Job Search Techniques That Work – Finding the Right Job For You

Finding the right job is as much art as it is science but mainly it’s a lot of hard work. I’m going to share with you the secrets to finding the right job and then getting it.

Being unemployed is hard. It is especially hard in an economy like we live in today. It almost seems hopeless. But, the truth is it is neither hopeless nor impossible. If you are willing to work to find your next assignment you can find it. So, what is the formula?

Understand that your job is to find a job. Get up every morning with the understanding that you have to go to work and stay with it for eight to ten hours a day, job, just like you did when you were employed. If you have an office or study in your house use it. Go to the office every morning. Be in there by 8:00 a.m. or whatever time you choose but be consistent and treat it like a responsibility because it is.
Turn off the television. You didn’t watch television at work and you shouldn’t be watching Oprah or whatever it is that you watch while you are working at home. You have to focus on finding a job.
Write your resume. There are as many opinions on how to write a resume as their are people offering it. And, most people don’t have a clue how to write a resume, even resume writing companies. Don’t pay to have someone write your resume. You can do it yourself. It’s not easy. If it were anyone could do it successfully. Its hard work but you can do it if you are willing to invest the time, energy and mental resources to make it happen.

Write down without regard to organization or grammar, job, or anything else, everything you have ever done. Imagine someone is following you around with a video camera and write down what they would see you do. This is not projects or even technical data this is tasks.
Write down every project you ever worked on and what your role was in that project.
Write down all of the successes you have ever had. These should include money saving suggestions, new program implementations, project management that resulted in the project coming in on time and budget, new contracts awarded, complex tasks you were able to conquer and so forth.
Write down all of your education including seminars and training events as well as any certifications you might have.
Write down your employment record.
Organize all of this into chronological order in each segment. Put down dates. Don’t just use years but rather actual dates.
Create your resume in this format:

Name, Address, City, State, Zip, Phone, Email
Objective or Summary-this is going to be determined by how much experience you have and what specific position you are going to apply for. You are going to want to write a different resume for each kind of position you are qualified for and would like to have.
Experience starting with the most recent employment and going back to the first job out of college. List the dates, the company and address, your position or title and then your work history at that company. Again if you were there a long time start with the most recent responsibilities and work backward. List in bullet point fashion your, job, successes and other things you want to highlight. Remember if you have been in the workforce for a while you can’t list everything so focus on those things that are pertinent, job, to the kind of position and company that you would like to work for next.
Education starting with the highest degree and working backward.
Training/Certifications and so forth
Reference statement: “References Provided Upon Request.”

Make a list. Make a list of the companies that have people working there that do what you do or want to do. Be comprehensive. If this is a massive list reduce it by being selective geographically. Don’t rule out any company in the geography that you would like to consider. Even if you are sure you don’t want to work for the company list it on your paper. Put them in a spread sheet with the following headings: Company; Contact; Phone Number; Email Address; Date of First Contact; Date of Last Contact; Presentation Made; Resume Sent; Interview Scheduled; Interview Completed; Thank You’s Sent; Offer Made; Accepted or Rejected; NotesWrite a one minute presentation on your experience. This should be a presentation that hits the highlights of who you are professionally and your accomplishments. Share it with friends, former co-workers and family. Ask them to critique it for you. Massage it until it is the best you can make it. Memorize it. Make another list. This list should be a list of everyone you have worked for and everyone you have worked with. List their telephone number and email address if you have it. Put this in a spread sheet. Use these headers: Name; Phone; Email; Date Contacted; Presentation Made; Meeting Scheduled; Meeting Held, Referrals Given; Thank You Sent.Start calling your list of people you have worked with. You have three objectives to this call. First, determine if their company is hiring and get all the information you can about those positions and the hiring managers including name, phone and email as well as all the information you can ascertain about the positions that need to be filled. Second, determine what other companies they know of that are hiring along with anybody they know that works there. Many of these, hopefully all of them will already be on your list of companies. If they are not, add them. If they are, add the names of the contacts along with the name of the person that referred them to you. Third, gain every contact name, phone number and email that you can get from them even if they work for companies that are not hiring. The people to whom you are speaking may not know if that company is hiring or not and the people at those companies may know people, job, from other companies that are hiring that your initial contact may not know.When you are referred to a company this is hiring the kind of talent you represent call the contact you have within that company and do the following: Introduce yourself; Tell them you got their name from whomever it is that gave it to you; Ask them if you have caught them at a bad time; When given permission make your one minute presentation; Ask for contacts within the company that are in the area that you have skills and interest; Thank them for their time and help.When you find names of people that are in the area that would be most likely to need your talent call them and do the following: Introduce yourself; tell them who referred you to them; make your presentation (don’t ask if it’s a good time); ask if they are in need of someone with your talent (this is only if they don’t immediately asking questions. If they do start asking questions, answer them and let them begin to take the lead.) Start to ask questions about the position; Get as much information as you can about the position; Ask for an opportunity to interview with them.Don’t stop calling when you get an interview. Keep calling until you have exhausted the list or have been offered THE job that you want.After an interview send a thank you note to EVERYONE you met with. If you meet with more than one person be sure that everyone gets a thank you. Don’t send the thank you via email. Send it by mail unless they are going to make a decision in the next 24 hours. If they are then you can send an email but most of the time it’s going to be longer than that. If they are not making a decision for a few days send the note regular mail. If it’s a relatively short time before they are going to make the decision send it via overnight mail. I have even sent a telegram to get it there quickly. I got the job by the way.Again this is hard work. But, it works. If you will follow these steps you will find the right job for you and your skills. You must sell yourself. You sell yourself in your resume, in your presentation and in the interview. You may not like selling but you better be good at it if you want to land a good job. Employers can afford to be picky in these economic times. You have to do these kinds of things to set yourself apart from the crowd.

