

As far as cover letter is concerned, it should have a "standard salutation, a short reference to who you are and why you are sending your material, and a thank you in advance for their interest in" my work. Yay.

Cynthia's writing is getting better.

Hey look over there!
(This is where I sneak away)
:)

Discrimination At Quinnipiac

I approached Professor Carolyn Nuzzi, my American Art (AR 105) adjunct-professor regarding the research paper I had gotten back four days ago. The letter grade on the paper was a B.

I told her that I felt I was unfairly graded on this paper.
Here’s why:

At the time we had to tell her our research topics, I was busy at the career fair, so I emailed her my topic of Andy Warhol. Over the course of the next few days, I received two responses to my email, both of which telling me that she expects more of me considering I’m a senior Interactive Digital Design major. And I quote, “Since you are an IDD major, I would expect an outstanding research paper on Warhol.”

I emailed her back stating that I chose Andy Warhol and not a museum trip because I’ve been to the museum’s in the area at some point across my college career. I mentioned that “as far as expecting an outstanding research paper from me, I’ll do my best.”

She had also mentioned in her first email that she hoped I would pick someone with more “edge,” to which I responded, “from what I do know about Warhol, though, he is pretty edgy. For me, pop art is something I only wish I could reproduce to the extent of Warhol. It will be fun and interesting to see where this topic will take me….that’s why I picked him.”

Her second response to me started like this: “Of course you CAN do him, but he is very broad and I've read many, many papers on him, read books and seen lots of his work so I would expect from a senior IDD major and indepth paper.”

I brought these emails to her attention, making sure to emphasize my stance that it’s unfair of her to expect more of me just because I’m a senior Interactive Digital Design student. I felt as though I wasn’t graded the same as everyone else…this, to me, is discrimination.

I went on to say that I did not ask or want to be treated differently, and that my knowledge outside of the class should not affect the grading AT ALL.

Her retort was that a lot of people did Warhol, and because she’s read a lot of papers, books, et cetera on him, people just didn’t do a good enough job describing him. If you recall, she wrote this in her second email, too.

Her response troubled me…and it sparked yet another question. I asked her: “If I had picked an artist that you knew less about, would I still have been graded the same?”

She could only reply that she “hopes” she would grade the same.

Excuse me…hopes?!?! I looked her straight in the eye and said, “wow, that’s fairly subjective, isn’t it?” Needless to say, she had no response.

I took the time out to reiterate to her my complaint that I was graded unfairly, bringing up the emails once more.

She interrupted me, stating that based on what I said in the email, she ASSUMED that I knew a lot about Warhol and pop-art.

Well, I quoted myself already, so take a look. Just because I said I wish I could reproduce pop art does not mean I know a lot about it. It also does not mean that I know ANYTHING about Warhol. The topic intrigues me, yes, but before doing this research, I knew almost nothing about him other than about his pop art.

But let me ask: Even if I did know a lot about the subject outside of class, should it matter? Her assumption was poor at best, and because she assumed, I feel that I was graded differently. Again, it seems unfair that more should be expected of me.

She tried to further her position by saying that she put a lot of thought into grading these, and I agree that she put some effort into it based on the number of comments she wrote on my paper.

However, based on what those comments were, I again feel she was asking more of me. Let us not forget that this is a 100 level class…her comments are things that I haven’t even touched on in a 300 level class. And yes, I still have the paper.

She said she could take a look at it again, but that her stance probably wouldn’t change. I said “no, that’s ok…a B is a B is a B, but I still feel I was treated differently, and that’s not fair.”

Clearly frustrated with my logic (which I think was actually pretty good, by the way), she said she “wouldn’t be widdled away on the subject.”

I told her that I was trying to make a legitimate complaint, not to widdle her away.

She responded with a very rude, “yes, that IS what you’re doing.”

I said “alright,” and walked away.

This is discrimination. That’s how I feel. This woman does not deserve to be teaching if she's going to be this subjective with her grading system.

