Now, this guy REALLY gets it!

Meet Jasen Dickan. Learn from Jasen Dickan.
His Linkedin profile makes me weak in the knees.
His online portfolio has me taking cold showers.
Why? Because he REALLY gets it -- he tells me everything I need to know about him. He is saving in-house and external recruiters probably 2 hours of up-front time that might otherwise be wasted going back and forth with questions about his skills.
Right away, we know EXACTLY what he does, how well he does it, where he's done it and how much of it he's done. Moreover, by noting what's not listed, we can determine the things that he likely DOESN'T do that much of, again saving us time.

So, does Jasen just want to save me valuable time? We do have a good rapport, so I can tell myself that's his aim, however, there's definitely a better reason for it and it's the reason I write this post. He's opening up more of the world to himself. He's getting valuable keywords out there and coming up in more searches. By doing so, he appears more professional and buttoned-up. This in turn ups his stock.

I mention him here with his permission -- I told him my goal is to get more people to follow suit. Everyone from Project Managers to Account Services to IAs to Creatives: give us the juicy details upfront and you'll reap the rewards.

Here are his summary and specialties sections from Linkedin:

Summary

Award-winning leader with 12 years of interactive, marketing, and branding experience. Proven ability to supervise teams and develop design talent in others. Passion for innovative strategy, design, and technology.

Specialties

creative leadership, web design, web sites, intranets, interaction design, usability, branding, business strategy, ecommerce, financial services, pharmaceutical, photoshop, typography, color theory, HTML, CSS, photography, successful new business pitches, inspiration

It's wonderful stuff, very informative. Now check out his portfolio: http://www.jasen.net/
Notice the way he specifies his % of involvement in various capacities AND how he gives credit to the other contributors. Providing the level AND kind of involvement you had on specific projects when you have a breadth of skills, goes a long way in establishing credibilty and setting expectations.

If you're looking for work - or just like to keep yourself current like Jasen - please take some time to enhance your profiles and portfolios. And make sure they all link to one another. Do it not for the sake of us recruiters, but for you.

Jasen, congrats on being this "teacher's pet", and thank you for letting me use you as an example! Keep on truckin'.

Necessity is the mother of all [re]invention

Recently I was emailing with a very talented designer. I realized that much of what I was telling her could be valuable to other Designers and Art Directors. So here's a bit of what I hope is helpful advice:

Freelance is big right now and growing. (There are no employee head count issues for companies, no extra taxes, insurance or benefits to pay for, and even if they pay an agency fee, it's cheaper to use freelance and easier to manage costs day-to-day.) Unfortunately, there are fewer projects and for the first time, I want to say since maybe 2002, online ad spending is down too.

So what can you do?
Hit the pavement. This is a time when local independent shops are vying for consumer dollars, but they don't have the $$$ for a "proper" design firm or ad agency to do the marketing materials. Print up some leave-behinds of your work with a fee card, link to full portfolio online your contact info, and go knock on doors. Flash a smile, make notes after visits of names and potential needs, and follow up. See if you can generate some project work around town. It may feel strange at first but it will make you better at presenting to clients when you're back to work full-time again. Additionally, you will be adding to your portfolio and have more say in the work than perhaps a client like AT&T would give you. As a side benefit, you'll be helping neighborhood businesses get through this tough time as well. In fact, looked at that way, you may even get into the pro bono spirit.

Having a skill you can sell is a leg-up in times like these. Truly - there's work out there, it just might be in unexpected places and you need to be willing to actually get out there and actively seek it out. Remember, in any economy, someone's making money.

*For non-designers, brainstorm with a friend about your skills and how they may be transferable to other endeavors. For example: Account people, Producers, Project Managers, Business Development gurus and Planners -- you can help people start new businesses! Copywriters can help people by editing proposals and business plans. Commercial real estate prices are going down enough to tempt many entrepreneurs out of the shadows. They need sales tools, they need to know how to frame their ideas, how to organize their vision and make it a reality, how to plan for and project manage opening a store... think about who's set up for success in this economy and reapply your skills. Necessity is the mother of all [re]invention!

**Everyone: Don't forget to make your intentions known on your linkedin status -- networking is always important but it is especially important when you're reshaping your skills and need as many leg-ups and connections as you can generate. Join groups. Let fellow alumni and former colleagues know what your doing. Don't be bashful; be bold! And remember to make it easy for people to know how to contact you!!!

Tip for the day #8: Education opens doors

A fantastic video done by a friend of mine and his company and it happens to segue very nicely into today's tip for the day: TFTD #8 = Education!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfew0YcDTo

So you've been working for a while now in the "I can't believe they pay me to do this" industry we know as Advertising? Then chances are you have a Bachelor's Degree. So now what, you're done? Nope.

If you are out of work, spending day after day putting out feelers, engaging with your network to try to find another job, reading this blog and following all of our advice to the letter, you still probably have time to take a class or two. And you know what? You should.