5 Skills You MUST Convey In A Job Interview

This http://www.WorkTree.com
career article by Nathan Newberger gives you some great advice on how to convey some very important skills during the interview process.

No, it’s not time to throw your resume in the trash and start a “new age job search”. But one thing that any job seeker must understand is that the showcase of talents does not begin and end with the resume. There are many “secret” abstract, often called “soft”, skills that employers keep an eye out for.

This article discusses the five key “secret skills” that interviewers examine and how to demonstrate them in an interview situation.

These five skills are:

1. Organizational
2. Critical Thinking
3. Communication
4. Interpersonal
5. Multi-Tasking

1. ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
Unless you are applying for a job as a mad scientist, organization is an essential skill for any job. Employers can get sense of how an individual will handle large, job, workloads, job, by how organized that person is during the interview. Moreover, a person that makes a sincere effort to stay organized is an employee that will take a job seriously and make a sincere effort to get things done.

The best way to display these skills:
Dress professionally and neatly for an interview, job, .
Keep supplies or materials on hand if you think they might be pertinent to the interview. This can go beyond pen, paper, resumes, and business cards depending on the position you apply for.
Organize your thoughts before the interview. Preparation for typical interview questions will reflect a sense of general readiness.
2. CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
Nobody wants a mindless drone for an employee. If they did, they would buy a robot. Employers want people that can think on their feet and respond. They are looking for people that won’t come crying with every little setback. They are looking for problem solvers. Having critical thinking skills means that you can come through in the clutch.

The best way to display these skills:
Prior to the interview, prepare of a list of anecdotes or previous jobs that required critical thinking to solve a problem. When applicable, bring these examples up in the interview.
Talk your way through the answers. Let the interviewer understand your train of thought when responding to questions. This can also buy you a little extra time if you are unsure of how to answer.
3. COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, is the number one fear in America, but making an impact requires these skills. Unless you can communicate ideas to others effectively, you may not come across as very confident. This is precisely why so many employers ask for individuals with good communication skills, often including public speaking.

The best way to display these skills:
Practice speaking, or answering interview questions in a mirror. This will get you used to speaking aloud and let you see the things you may be doing wrong.
Practice interviews with another person, so you can learn to keep cool when reacting to another person’s comments.
Stay calm and ALWAYS MAINTAIN EYE CONTACT. It’s hard to disagree with a confident person. Once you SEEM confident, you hold all the cards.
4. INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Along with being able to communicate your own ideas well, you have to be receptive to other ideas and work constructively with them. Companies need versatile team players: people that will work hard on their own and increase the depth and effectiveness of a group effort.