Thin Mints, Tagalongs, and some censored bars

With my favorite girl scout cookies and a tall glass of milk nearby, I grabbed a spot on the couch and read the next few chapters in Careers By Design.

...only problem was Roz kept stealing my Thin Mints...

I fear that because I was distracted by Roz, The Cookie Monster, Goldfarb, this post may not be as long as others have been.

At first glance...well, no, it was two glances...I pulled a double take when I read I started chapter 15. The main title of Moving On: When To Leave A Job didn't really bother me, but the first subtitle of How To Quit caught me off guard. I mean, how often do you really find this in a book? For me at least, this was a new experience. And at one point someone leaned over my shoulder and saw only the title of How To Quit.....I wonder if they think I'm a smoker now. Oh boy.

Ok..enough rambling...it's time for meaningful content (insert echo here).

It's going to happen. We'll want professional development or design maturity or something new and exciting. It's GOING to happen. Did I say that already? Well, fine, it's GOING to happen.

So how do we do it? How do we quit? Be kind, and don't think that once you have left a place you have closed that chapter of your life and it's finished. You just shouldn't burn bridges, because at some point or another, it'll probably come back to bite you in the ass, plain and simple. Oh I just said on Blogger....I'm so totally .

...please tell me you're laughing...

Saying goodbye is about as important as saying hello. Say thank you...be cool, calm, collective...and oh yeah...be nice. Because hey, even if you don't like your employer, experienced and seasoned employers acknowledge the natural process of moving on.

Good point about employers making counter offers when and if you try to leave...Consider: If your value to the firm is that much greater, why did it take this action for you to get an increase?

If you're laid off, be honest. If you're fired for some reason like...you suck at what you do...well, then you'll want some level of disgression when you apply for a new job. I'm just kidding...you don't suck...it's a hypothetical you, so don't worry. Just have a logical reason for why you were dismissed and it's all good, brotha.

Now, it's said that two weeks is acceptable....one if you've been with the company less than a year. But I've been with a couple of jobs--both design and non-design related...where two weeks just flies by. Finish your current obligations before moving on...I agree with Roz. Or, if something has to be worked out, do what you have to do...but don't leave your old company flat on their , because there again, we don't want to burn bridges.

Get your work when you leave a job. It's good practice (even though you should have your old stuff already) and is probably expected of your...well...soon to be ex-employer.

Strangely enough, it's a very good idea to ask for a letter of reference upon departure. Umm...really? Wouldn't that piss you off if you were the employer? Oh hey, you're leaving my company but I'll give you a recommendation, telling them how LOYAL you are. I know it's expected that you'll move on for professional growth, but it seems so awkward to ask your soon to be ex-employer for a letter of recommendation...unless you were laid off. For, if you were laid off, this might make the employer feel better about easing your transition, am I right? Less guilt...or something like that.

I'm skipping the vacations section of this chapter. So there!

heh...I'm just moving on to In Search of Education...not that I have much to say about it...I mean, I never have a lot to say, now do I? HA!

Education...is...subjective. I wish I had read this chapter before finding a college. I sometimes feel like little Quinnipiac University, under the watch of a frickin' SLEEPING giant, in old school Hamden, CT, is going to be a turn off for potential employers. But we're ranked...what? 14th in the nation for private universities? Is that good enough? Probably not, because that's the entire school, not our design department. Plus our department is small.

A distinguishing characteristic of all graphic design based programs is the fundamental concentration on problem-solving. Well, sorry, but our Mac lab doesn't really lend itself to problem solving. Too many problems with vague or no answers at all.

Roz's suggestions:
1.) A minimum four year curriculum, 2.) placing the utmost emphasis on the faculty associated with an institution, and 3.) a program that integrates aspects of art history, liberal arts, and business or marketing with a strong concentration on graphic design.

Ok...number one.... Number two...we've got Pattie Belle Hastings...and Stephen Klema....and the chair of our dept. Mr Jon Blake...otherwise I haven't been impressed. Sorry...but half a .

