Back when I started a career as a "marketing coordinator" I had no class training in any desktop publishing or graphic design programs. But I was self-taught.. and not very well, when I look back on it now. But when my ex decided he wanted a divorce the day after I quit a full time job, I told the temp agency I'd take anything "marketing or sales" related. I never would have considered working for a construction company.. just because it never would have occurred to me. The industry has changed, of course, over the last ten years, and the larger companies have an appreciation for continuing education, but many of them (and especially the smaller companies) don't really "get" graphic design and don't see the point to spending money hiring a college degree when more than half their staff never attended. If you get my drift.
..okay.. uh, that was the preamble. The point is that if you're willing to consider "non glamorous" industries, you can get in and start working at the sort of work you want, and maybe even get your classes paid for. My old employer paid for thousands of dollars worth of classes and seminars over the years. And now my current employer thinks I'm golden and, while I'm sure they would pay for training, they seem quite happy with what I picked up at my other job.
Nearly every company these days produces proposals of some sort, and internal and external newsletters.
OMG, that reminds me, my city (Maplewood) just printed in their newsletter that they had awarded the contract to produce their newsletters to some one-guy agency for $35,000 a year. That nearly made me choke on my coffee. Of course there's the cost of printing and what not, but if he landed three six-times-a-year publications like that he'd be set. And believe me, there is no Photoshop in my city newsletter.
The.. ah.. point, again, is that maybe you could offer to produce newsletters for local groups, small churches,
.... please... offer to produce and edit small restaurant menus. Those make me crazy.
Look for small insurance agency offices, or title processing offices.
I see some really nicely prepared "brochures" for homes that are for sale. Granted, the market is struggling, but maybe a local realtor's office would like help putting together home "sell sheets". My former boss sold his house (several hundred thousand dollars) and his realtor prepared a whole book. Upscale realtors might like the service, and they can afford to pay for it.
Day care centers. Nursing homes. VFWs. ...these are just places to pick up onesie twosie jobs. But each flyer, newsletter and event poster you produce can go on your resume. I have done a couple charitable event posters and ticket packages. If I was in business for myself I could have written off the value of the contribution on my taxes. I'm not, so I didn't bother with it, but the work is still in my portfolio. (Or would be if I ever organized my portfolio.. but I do keep samples. Everywhere.. but I keep them.) I also did lots of free work for local bands and events in the goth/industrial scene. All that stuff is in my sample files, even if I didn't get paid for it, it still represents work that other people requested and accepted.
Oh, and check out the Minnesota DNR and any affiliated companies and organizations. Call on some ornithologimacalistic group with a batch of your bird photos. Do up a dummy newsletter with your photos. Use that exceptional talent of yours in addition to your design skills.
How about a landscaping company or those companies that put in ponds and waterfalls? They always talk about attracting wildlife.. you can suggest that they hire a professional brochure designer and you already have some great stock photography.
Lots of those service companies operate mostly by word of mouth because they don't have much in the way of advertising budgets or printed material.
And since we're on that subject, check out all the service booths at the Minnesota State Fair in the buildings where they show siding and saunas and windows and fireplaces.
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Date: 2007-08-21 02:05 am (UTC)..okay.. uh, that was the preamble. The point is that if you're willing to consider "non glamorous" industries, you can get in and start working at the sort of work you want, and maybe even get your classes paid for. My old employer paid for thousands of dollars worth of classes and seminars over the years. And now my current employer thinks I'm golden and, while I'm sure they would pay for training, they seem quite happy with what I picked up at my other job.
Nearly every company these days produces proposals of some sort, and internal and external newsletters.
OMG, that reminds me, my city (Maplewood) just printed in their newsletter that they had awarded the contract to produce their newsletters to some one-guy agency for $35,000 a year. That nearly made me choke on my coffee. Of course there's the cost of printing and what not, but if he landed three six-times-a-year publications like that he'd be set. And believe me, there is no Photoshop in my city newsletter.
The.. ah.. point, again, is that maybe you could offer to produce newsletters for local groups, small churches,
.... please... offer to produce and edit small restaurant menus. Those make me crazy.
Look for small insurance agency offices, or title processing offices.
I see some really nicely prepared "brochures" for homes that are for sale. Granted, the market is struggling, but maybe a local realtor's office would like help putting together home "sell sheets". My former boss sold his house (several hundred thousand dollars) and his realtor prepared a whole book. Upscale realtors might like the service, and they can afford to pay for it.
Day care centers. Nursing homes. VFWs. ...these are just places to pick up onesie twosie jobs. But each flyer, newsletter and event poster you produce can go on your resume. I have done a couple charitable event posters and ticket packages. If I was in business for myself I could have written off the value of the contribution on my taxes. I'm not, so I didn't bother with it, but the work is still in my portfolio. (Or would be if I ever organized my portfolio.. but I do keep samples. Everywhere.. but I keep them.) I also did lots of free work for local bands and events in the goth/industrial scene. All that stuff is in my sample files, even if I didn't get paid for it, it still represents work that other people requested and accepted.
Oh, and check out the Minnesota DNR and any affiliated companies and organizations. Call on some ornithologimacalistic group with a batch of your bird photos. Do up a dummy newsletter with your photos. Use that exceptional talent of yours in addition to your design skills.
How about a landscaping company or those companies that put in ponds and waterfalls? They always talk about attracting wildlife.. you can suggest that they hire a professional brochure designer and you already have some great stock photography.
Lots of those service companies operate mostly by word of mouth because they don't have much in the way of advertising budgets or printed material.
And since we're on that subject, check out all the service booths at the Minnesota State Fair in the buildings where they show siding and saunas and windows and fireplaces.
....
Did I give you enough to think about?