The best way to display these skills:
As in the case of critical thinking, it is a good idea to prepare a list of examples in which you were part of a successful team effort. These items may not be on your resume, but could come up in an interview.
When possible, reflect back on cases where you coordinated a team effort. It is one thing to work well in a group, but it is even better when you show that you can also lead and take charge of a group.
Don’t be afraid to mention troubles within a team that you had to overcome. A group, job, of people will not agree on everything 100% of the time. Being able to work through problems and succeed is paramount.
5. MULTI-TASKING SKILLS
Businesses are always happy to drive down costs, and the best way to do this is by hiring fewer individuals who can multi-task. It is often the case that one efficient employee can do the work of two typical employees. Employees are paid for the hours they work, and employers want to get the most out of what they pay. An employee that can complete multiple tasks at once is the solution.

The best way to display these skills:
When discussing previous positions held, include situations where you worked on multiple tasks at the same time.
Prepare a list of projects that required you to separate tasks into clusters that could be addressed simultaneously. Be ready to explain the thinking behind your separation system.
Show a willingness to take on many responsibilities. Any worker can pick up one or two, but if you can pick up more without getting spread to thin, you become a valuable asset.
CONCLUSION
The resume will always be around and serve as your primary means of communicating skills with a prospective employer. But remember that you are more than just a list of skills on a piece of paper. The interview lets the, job, employer see whats not easily determined from a resume and also your chance to shine. Mastering the art of showcasing your “secret skills” will let an interviewer know you are person they need to hire.

This article can be read online and shared with others directly at:
http://www.worktree.com/newsletter/skills-to-convey-interview.html

Sincerely,
Nathan Newberger,
Managing Editor
http://www.WorkTree.com
“Helping You Find More Jobs Faster”

How to Improve Your Job by Getting Some Basic Computer Skills

As computers have become the standard throughout the business world, it’s important that if you don’t already have some basic computer skills, you should arrange to get them. We’ll review the following areas of basic computer skills below, as well as why many businesses are requiring new employees to have computer skills, and some examples of those businesses.
Also we’ll cover how to obtain basic computer skills and learning popular business software — even if you don’t own a computer — how to get such training at no cost or very little cost, and how to make that training fit your schedule, so you can complete the training in as little time as possible.
We’ll also review the financial advantages and other career advantages for obtaining computer skills. And what to expect to cover in a basic computer skills class, so you can make the most of your learning efforts.
To start, let us recognize that computers are now being used in areas of business where they have previously seemed to be useless — for instance, many restaurants now utilize computers to track sales, labor hours, inventory and more, where even servers and hostesses have to have basic computer skills to input food order details and other customer data. Retailers also now rely on computers, in fact most retail cash registers are now computers that relay each sale to the home office in a matter of seconds, so basic computer skills are required, especially for individuals who hope to advance into a management position. So by understanding computer basics, a person can then be quickly trained on the specific computer programs used on a given job, which makes that person more valuable to the employer.
Most people without computer skills feel it’s an expensive and challenging task to acquire them. It’s not true. You don’t have to attend college or tech school or sign up for expensive and time-consuming tutorial classes. Most cities, Counties and States often offer free or low-cost computer classes for beginners, through libraries, social service programs, schools, and churches. Typically, with just a little bit of searching, you can find such programs in your own community, even in rural locations. Many such programs require only a few hours of time, and are usually organized to fit hectic schedules; and usually offer lots of support and follow up, to assure the student benefits from the learning experience.
Nor do you have to own your own personal computer to learn basic computer skills. Usually, such basic courses as we’re describing in this broadcast, include access to a computer and access to popular business software, so the student can learn without having to make an expensive investment in a personal computer. Yet still learn the skills and help improve their employment circumstance.
What are the advantages to you to improve your computing skills?
Dramatic. Often such skills can increase your income range from 10% to over 30%. For instance: an office file clerk making $6.50 an hour now can increase their income up to $9 or $10 an hour, or more, by having the added computer skills of inputting file data into an office computer database, or being able to coordinate interoffice communications via email or instant messaging — both comparatively simple skills to learn. And many retailers will consider retail clerks for entry level management jobs if that job candidate possesses some retail experience and has some basic computer spreadsheet know-how — spreadsheets being a very basic method of tracking sales and generating retail reports; in fact, reporting is an important part of operating any business, but especially so in sales organizations — so a secretary who can operate his or her own office desk AND also produce sales reports on an office computer, can earn up to $15 to $18 per hour.
Ideally, you’d want to find a general computer, job, course that covers basic computer use and popular business software and computer terminology. Also, something that would describe the basic hardware components of a PC and introduce basic skills for using software programs in a MicroSoft Windows environment. It should also cover such topic as how to start the computer, how to run various programs, how to, job, shut down the computer, how to control windows and understand its menus, how to get to the help in Windows and in other programs, so you can tutor yourself if needed. Also, how to create new text documents and spreadsheets, and to open and save files. Typically, basic computer classes offer exercises that allow users to practice with popular business software, like Excel, WordPerfect and others, even if the student doesn’t have a computer at home.
Now is the time to begin learning basic computer skills. Such skills will only become more important to job performance and income earning potential as the 21st century moves forward. Seek out such training now. Organize yourself to access it so you can influence your personal future in a positive manner.
Good Luck With Your Job Search
Mark Baber has 20 years experience as an Executive Search recruiter, with placement background in many industries, including: Retail, Manufacturing, Sales, Accounting/Finance, MIS/IT, and many others. Mark is Recruit Consultant to http://www.JobNewsRadio.com where Jobseekers access 2 Million job transactions monthly, and can submit their Resumes Free and have them distributed freely to Employers they choose by industry, vocation, City or Region. Further JobNewsRADIO offers FREE Job Seeker resources like career and personality assessments, free Trade magazines, free Job Search tutorials that help increase your odds of finding a career job position, and many other valuable resources. Or visit Mark’s recruitment web site at http://www.mcbaber.com