As far as number three goes...I'll give it a , even though I wonder about the business part. The art history segment is separate from our program, which makes me glad I took it.....but business/marketing? I'm not so sure we see that...or at least...not as much as we should.

Onto Baron's seemingly boring book...

It's tough to find the right balance between quality and file size. It's true.
Then you get problems of resizing, among other things. Use PDF's, it'll save your .

She talks about the use of TIF files instead of JPGS...which I completely disagree with unless we're talking about files for print. TIF files are fine for print, but the compression of JPG should be used for the web...or, hey, if you can get away with it, use GIFS. I've actually used a combination of both in my portfolio site, depending solely on load times.

Optimizing causes color reduction, image bluring, and can basically make your beautiful work look like crap. So just be careful and use your designers eye to create a good balance between the yin and the yang. Or, if you're not understanding that, just make it look good while keeping your file size to a minimum.

Perhaps you should ask yourself if a slower load time is worth it.

Damn it, Cynthia took a Tagalong. She doesn't deserve one...I'm going to go get it back.

Catch you on the flip side.

One Week's Work

So I spent a lot of time this past week creating my website.
See, I love what I do not only because I get to be artistic, but because with each new project, I'm starting from scratch. And in case I haven't mentioned it before, one of the biggest things to me in life is the ability to impress yourself.

Example...
In bowling, I've done a lot. I'm not saying this to be cocky, but I have, in fact, accomplished a lot of things. So you might think that it would get boring after a while...doing the same things and winning a lot more than I lose. The truth, however, is that when I shoot a good game, win OR lose a tournament, or just do something interesting like make a split, I impress myself. It's the ability to keep yourself guessing when it comes to, well, life.

As I've said now...this is a week's worth of work. It's not done...no way! But hey, it's a good start.

RJRASMUSSEN.com

heh...I've got nothing.

Ok, so this post comes a day late. Lock me up and throw away the key...if you must. But hey, just wait until I unleash my online portfolio. Then you'll see why this post was a bit late. An acceptable trade off, as far as I'm concerned.

Diving right in, chapters 13 nd 14 had a ton of information in them, and you'd think I might be overwhelmed, right? Well, hey, I am--so good call on that one...but it's probably just because I've really never discussed this stuff before.

What stuff, you ask? Well, hiring practices and salary requirements.

Let's talk about synergy, baby. If you dig me and I dig you, there's nothing that says we can't be synergized in the same work place, is there? Hello? Where'd everybody go?

...ok, so it's important for both the employer & potential employee to hit it off, so to speak. Making it a little less general, we'll just say that a work relationship needs to be formulated...where a potential employee must recognize the employer's needs, and in return an employer must recognize the candidate's goals.

I really liked the quote, ...the essential fact [is] that, in a creatively-driven business, people are the inventory and they walk out the door every night. Therefore, the level of talent and commitment possessed by employee or demanded by employer establishes the internal synergy of the relationship and the profound power one has over the other.

Also, the possible issues of personality, office politics, ambition, work environment, sex, culture, title, money, work ownership, the quality of the work and clients, and many other more subtle elements create the dymanics of successful or unsuccessful relationships.

I was a little upset that critical honesty in the hiring process is rare. It almost seems like we're backstepping here. Nevertheless, I do understand how busy an interviewer may be, and therefore may not have the time to criticize.

The big issue that keeps coming up is how important our next job is toward our career development and future employment.

The Employer's Viewpoint

*Most employers do not want to take the time to make the effort to comment constructively.
*Designers hate these ambiguous responses (damn right! anyone who cares about what they do will want details!)
*Interviewers look for skill, intelligence, and persuasiveness.
*Be able to articulate.
*Be able to discuss design strategies. Both verbally and in writing.
*Passion, baby, passion! (If you don't have it, stay out of the profession. Plain and simple.)

