I was reading Tim McNamara's article in Australia's Desktop magazine (issue # 244 - November 2008) on Finding your Creative Path. Whilst the entire article was certainly quite thought-provoking, two particular paragraphs struck a chord.

Tim writes: "In an industry where technologies, methods, attitudes, pecking orders and, indeed, jobs change and develop almost on a daily basis, so too must employees. In the current employment climate - where employers are under increasing pressure from both market and economic conditions - people are understandably thinking about their own careers and how, through the storm, they can progress and come out on top."

He continues to describe how in addressing the career hopes and aspirations of professionals, as recruitment specialists, "we never lose sight of the fact that we are, first and foremost, interviewing people - individuals - and no two are the same. Put two art directors in a room and they may appear almost identical at face value, but scratch the surface and ask them where they're presently at in their careers or, better yet, where they want to be in their careers, and you're likely to receive two completely different responses."

It's so true ...

So in a tough market, riding the wave of the digital (r)evolution, what are you looking for? Hopefully you're looking out for Number One, but what's really pushing your career hot buttons?

Image courtesy of: trash it

Many of us talk about how great it would be to have more flexibility in our work. Perhaps the ability to have a rostered day off every two weeks, to be able to work from home every now and then, or maybe even the option of getting into the office at midday and then working through till 8pm or 9pm - giving you a better work/life balance.

Aquent recently published its 2008-2009 Aquent Orange Book, the most comprehensive international salary survey for the marketing, communications and creative industries. One of the key findings in this report was that flexible work practices was the Number 1 retention strategy implemented by those businesses surveyed across Australia and New Zealand.

Clearly employers place a huge emphasis on flexible work practices, but what is the attitude of employees towards this relatively recent organisational phenomenon? I will try not to let the fact that I am actually writing this blog entry while working from home sway my personal opinion!

Have you ever stopped to think that being given more freedom in your working hours, or in general more flexibility at work could have an associated impact on your salary? Does being in the office less necessarily equate to a reduction in salary? Perhaps you'd look at flexibility somewhat differently if it did?

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Dear Great Almighty Oracle ... :)

I am a Senior (corporate and packaging) Designer in Amsterdam and am trying to find out any information or statistics on design salaries here in The Netherlands. Can you help or point me in the right direction?

Kind regards,
Luke

The Aquent Oracle says ...

Your timing couldn't be better, Luke!

Aquent has just released the 2008-2009 edition of The Aquent Orange Book. Now in its fifth year, The Aquent Orange Book is the most comprehensive salary survey and industry monitor for the marketing, communications and creative industries.

Internationally,The Aquent Orange Book covers the following categories, among others: creative, design, digital, advertising, marketing, market research, MICE, publishing, editorial, media, PR and communications.

The report covers 15 countries across Australia and New Zealand, Asia, China, Japan, the United Kingdom and Europe, and was supported and endorsed by 38 marketing, communications and creative industry associations - including Beroepsorgan in The Netherlands which would be of particular interest to you, Luke.

If you would like advice on salaries or the opportunity to look through The Aquent Orange Book, feel free to contact the Aquent office nearest to you.

Image: Cover of the European Edition 2008-2009 of The Aquent Orange Book designed in the UK by Playne Design Limited.

This is the age-old question ...

You are super keen to find a new job and you decide to register with a recruitment agency. The recruiter you meet with asks you not to register with any other staffing agency, saying something along the lines of "leave it to us ... we'll find you the perfect role".

You feel caught between a rock and a hard place since you really do trust the agent you have met with, but the thought of him or her not finding you a new job is niggling at the back of your mind. You assume that if you would register with several agencies then your chances of finding that new role would increase exponentially.

Believe it or not this is not necessarily the case.

If a recruiter knows that you have sent your résumé all over town, then they are less likely to focus on your job search, and instead will be more proactive finding a role for a candidate who has given them at least a period of exclusivity.

Just food for thought ...

Image courtesy of: allen shore

Dear Aquent Oracle ...

What do you foresee as being the next best job skill to have as far as programs go? Is it 3D? Is it web? Is print even still alive?

The Aquent Oracle says

When I first read your question and asked a friend of mine who works in the design space what he thought, the first thing he said to me was "Can an e-newsletter ever be delivered to your post box"? I suppose this means that print is very much still alive. There are several studies that reveal that having something tangible to hold, read or flick through can often outweigh the user experience of visualising something online and on screen - this obviously depends on the demographic of the user.

In terms of the trend, there will still be a need for separate print and interactive designers as both areas still require specific technical skills. Merging these two areas would be seen to dilute the users' skill sets making them less specialised in their chosen field.

On the program front, there is an ever increasing demand for online and interactive usage. With the recent release of Adobe CS4 designers now have the ability to design for print and export the file for interactive usage, for example in Flash or After Effects (very highly sought after with the growth of rich media in the online space).