Ski Japan For Free! Ski Resort Jobs in Japan

Besides being a culturally and historically rich country, Japan has some of the finest powder snow conditions in the world! Every year, more and more foreign tourists are flocking to Japan’s Ski fields every year. Try working and living on the slopes this year, and you’ll experience why, first-hand! This article details some of the many Ski jobs you could work in.

Working in a Ski Resort gives you the chance to live, work, and breathe with Japanese people. Every day, you’ll be interacting with others of a similar age and interests – a love of the snow! You’ll meet great new people, learn Japanese, and gain a unique insight into authentic Japanese culture. You’ll also be exposed to nature, seclusion, and heart-warming hospitality. Please remember though, that you’re going there to work – you’ll have the time of your life, as long as you’re willing to work hard too.

There are many different types of Ski Jobs that you can do. The positions you’ll be eligible for depend on your Japanese speaking ability. The positions listed below are in ascending order (easiest to hardest) of Japanese ability required:

1. Ski Jump

Working Hours: A typical day starts at 7:30am and finishes at 5:00pm (1-1.5 hour unpaid lunch break). Overtime work is called ‘Nighter’ – hours are 5:30pm – 9:00pm.

Morning Preparation: Primary duties include clearing away snow after a big dump. Setting up guide ropes leading up onto the jump boarding ramp or steps.

Regular Duties: Helping customers safely board the lifts/steps to the top of the ski jump. Giving verbal instruction to customers who aren’t familiar with ski jump facilities. In the event of heavy snowfall, lift paths may need to be cleared. A physically demanding position. A good job for true beginners to learn Japanese.

Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.

2. Lifts

Working Hours: A typical day starts at 7:30am, job, and finishes at 4:30 or 5:00pm (1-1.5 hour unpaid lunch break). Overtime work is called ‘Nighter’ – hours are 5:30pm – 9:00pm.

Morning Preparation: Primary duties include clearing away snow from around the boarding ramp onto the lift, and wiping off snow that has settled on the lift seats, job, overnight. Guide ropes leading up onto the lift boarding ramp will sometimes need to be erected.

Regular Duties: Checking customer tickets and clipping if required. Helping customers, job, safely board the lifts – giving verbal instruction to customers who aren’t familiar with riding lifts. Stopping lifts in case of emergency. On snowy days lift seats will need to be regularly cleaned (brushed) before customers sit down. In the event of heavy snowfall, lift paths may need to be cleared. A physically demanding position. A good job for beginners to learn Japanese.

Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.

3. Restaurant

Working Hours: A typical day starts at 6:00am and finishes at 10:00pm. An average 9 hour shift (1 hour unpaid lunch break) covers two out of three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Morning Preparation: Primary duties include, job, briefly sweeping/vacuuming your work area each morning. Most restaurants operate on a ‘cashless’ ticketing system – negating the need to fill cash registers with the days ‘float’.

Regular Duties: Serving drinks and dishes to customers at their tables, clearing them away after customers have finished, and wiping down tables in preparation for the next customers. Some of the ski resorts have self-serve facilities, whereby customers serve themselves (leaving only the clearing of tables for restaurant staff). Showing customers to tables and taking orders. Restaurant work may sometimes includes the serving of food onto dishes for customers, and even simple food preparation duties, such as making hotdogs, sandwiches or pizzas. A good job for beginners to learn Japanese.

Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.

4. Ski Rental

Working Hours: A typical day starts at 8:30am and finishes at 5:30pm (1 hour unpaid lunch break). Overtime work is called ‘Nighter’ – hours are 5:30pm – 9:00pm.

Morning Preparation: Primary duties include briefly sweeping your work area each morning, and filling cash registers with the days ‘float’.

Regular Duties: Helping customers with any queries and offering recommendations about Ski Equipment (eg. Skis, Snowboards etc). Briefing customers on, job, the safety and handling of equipment. Taking customer details (name, address, contact numbers) when organizing rental equipment. Ringing up customer rental charges on the cash register and controlling cash inflows-outflows (great care needs to be taken in giving the correct change to customers).

Helping customers choose appropriate sized equipment (according to body weight and height, etc.). Adjusting stances on skis/boards to suit boot sizes. Waxing of skis/boards and general maintenance of equipment. Collecting rental gear from customers at the end of each work day and checking stock levels to make sure all rental equipment has been returned. Closing and balancing cash registers at the end of the work day. A good job for beginner-intermediates to learn Japanese.

Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.

Successful Job Interviews: Attitude, First Impressions And Appearance Are Everything

The first 30 seconds count most of all in job employment interviews. Most job seekers think that their job of “selling themselves “to the employment interviewer occurs when they walk in the door. Most of your work will have been done in preparation previous to the actual interview. The first 30 seconds of any interview are the core elements of getting that job – of adding, confirming and supporting your preparation for the job interview and ultimately to be successful in “getting that job“.

People often form major opinions about others within the 30 seconds of meeting them. For this reason the first 30 seconds of an employment interview or indeed any personal introduction will make or break you. To make it worse, once an initial impression is made, it is almost impossible to shake off. It is a well known fact, in the human resources field and industry that professional interviewers will state that in most cases of job employment interviews that in the time period that it takes to applicant to walk across the room to introduce themselves and say “Hello” that the decision of “yes” or “no” to hire or “not hire” the applicant is almost there and is almost made. The rest is just corroboration, documentation and support and basically filler.

Interview and interpersonal communications experts have repeatedly and thoroughly studied hat applicants can do to make a most favorable first impassion and project professionalism and competence during interviews. The attitude, image and appearance that a job or employment applicant projects during interviews are as influential as or even more influential than their very skills that they have acquired in their education or on the training careers. Projecting strength in these areas gives applicants a decided edge over their competition.

In terms of actual percentages it has been researched that attitude has a 40 % impact on interviews and their outcomes, image and appearance 25 %, communication (both verbal and non-verbal) 25 %. Amazingly all in all, qualifications themselves only account for 10 % of the approximate impact of the real power and effect on interviews and interviewers.

It is very important to recognize that applicants are screened on paper first. One very successful individual learnt this lesson early in life. As a lad he had applied for a at a them major department store. The standard procedure was to fill out the standard application at the human resources department. The lad did this simply, being both well dressed and groomed and as well polite to the secretary and receptionist. This to him was a standard and basic approach to both life and seeking. It was only after he had received the and was on his way to the department of his employment did he find out that the note to the department head included a short notation on the application from the receptionist of “looks good and ok”. The receptionist turned out to be the major initial screening mechanism of the employment process.