Love the phrase, Graphic design is truly color-blind as the portfolio usually precedes the individual.
It's such a cool thought, but as we learn as we keep reading....the portfolio is really just the way to get your foot in the door. Once you're in, it's YOU and how you synergize with the company that will get you the job. YOUR attitudes and YOUR personality traits MUST become evident in the interview. So make sure you make plenty of eye contact, have a firm handshake, but make sure it's not a death grip, and most importantly, be yourself.

So what do employers want? Well, the list is long but distinguished. Let's just name them, shall we?

Talent, business savvy folk, intelligence, commitment, motivation, verbal skills (communication), appearance, organizational skills, technology, writing skills, flexibility, attitude, and references. I'm not so sure any of those actually need an explanation, but I will say that actually viewing these attributes and reading their descriptions gets you thinking about who you are and what you do. It gets you thinking about your attitude, your work habits, your talent...everything. But I think it's a great thing. And I think reading a book like this can keep your ego in check. Sure, we already know that we have to believe 100% in the stance that we take--passion & motivation--but at the same time, knowing that you're good and being talented are not the only aspects to consider.

Sure, Roz mentions that there's always room to negotiate if you're very talented, but still, you can be an incredible designer and lack a business approach...and you may lack flexibility....and who knows, maybe your attitude is awful. Does a company really want you if you can't do it all? Apparently they might, considering good help is near impossible to find.

I have such a hard time believing that, but then again, what hiring have I actually done? Oh, let's see...about none. The closest thing I've doen to hiring someone is giving an informal interview to an applicant at the bowling center upon completion of their application. That's. About. It.

Wow...more pointy finger bullet points...

The Candidate's Viewpoint is important. Oh hey, that's me...duh (please tell me you knew that was sarcasm!?!). Once again, Roz lists a whole bunch of stuff for us to consider, including professional growth, quality of clients, need for diversity, recognition, money, lifestyle, opportunity, position and the least important to me, children/parental care. Hey, ho, it's all self explanatory...so moving on...

During the interview, it might be a good idea to bring some additional portfolio material with you....maybe bring an old or your newest sketchbook....or perhaps some sketches for a project that is currently in your portfolio. Who knows. Roz also mentions personal artwork...but I think that if your best work is to be in your portfolio work, this might already be in your book, right?

I remember going to my IBM interview dressed in a shirt and tie, and when my soon to be "mentor" walked out in jeans and a wrinkled collared shirt, I was speechless. I felt so misplaced, even though the corporate atmoshpere around me told me that I was dressed correctly. I walked into the lab where I'd be working and all eyes were on me...probably because I was so dressed up and everyone was so dressed down. I was basically a bowling thumb next to a regular thumb. I looked good, but extremely mislaid. That's ok. It was fun and at that particular time, I didn't dress up all that often, so it was a cool change. I've come to learn, just as Roz mentions, that dressing up for an interview is NEVER a bad thing.

I highlighted Confirming appointments: Do it.

I highlighted a bunch of stuff under Interview Questions, too, but this post is already ridiculously long...dare I continue?

Honestly, the questions posed are ones that I need to think about, so while I'd like to discuss them, things like future goals and being interested in a firm are things that I have to think about. Being interested in a firm depends entirely on...well, duh...what firm it is, am I right? HA!

I saw the subtitle of Lunch / dinner / drinks and laughed. The first question I asked myself was whether or not it's acceptable to order a drink. But I don't drink all that much anyway, so don't get the wrong idea. I remember seeing a Sam Adams commercial a while back where the boss orders a water, then everyone else follows suit except the last employee. He, instead, orders a Sam Adams...the boss goes hmm...I'll have a Sam, too. The other two employees, now feeling dumb, also chime in and want a Sam. It's a great commercial and it speaks volumes. I won't dissect it here, but it's a great commercial. The fact that it's at least two years old and I still remember it also means it's a winning commercial. So I laughed when I read drinks...good memory, I suppose.