I also recently overheard a conversation where a digital guru was explaining that 3D will start reducing the cost of advertising and the need to shoot television commercials at exotic locations since these days so much can be created in 3D.

So if digital or web is the path you want to pursue, go for it! But if you are worried about whether or not print is still alive ... never fear ... print's still here!

Image courtesy of: VinCross

I am the first to admit that I am a total laggard when it comes to the digital world. I recently overheard one of my colleagues in the office on the phone talking about wireframes and information architecture, so when she hung up I casually asked "are you renovating your place?"! I won't even begin to explain the strange look she gave me. It turns out she was simply briefing one of her candidates on a potential job opportunity!

OK so I clearly have a lot to learn ...

But I then started to question my colleague on what the role was that she had been briefing the candidate about, and the conversation took on a entirely new direction as we started to discuss how candidates who want to be taken seriously in the digital world really need to up their skills.

It appears that there are far too many people (both employers and candidates alike) who are simply placing the word "digital" in front of a job title in an attempt to keep up with the times. Who would have thought a Digital Production Manager could simply be a glorified term to describe an Office Manager? Apparently it's quite the trend!

Whilst it may seem like I am stating the obvious, if you are a talent in the digital space looking for a new role, you can't expect to find a job (or even make it through the interview process) without having an online portfolio clearing demonstrating your web skills - or at least having urls listed in your CV with links to your work that highlight your hands-on digital experience.

If you want to stand out as a digital specialist, you will need to keep up with all the advances in technology by reading industry newsletters or perhaps even signing up for some courses - the content of which are always being updated.

There's a great deal of information out there, and as I think of some more career tips or pointers for the digital space, I will share them with you ...

Just as an aside ... as I walked away from her desk, my colleague suggested that I check out webopedia if I really wanted to get my head around some of the terms being thrown around in the interactive space. All I can say is that I then became even more confused when I came across supposedly the latest buzz words including sockstress and Longhorn!

I have a long way to go!

Image courtesy of: urbanbicyclist

Dear Aquent Oracle ...

I am a couple years out of Business School and I guess it could be said that I am a 'contractor' who has worked for over a dozen companies in the Columbus area. Many of these roles have not been marketing related per se, and came about through ad hoc staffing agency placements. I am really trying to get into a marketing career, but I now have to figure out a way to sell my non-marketing, and short-term, at times random experience.

How do I best capture this on a résumé, and explain it during an interview?

The Aquent Oracle says

Dear Columbus Contractor ...

You mention that many of your previous contracting roles were not marketing related. Am I to assume that therefore a even a few of them were within the marketing space? Marketing is certainly a very broad area and you need to really think about where you want to end up. Did you study any marketing-related subjects at Business School? Have you been exposed to a marketing team - even within an administrative capacity?

During a job interview you are going to really have to demonstrate your enthusiasm for wanting to work within marketing - and back up your passion with any previous exposure (whether it be from during your studies or your short-term contracts) you have had to the discipline. Your motivation and eagerness to work in marketing along with the right attitude will certainly go a long way and can hold a great deal of weight at a job interview. It's not all about what marketing skills and previous experience you can bring to the table.

However expressing your passion and motivation on paper in a résumé is not quite as easy to do - especially in the United States where it is suggested that a résumé is restricted to one page. This is where you really need to think about your University subjects, papers you may have written, work experience you may have undertaken, workshops you may have attended, or associations with which you may be affiliated - anything that will align you to the marketing space - and ensure it is clearly documented within your résumé.

You will also need to appreciate that you may not land the ideal job within marketing immediately. Applying for a role as a Marketing Associate or a Marketing Co-ordinator is more realistic than applying for a role as a Marketing Executive or Marketing Manager. For anyone a few years out of Business School it's still about getting your foot in the right door - and this is certainly possible for you as you have been exposed to different organisations as part of your contracting experience.

So ensure you are passionate about what you want to do, be able to articulate why you want to work in marketing, and have all the evidence on hand to back yourself up.

Image courtesy of: Nadiah Sabry

A record rise in unemployment in the United Kingdom in recent months has been a cause for concern for not only the permanent but also the freelance market with talk of businesses 'tightening their belts' and the cost of contractors coming under the proverbial spotlight.

With this in mind it's time for freelancers working in any market (not just the UK) to really shine and step up.

I recently asked some of my key clients and talent what their top tips are on standing out from the crowd in what is now becoming a highly competitive freelance market.

"It's all about having a good attitude and being professional. Boring I know but it's back to basics," says Joe, Head of Resource Management for an award-winning global digital marketing agency.

"The freelancers that have come in and wowed us have a proactive approach, passion about what they do and how they can help us. They want to work with us and enjoy it and want to come back, even when it's tough for a few weeks, so they work hard for us and we recognise that."

Highly sought after lifestyle and fashion copywriter, Lucy, elaborates on Joe's sentiments ...

"It may sound obvious but I think it's really important to give your absolute all to the client. Dedicate yourself completely to the task at hand when you're on a job. Personal e-mails and phone calls are for lunchtimes or after work".