Your attitude is your number one factor that influences an employer to hire or not hire you for the , position or career.

What can you do to present a “good attitude”? First of all concentrate on being likeable. As simple as this may seem, research has continually proven that one of the most essential goals in successful interviewing is to be liked by the interviewer. Interviewers want to hire pleasant people whom others will enjoy working with on a daily basis.

You can do the following to project that you are a highly likeable future employee appearing at an employment interview: be friendly, speak positively, and use positive body language and smile. Lastly make sure that your appearance is appropriate for the industry, position and setting. It is always best to project an air of confidence and pride. Act as though you want and deserve that – not as though you are desperate and will take anything and any position.

Next demonstrate genuine enthusiasm. An applicant’s level of enthusiasm often influences the employer as much as another interviewing factor. The applicant who demonstrates little enthusiasm for a will never ever be selected for the position.

It is always best to demonstrate knowledge and interest in the employer. Saying that “I really want this ” is not convincing enough. It will fool or appeal to few, explain why you want the position and how the position will fit into your career plans. You can easily cite opportunities that may be unique to the firm or organization. Additionally you can emphasize your skills, training and education that are highly relevant to the firm and the specific position.

Remember that any interview, indeed any communication in life and in business, is a two way street. Project genuine interest in deterring whether you and the employer will mutually benefit from your employment and career with the organization involved.

Lastly always perform at your best each and every moment. There is no such thing as a pause or a “time out” during an interview. Even in the waiting room treat the assistant, receptionist and each and every employee that you encounter politely, with deference, respect and courtesy.

Answering “Why Are You Looking For A New Job?”

This is one of those job interview questions that will be asked by the savviest of interviewers. Although it’s positively heart-stopping to be on the answering end of this question, if you were the employer, wouldn’t you want to know how this seemingly fabulous person ended up on the job market? It’s similar to meeting an interesting, attractive person of the opposite sex, or finding a used car that’s only got 1000 miles on it and is 3 years old. Just a little too good to be true, and you can’t believe that no one else has discovered this amazing find.
Basically they’re trying to figure out what is wrong with you, and suspect they will get a clue by looking at your relationship with your last job.
So your task is to not give them any ammunition to rule you out of the game.
1. Never, ever, ever speak ill of your current employer, or any former employers for that matter. Everyone knows that one reason for this is because your interviewer will envision you badmouthing them when you decide to leave, and nobody wants to think about bad rumors about themselves traveling through the industry. Another reason to avoid dissing your past employer is that in this very small world, they could be a friend, relative or even your potential client at this new job. No person works on an island and you must always be conscious of the seemingly invisible threads that connect so many people.
2. Another never is to speak ill of the tasks you were asked to perform at your past or current job. ANY tasks. You may think that this new job would provide a blissful escape from the tedium of your last one, and so gleefully explain to an interviewer all of the mind-numbing things you were asked to do. However, your interviewer is thinking about the similar (but different) mind-numbing tasks of this position, and decides that you would quit after the first month. There’s no reason to hire you if you’ve already given them a reason for you to quit.
3. Also, you don’t want to speak ill of your co-workers. Those were or are your teammates, and the same rule holds true as reason #1. This world is too small, and good jobs are too few to take the chance.
So what CAN you say?
1. You can say that you wanted a new opportunity. That you felt that you had taken your current or past position as far as you could within the company, you had achieved X, Y and Z, and now feel that it’s time for you to learn a different aspect of the business, or to work for a bigger (or smaller) company. The key here is to focus on the future. Focus on the opportunities you see in this new position, how it will help you grow and learn and not what was wrong with the last company you worked for.
2. If you are applying for a job that touts flexible hours, work from home or excellent benefits in the posting, you can mention those qualities as a reason to look into this new position. Again you don’t want to speak ill of your current employer, but say that you understand why they need to run their business as they do, but if the working arrangements at this new company are better suited to your lifestyle at the moment then it might be a good fit. You are showing the employer that there is a natural fit between their needs and your needs.
In the cases where you were let go from a position, all of the above rules apply. If it’s the truth, you can say that you were laid off as a result of a company-wide restructuring or budgetary cuts. If it was due to a disciplinary action you can say that at the time you were having some time management issues (if you were fired for being consistently late), but you have learned your lesson, that you take an employer’s requirements a lot more seriously and have taken proactive measures (which you can briefly describe) to prevent yourself from getting in that situation again. Show that you have made your mistake with your past employer and have absolutely no intention of making the same mistake twice. Sincerity, an action plan and great references are necessary to counteract any remaining issues.