Schools take credit cards and classes are a tax deduction. You could do a shift at Starbuck's once a week to cover the cost perhaps. Not that all of us would make great Baristas but you could walk dogs or feed cats or look after a neighbor's kid while she gets her nails done... The point is, there are creative ways to make money in any economy and that money can go towards enhancing your "value add."

Examples of Value Add include: Copywriters learning Content Strategy, Art Directors learning Flash or Web Production, Web Developers learning Video Editing, Print Designers learning Web Design, Information Architects learning User Experience, Account Services people learning Strategic Planning... it goes on! Education is king. Those little certificates you get at the end of the course will pay off... IF YOU MENTION THEM on your resume and in any online presence you have for professional networking. (See TFTD #4 for more on keywords and marketing your brand!)

Tip for the day #7 when applying for a job

KEEP YOUR PORTFOLIO UP-TO-DATE AT ALL TIMES

Since we already know how easy it is to have a free, online, portfolio (see TPFD #2 if you don't) there is no reason you can't find 10 minutes every other week to post some new work. Like to go out for an afternoon Charbuck's? Just twice a month instead, make a cup of their new instant coffee at your desk and upload the latest work you've done onto your portfolio.

Why? Well, ask anyone who's been laid off after several years of service with not a clue how to begin the arduous task of getting a portfolio together. Getting laid-off is emotional enough without the overwhelming feeling of climbing Mt. Everest with nothing but your PJ's and a can of soup. So plan ahead. Live each day in advertising like it may be your last. Because it really might.

Afraid that having a public online portfolio will make your employer suspicious? In my mind, you're part of a community, you're keeping your ideas fresh by putting them out there, letting them be critiqued, admired. It's a place you keep your work collected and it makes them look better if/when clients go online to look up the team assigned to them. You're helping your employer look better - this is the modern world and if they want to claim (to clients) to be expert at it, you (the entire agency) need to show you're walking the talk. So, get that portfolio started and update it regularly. Always be prepared. Happy and working hard, but prepared.

*BTW: Don't put online/Web/interactive/digital samples in the "misc." or "other" or "various" or "whatnot" category. Think about it - if you were a digital marketing shop, would you refer to what you did as "miscellaneous"? It's insulting even to the integrated shops; online ad sales have been the last to be effected by this crazy economy -- hardly making them fodder for the "other" category. So raise up your interactive experience, keep "various" things limited to your extra-curricular activities like photography or drawing.

Tip for the day #5 when applying for a job

Think like a salesperson!

Insurance Agents, Car Salesmen, Real Estate Agents, Mortgage Brokers. Think about it: GOOD salespeople do one thing particularly well - they always leave a business card with you. Even on your 5th meeting, you're getting a business card.

So, if you drop me another line in 8 weeks to check in about that job that was put on hold, think like a salesperson! Include that resume again, include ALL of your contact information, make it so I never have to dig around looking for a way to reach you, or remember why I'd want to. (Replying back to my reply to your first intro email helps refresh my memory better than a brand new email, so don't be afraid to do that. It doesn't look lazy, it looks like you have saved our correspondence because this job/company is something you really want to pursue.)

The easiest way to remember to always include the "business card" information is to create an automatic email SIGNATURE with your full name, title, portfolio site, phone + email. (sidenote: You score extra points when you include the "www." in the beginning of the portfolio address because then it arrives as a live link, no copying/pasting required on our end.)

*If you have a Linkedin profile, include that too! If you don't have one, create one today. Make sure it clearly spells out all you can do (see our post on "Value ADD + Skills"). Within the profile, you have the opportunity to include a website -- don't pass that up! Linkedin is an ideal place to post your portfolio link and/or blog. Employers do keyword searches on Linkedin and on search engines -- make sure you're getting as much coverage as possible by employing any and all relevant keywords/experience/skills.

It simply comes down to thinking like a salesperson.

Tip for the day #4 when applying for a job

So, what else can you do?

Besides highlighting your location (for work), your contact information, link to your online portfolio, dates & places of employment, your resume must touch upon 2 more things:
Value add + Skills.

These days employers and recruiters are sourcing online by doing keyword searches, so that's one reason to specify your skill set. Another one is simply, to get extra consideration for a job.

• If you have experience working with Web, online, interactive, digital projects, tell us! And be specific; use as many of those words as apply to particular projects so you get picked up by various keywords.
• If you are an Art Director who can do CSS, Flash, Javascript... any sort of extra "value-add" Web Dev, whatever, tell us.
• If you have managed people, led teams, won accounts for your agency, tell us.
• If you have worked in B2B, B2C, Automotive, Financial, Healthcare... tell us!
• Anyone else I didn't cover, think about what people ask you in interviews or phonescreens - tell us the answers upfront so you get bumped to the top of the pile right off the bat.
  

Everyone, this is a resume we're talking about; it's exactly the place where you can and should toot that horn.