There's questions to ask the inteviewer, but I'm not typing them out here...sorry. Roz is basically telling you to learn more about the company....again, there has to be a synergy between the two. Just because the company likes you doesn't mean you'll like them. A tough fact to allow yourself to comprehend, because most people would jump on the opportunity to be hired if a company likes them. But yeah, I'm a strong believer that it has to go both ways.

Salary should be dealt with at the time of the interviewer. More on salary in a second.

And to conclude the interview, say thank you. Ask if you should meet again soon and/or who's to contact who. Send a note if you're not coming back soon...well, that's what Roz says, but I think a note should be sent even if you are going back. Granted you don't want to smother them with contact, I still think it's a very appropriate thing to do. It's common courtesy and decency to make sure people know how much you appreciate the opportunity to meet with them. I don't care who they are...it's a good thing to do.

As far as signing something...do people really say, oh I'll need to show this to my attorney? Or for the most part, do people take the risk and sign it at the time of the hire? Roz always says nothing can happen without risk...but here she's saying to play it safe. I agree safe is the way to go, but what on earth would an attorney charge to look over a contract like that?

References...bring the LETTERS to the interview. Uhh...PB said I don't need a written copy. I'm a little bit confused.

Rejecting an offer. Be courteous. Plain and simple. Be honest, but be careful about what you say. Basically you don't want to burn any bridges.

Alright...Salary and the money question. How much am I worth? Huh? Huh? Huh?
I'm not sure, and I'm certainly not going to list a number on my 'public' blog. Some pondering has to be done. :)

Roz has a couple of good links for us, including:
www.rga-joblink.com
www.salary.com
A Yahoo City Salary site

Benefits...
The opportunities I focued on were: Health insurance, Vacations/Holidays/Personal & Sick days, Pension plans, Continued education, Profit sharing, and bonuses.
The employee handbook is very important, as well, and you can be sure I'll grab myself a copy as soon as I can....well, once I find a job, that is.

Negotiating a salary is touchy, but Roz and her trusty pointed finger bullet points are here to lead the way.
*Nature of the position
*Long/Short-term goals of the designer
*Quality of the firm + its agenda
*Areas of specialization
*Market factors
*Location
*Benefits

All great things to consider, and because these factors can change drastically from one job to another, we just have to keep an open mind with each interview we take.

Rule of thumb which should be common sense...ask for a little more than you expect to get. And oh yeah, give yourself time to sleep on it.

Ok Roz, time for Cynthia to take the stage for a few minutes....move dowwwnnn the bench.

Ok C.Baron, I can name that tune in three notes....err...sentences.

1.) Changing colors, fixing images, and making them portfolio appropriate is a necessary, and sometimes easy step.
2.) Photoshop, or a similar program should be used to make the necessary adjustments before they can be put into your portfolio.
3.) Pay close attention to resolution, remembering never to scale up, but only to scale down...finding a more than appropriate size and scale for your artwork to be shown at its finest.

Oh man, I just won a million dollars on "Name That ...." heh...I've got nothing.

...and poof, snow you see on a tv screen...

***snow***

Spring Break 2006

Spring Break 2006....the one break I get from my senior year....

...well, you'd think I'd be spending it on a sunny beach or perhaps simply somewhere warmer than Connecticut.
But nope. I'm here in my dungeon, with my trusty G4 in my flanel pants and my tshirt...and I'm writing. And oh yeah...I'm designing, too.

This past week (although it's only Thursday) has been pretty rough, as I have spent this entire break working on my digital portfolio, having set a deadline of Saturday, March 18th for the 'rough draft' to be done.

Yep, the design process has been quite fun, but the hours have been extensive. Usually I sketch in the morning--somewhere from 9 or 10 until 12:30. Then I take a brunch break, considering I usually don't eat breakfast.

Then it's back to work at 2, working on comps of a particular page....this, of course, happens in Photoshop & Image Ready.

Usually the comp work takes me right up until dinner...only because I allow it to....and so I break for dinner with the family before coming back downstairs at around 7:30.

For the past four days, I have worked from approx. 7:30 pm until around 3 am, working hard to get this thing done.