How to Accurately Estimate a Graphic Design Job

My graphic design company gets requests from freelance designers frequently about advice on how much to charge for design jobs. Accurately bidding on design jobs is easily the hardest part of this business. I’ve been doing this for quite some time now with what I consider to be pretty good success. Bidding on jobs gets easier the more you do it, because with each prospective client you get a little better at feeling out their individual needs. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule that can be used over and over again. You’re not going to get every job you bid on and you probably don’t want to. However, no designer can afford to spend large amounts of time putting together proposals that don’t get accepted. I’m sure any freelance graphic designer with a mortgage can verify this. Sure, part of accurately bidding on design jobs comes from experience but there are some things you can do to help streamline your bidding process to weed out time wasters and land more legitimate clients.

The first thing you should do is know what the other advertising agencies, design companies and freelance designers in your area are charging so that you can establish a guideline for what is a fair and acceptable hourly rate or flat fee. You don’t want to charge too much but you don’t want to be known as the cheapest in town either. I would personally rather bid too high than too low.

When you speak with a client about a new job make sure that you get as much information from them as possible. From this information you should be able to ballpark the time involved based on previous projects. Yes, I know every job is different, but at least this gives you a place to start. It’s been my experience that the majority of clients want to know a hard cost for the finished work and not an hourly rate. Sometimes an hourly rate can even scare potential clients off simply because it’s too open ended. To bid a flat rate effectively, set an hourly rate for yourself based on what is competitive to your area while allowing you to operate your business profitably, job, . Compare your hourly rate to the actual time spent on a flat rate proposal for a good way to know if you’re profitable in the jobs you’re bidding.

One thing that I do that really helps land a job is to determine price ranges for specific types of jobs like; logo design, post cards, basic website design, e-commerce sites, etc. I’ve found this to be useful on two levels. First, I have established a slight buffer for myself when working on the project. Second, I have found potential clients to be more receptive of a price scale, because they feel like you are open to working with them on getting them to that lower end of the scale. This, of course, is entirely up to the client and how they affect the flow of the project and approval process.

The key to coming up with a reasonable price scale is to use the information that the client provides you about the job. This information will help determine where they may fall in your price range. Use your own design experience to help determine the potential hours that may go into a job. For instance, a client wants you to bid on a logo, letterhead, envelope and business card design package. This could take you anywhere from 6 to 16 hours depending on the client and complexity of the job. So, you estimate the job at 16 hours and a rate of, we’ll say $65 an hour, which equals $1,040. Hourly rates and design fees are going to vary from state to state and location to location, but here’s what your client proposal, job, may look like;

Example: Company Logo / Identity: $800 – $1,200

Work Flow:
• Will provide at least 2-3 initial directions for your logo and letterhead system and work chosen direction to your satisfaction.
• Will proceed with development after verbal or written approval on directions.
• Concepts will be presented via email and / or other specified method.
• You can expect to see initial directions within 2 weeks.
• If major changes or reworks are requested after an approval design is subject to hourly rate of $65 per hour.
• Art will be provided to you in print ready format (Set up for print production)
*If you choose to proceed with us our payment terms are 50% deposit to start and 50% upon completion.

You will notice that I threw in some extra information in that example. I like to make sure that I’ve covered all of my bases just incase a project does take longer than expected. It’s been known to happen. I always write my proposals in contract form and have the client sign two copies when beginning a project. One for me and one for the client. At that time I collect a non-refundable 50% deposit. I recommend that every graphic designer implements a policy of retaining a deposit to begin work. You will find this useful if for some reason a client backs out of the project or drags the project on longer than expected. That has also been known to happen. The other point that can come in handy is stipulating that reworks after approvals or unending revisions will be billed at an hourly rate. Sometimes, job, you will get a client who wants work done beyond the scope of a project. You should make sure that you’re covered in that event too. I would go to my hourly rate for all work provided above and beyond the scope of the project.

