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Topic: Looking for work during the holidays
| Author | Message |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 12/10/2007 1:16:55 PM | show profile Okay, so as many of you already know, I was unexpectedly laid off in Oct. and given a piddly sev. package which has since run out. I've been doing a little freelance and was pretty busy for awhile. Things were looking up. Now, that has dropped off, the projects either finished or delayed by the client until after Jan.1. I've also been looking for a FT position and it seems like that's also gotten very slow lately. I see there's another post asking for advice on that and most are saying to NOT stop looking over the holidays. I've taken that advice but it seems like there are very little new postings over the past two weeks. What's an unemployed art director to do now? |
| Thabit | Posted – 12/10/2007 1:26:27 PM | show profile keep at it if nothing else because if you lose all momentum, it may be harder to get your mojo back in January when there's more to go for. A month is a long time and if you're anything like me you'll be even less motivated by then if you're not trying... Wonder if there's any enterprising things you could do instead of answering job ads -- tag along to cocktail parties, maybe have a friend throw a drink party for you to invite all and sundry... hth & best of luck |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 12/10/2007 1:32:38 PM | show profile The problem may be that you are just answering ads. That's an OK step, but you could be proactive. If I needed work, and was just sitting around, I would grab the yellow stages and spend all the day, calling one company after another. Sure, it's not fun. But neither is sitting around waiting for someone to call you. |
| Letterbox | Posted – 12/10/2007 2:04:44 PM | show profile You can try design agencices for some down and dirty production work. Sometimes they need more experienced workers to fill in mid level positions. Like an art director on maternity leave. I've had lousy experiences with Aquent. I wouldn't recommend them, though they are one of the bigger companies. |
| Potluckcraft | Posted – 12/10/2007 2:10:54 PM | show profile | email poster ConfidentDesigner, I'm in a similar boat. I've been job-hunting and I see the drop-off in posts too. I'm using this time to do some creative sulking. No, just kidding. Like another poster said, my goal is to get out those unsolicited introductory letters/resumes to companies I'm interested in working for but who don't have open jobs posted right now. And do a little sulking. ;) Good luck! |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 12/10/2007 3:36:43 PM | show profile Letterbox- Yes, I know. I've had my one and only experience with Aquent and they were terrible. Because I turned down a lousy, basically "data entry" job making practically nothing, they never called me back. I've written them off. Thinking of going back to The Creative Group. They got me a couple of gigs years ago AND they let me work from my home office. |
| Letterbox | Posted – 12/10/2007 5:22:38 PM | show profile Duh, (hit myself in the head). I must be losing it. We had this discussion about Aquent a month or two ago. I actually had a decent Craigslist experience a few months ago. Most everything posted there seems to be companies looking for cheap slave labor. But I did some Photoshop tutoring at about $45 an hour, and it turned into a design job. It was an easy way to fill a little down time. |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 12/10/2007 7:13:30 PM | show profile that's a good idea. I am well-versed in all of the Adobbe CS programs. Perhaps i should offer myself up as a tutor. Ive gotten a couple of little nibbles from craigslist too but yeah, cheap, slave labor seem par for that site. |
| TeuscherTruffe | Posted – 12/10/2007 11:43:18 PM | show profile | email poster Trust me, plenty of places are hiring now. As someone who's going out of her mind trying to hire a website content person, I feel the opposite may be true--not enough people are applying for jobs. I've only had a trickle of decent resumes. Lots of freelancers or contractors, of course, but I need a talented staff person who's ready to commit now, not in mid-January. For the life of me, I can't figure it out. |