I'm excited, because I am almost there.

The one thing I failed to do was post a reading blog this week...well, I failed to do it ontime.
I'm hoping that PB will allow it to be a day late, considering the extensive progress I've made on my portfolio site this week.

You'll notice in a few hours, after I run a few errands, that my reading for this week will be posted.
And on Saturday night or Sunday you can all feel free to check out www.rjrasmussen.com.

Later!

I ran out of highlighter :(

Chapters 11 & 12, the essence, the life force; it's what the French call a certain...I don't know what.

No, seriously, I ran out of highlighter, which is kind of upsetting to me because I love my highlighter. If nothing else, it serves no greater purpose than to color outside the lines! Yay!

So anyway, the process of job searching is rarely a comfortable one, but that's ok because Roz is here to help. What would I do without Roz? I can't even tell you...

She lists so many things that I'm not even sure where to begin...
It is recognized that interviewees who are not seeking for an easy way out of the job search tend to want the experience of interviewing and recognize the advantage of exposure. I related this a lot to my IBM experience, actually.

If nothing more, I knew the interview process at IBM would be intense. I think there was something like fifty (I'm not positive, but pretty sure) people who applied for the internship, and when they narrowed it down to five with my name included, I tried very hard to prepare myself for the actual interview. I had convinced the designer and his manager, just as Roz says, that it was necessary to meet me--and clearly I had been approaching the right people to make sure this interview would take place.

I expected to get turned down. I really did. Not that I question my work by any means...but I know that we should never, never take a rejection as evidence of [our] self-worth.

But hey, nothing is achieved without risk.

So now...who am I? What am I best at? Is what I'm best at what I think I want to do? Am I sure about what kind of work I want to do? Where do I want to do it? Who do I want to do it for? What kind of position do I eventually want to hold, or do I want my own firm?

These questions...they're critical and revolve around our short term goals.

So what am I best at?
-I lean towards print design, although I've started to find a considerable amount of enjoyment in creating logos.

Is what I'm best at what I think I want to do?
-Yeah, there's two main things that I focus on...so I think going in one of those two directions is what I want to do. Print is really my first choice...always has been.

Am I sure about what kind of work I want to do?
-Yeah, of course. If I wasn't sure at this point, I think I'd be up the creek without a paddle. That's not to say that everyone NEEDS to know what it is that they want to do...but for me personally, it all has fallen into place.

Where do I want to work and who do I want to work for?
-This is where I am right now. I'm just now taking the time to research potential employers, so perhaps I'll revisit this with some 'moxy' in a later post.

What kind of position do I eventually want to hold, or do I want my own firm?
-This is more long term than anything else...but I do tend to think about title, salary, work hours, and overall lifestyle in accompaniment to this question. When you implement these correleations, you have to think about the rest of your life. But the truth is that I don't know where I'll be in five or ten years. Maybe here...maybe there. Lifestyle is a biggie when it comes to deciding what kind of position I eventually want to hold. But since I really am pressing myself for a non-philosophical answer where both sides of the equation are analyzed, I'll simply say that I'd like to be a creative or art director. That's where I see myself in the future...and right now that's what I hope to attain. The only problem is that I would always like to keep a sense of 'hands-on' with any projects tossed my way. A difficult conundrum.

Networking...good stuff. Say thank you after you drop your portfolio off to be looked over. Show it to the faculty here at Quinnipiac...maybe someone knows someone who knows someone, right?

Something I feel the need to quote: Any favorable response should, therefore, be viewed as an opportunity to create a larger network. If they were positive but didn't have an opening, could they possibly recommend other people or firms to you? Most people are really happy to try and help someone, and likely, one contact may bring you to several others.

As far as business contacts and tax deductibles, wow, Roz. Is. Awesome. I had no idea that you could write off things associated with finding a job I mean, I knew I could write off the computer and probably the programs, too, but I didn't realize transportation, lunches, faxes, printing of resumes, and various other supplies could be written. The key factor here is good, solid book-keeping!