Here are a few more examples for your reference only (based on a $65 per hour rate). Remember these are guidelines to help you. You should evaluate each client and the information your client provides to determine your own price estimate structure. These examples are estimates on design work only. I suggest providing a separate estimate for printing if you are providing printing services.

1) Logo Design Price Scale: $350 – $800
• Price scale reflects amount of conceptual design, type of illustration and detail of illustration used.

2) Tri-fold Brochure Price Scale: $650 – $1,000
• Text and images provided by client.

3) Post Card: $175 – $350

4) Basic Website Design: $850 – $1,800
- Site could include:
- 4-15 page site with CSS Optimized for Search Engines
- Contact Form
- Stock Photography
- Simple Content Management System
- Populate site content from “text” information provided by client

Please visit our blog at http://www.pixelproductionsinc.com/blog to view our article about using a website, job, design contract.

Like many things the key to an effective estimate is to be clear! Specify a fair price and include the services you are going to provide. This could be anything from stating that you will provide 2 to 3 initial directions to your time frame and terms of payment. Be specific! The less questions you leave your client with, the more professional you appear and the greater the chance of securing the job at a price that works for both of you.

How to Survive Hating Your Job – Tips For Surviving a Job You Hate

It is never fun to be in a job you don’t enjoy, and it is especially challenging during difficult economic times. Are there ways you can make your situation better? Yes there are. Here are ten tips to help you survive a job you hate…

1. Know that you actually do have the choice to leave your job. Would there be consequences to quitting your job? Of course, but there are also consequences to your physical and emotional health as well as to your self-esteem in continuing to spend a large part of each day being stressed and upset. Simply the realization that you do have a choice each day about staying or leaving can be a big factor in making your job situation bearable.

2. Having decided that you aren’t giving your notice today, there are three broad paths you can travel with regard to an unpleasant job. The best alternative is to actively search out ways that you can either change the nature of your job or change your attitude toward your job so that you begin to find your work enjoyable. The second path is to discreetly but actively begin a search for a you will enjoy. The third path is simply to find ways to minimize the pain of your .

3. Look for opportunities to transfer within your company that will make your duties more pleasant or your relationship with your supervisor and co-workers more cordial. If you intensely dislike your current situation, a parallel transfer to a more pleasant position would certainly be a good deal. Even consider what might be thought of as a step back in your career in order to escape an unpleasant supervisor or duties. Remember that if you are unhappy with your , your company is likely to become dissatisfied with your attitude, so any move that improves your happiness will improve your attitude, and therefore your potential for career advancement.

4. Consider how the nature of your current duties could be changed in ways that would benefit both your employer and yourself. As an example, if your is in telephone technical support and you love helping people with their product issues, but hate dealing with irate customers, you might suggest to your boss that an individual who prides themself on calming angry people be designated for such calls, allowing you and others with top technical proficiency to focus on troubleshooting issues. That is a small organizational change that would benefit everyone as well as making your much more pleasant.

5. Even though the economy is down and you may feel that there are no s to be found, begin a discreet search anyway. Don’t take any time away from your current for interviews, and don’t tell any co-workers you are looking. Beside the obvious benefit of likely finding a great new you love, actively searching for a new will be good for your morale in reminding you that your current situation is only temporary, and you can survive anything for a short time.

6. If you are clear that there is no long term potential for your current to become enjoyable and rewarding, create a mindset that your is only temporary and think of it like a broken leg or a case of the flu – something that is annoying and debilitating, but that soon will be gone. Visualize better days that will follow after your search succeeds.

7. Make a list of the things that you do like about your . It is easy to focus only on the negative aspects and forget that, like everything in life, your has good points and bad.

8. Be grateful that you are physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy enough to have a . Be grateful for the time and pleasures you have outside of work hours. Be grateful for all of life.

9. Smile. Put on a happy face and you are likely to be surprised by how readily your emotions rise to match the corners of your mouth.

10. Be cheerful and supportive of your boss and co-workers. No matter how unhappy you are, there is no benefit to showing it. If you are cheerful and helpful, you are almost certain to improve the attitude of those around you, at least a little bit. Even though you know you will be gone the moment you get offered a better , do your best and be the best person you can while you are still working at this .