The resume section that Roz has complied is pretty damn good, I have to say. I knew much of what she talked about, but still, for those who are actually reading, you should note that, the resume that accompanies a portfolio has to have the following characteristics: it must be clear, concise, clean (no folded corners, creases, or smudges) and without errors.

Any broken rule could lead to missed opportunities. Use lighter paper, both in color and in weight. I don't understand the need to have more than one resume, but hey, that's why I'm reading this book, right?

I'm not about to post everything that Roz writes about in her Sample Resume section...just know that I'll be coming back to this section periodically as I revise my existing resume.

Moving on...

Once you have gotten over the immediate rush of excitement at a job offer, you need to ask yourself if this position is really the one you want....the most important question should be: Do you want the work produced by that company in your portfolio?

Whoa...lots to think about here. It's not just about having a job lined up...it's about planning, you know?
It's about thinking ahead.

This chapter also mentions freelancing. I don't think I would like freelancing very much, but there again, how will you know without taking a risk? As far as setting goals for myself and where I'd like to be in, say, a year...I think freelancing is at the bottom of my list. There's just too many negatives in the forefront of my mind, especially that little thing about not having medical coverage. Minor point, I know. ....yes, that's sarcasm.

Roz's view on portfolio....no big steel briefcase necessary. Wait...I just thought of something. Somebody in my senior seminar & portfolio class is using a briefcase for their portfolio....could Baron's book be where he got the idea? Hmm...well, PB said it's been done before!

There are a couple of contradictions between Baron and Goldfarb here, and although they're small, they should be noted. One, Baron suggests throwing away some not so worthy projects...Goldfarb (aka Roz) says NOT to throw them away, as we may view them differently in years to come. I'm with Roz.

Two...Roz says zip drives are acceptable...Baron says never to use them. I'm with Baron.

Ladies & Gentlemen, the score is tied at one a piece.

And three? Well...I...uhh....hey look over there--it's VP Cheney having another heart attack!

...and the final score, Roz 2, Baron 1. Roz wins.

Basically Roz does an outstanding job of going through everything revolving around art, portfolio, and presentation. Good stuff. I'm partial to the bullet-points that read: reflects your individual goals; reflects your level of talent & experience; functions logically to the needs of the marketplace. This is, of course, in reference to your portfolio.

And quickly on to Baron...I wasn't overly enthused by chapter 6. Sorry Cynthia....my heart still belongs to Roz.

Digitizing work...how can it be done? Scan, take a picture, do what you need to do. But do so with precision when scanning...and have your photos be pretty damn professional. Good one, Cynthia.

I really don't have much to say other than this. I mean, I understand what Baron's trying to get across, but generally speaking, I don't think it deserves a mention. The basic gist is to get things done by not cutting corners...do it right the first time--this way what is tedious and wearying the first time around won't bite you in the ass and tell you to do it again because you messed up.

Oh man...can I say ass on this thing? Well, just in case I can't....here we go:

'nuff said.

Would you believe me?

If I told you that I love what I do, would you believe me?

I was sitting here in front of my workhorse of a computer (good ol' G4) -- just kind of making it a low profile Saturday night -- when I started looking at my work. I have almost finished JPGing my work, and since my level of production wasn't where it usually is (I mean c'mon, it's saturday night), I started two entirely new projects....just for fun.

By the time I finished, I was grinning from ear to ear.
All I could think was, "oh yeah, this is why you're a designer."

I don't mean that to be cocky...because I'll bet it comes across that way.
I just mean it as...well...I had a great time making two projects for fun. Sure, I could've been in Saybrook competing in a dart tournament like I've done so many times before....and we all know I could be bowling...or becoming more of a movie buff....but instead I sat in front of my computer and had a good time creating artwork, even if only for myself.

It was a nice reminder in this supposed "panic mode" that for as hard as we're being pushed right now, it's all worth it....
AND....there's a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how faint it may be right now.

Just thought I'd share...