Lucy continues with some good advice ... "Keep in with your contacts, ask how their children are or how a certain project went. Remembering, and asking, about specific details will get you noticed and you can never go wrong with the personal touch."

With more than ten years experience as a senior freelance copywriter, Aran prides himself on his ability to become absorbed in the assignment and pick things up quickly ...

"You have to become an instant expert. You can ask me anything you like about becoming a McDonald's franchisee, EMC's storage area networks or a local energy-from-waste power station! Get my drift? You need to force yourself to be interested in every brief and its subject."

And Aran's proven ability to secure ongoing freelance work is backed up by his advice that "if you're invited out to lunch or for after-work drinks, go. Cancel your plans and go and bond!."

Mary, a freelance content producer of five years who made herself so in-disposable that she was offered a permanent opportunity says explains that "a sense of humour and a willingness to join in with office banter goes a long way".

Like most clients, Head of Resource Management, Jo, predicts tough times ahead and is adamant it'll be as much about a candidate's attitude and approach as their skill-set to secure contract work.

She concludes: "I think we will start to see a change in the next few months and next year it will be all about being as good as your day rate and being able to prove your value to an agency. It will be more important to have that edge."

In conclusion Jo says, "We spend a lot of time making sure all our freelancers are on-boarded in the best way to get them settled and briefed in. So it's a two way relationship especially when the market is tough."

Whilst it's getting tough out there, as a professional freelancer this is your perfect opportunity to step up to the mark. But in order to do so if you are a freelancer and you want some additional tips on how to really stand out from the crowd, feel free to ask the Aquent Oracle

Image courtesy of: CAGZ

Illustration courtesy of: Steve Dixon

I am a senior account executive and I am really happy where I am working right now. Management recognises my work, my projects are all running well and there are constantly new challenges. I also just received a pay rise. My only complaint is that work can get overwhelming and requests to hire even one more person will fall on deaf ears.

Recently I have had another company "counter-offering" me (increasing what they initially offered because of my company's pay rise) and upping the stakes.

I feel really caught now because someone else is actually willing to pay me more to get me over to do a more specialised and official regional role with as many opportunities. I am comfortable where I am, but the question is, should I stay in my comfort zone or should I go?

The Aquent Oracle says ...

Dear senior account executive ...

It seems that your question in fact contains several sub-questions within it. Are you concerned about the possibility of new challenges in a new role? Perhaps it's the opportunity for exposure into a more specialised and regional position? Are you feeling overwhelmed due to the lack of team support? Are you afraid to step outside your comfort zone? Or is it really all about money?

From an outsider's point of view it appears that you are happy in your current role, so you need to ask yourself whether you would even be thinking about moving if your employer hired someone else to assist you. What you want to avoid is getting caught in a bidding war between your current employer and a potential suitor. This is still fairly easy to avoid as from what I can gather you haven't actually resigned from your job.

So you really need to take a step back and assess what is really luring you to think about another role right now. What prompted you to enter into discussions with the other firm in the first place? Would they really appreciate and recognise you more than your current employer? Please try to remember that the grass isn't always greener on the other side just because you may be earning more. Whatever you do, don't rush into anything. Be objective in your decision making ...

Image courtesy of: sean drellinger

Top journo and editorial freelancer, John Pinching shares his thoughts on a career as a freelancer following more than seven successful years working in temporary contracts ...

For the essence of freelancing look no further than the first syllable. If, already, you are struggling with this introduction, the syllable to which I refer is free. This, of course, indicates the sense you will have through not being a slave to any particular system, rather than what you will provide your services for.

There is a common misconception among the vast majority of people, that staying in one job endlessly, however much you may despise it, is somehow the honourable thing to do. Even for the most sceptical atheist there is an almost religious belief that slogging away thanklessly, repeatedly and, often depressingly, at the same company, earns the respect of a higher force - a faceless career God who assesses your CV on judgement day!

This, dear reader, is anachronistic propaganda, which, for many - too many - has been a professional rule to which one must subscribe. Of course it is complete and utter nonsense. The days of completing 40 years at the same establishment is largely a thing of the past. If it's a carriage clock* you aspire to, there are plenty at your local department store. In any case I have always found these items to be less than ornate.

Having addressed a few reasons why escaping 'security' might not be a bad idea, it may be wise to return to the subject of freelancing, or contracting, as it is otherwise known.

For the feint-hearted it is not.

In this profession you will be widely regarded - particularly by your parents - as not having a job at all. Prepare yourself for world-weary glances from your immediate family during 'rest' times. Rest assured, however, that we are in the company of actors and musicians during these enforced holidays - this is the entertainment profession after all!

When you find work it makes it all worthwhile and, because of the nature of freelancing, you will experience an enormous feeling of wellbeing several times a year.

Starting an assignment can be an interesting experience. Indeed, I prefer to file this under 'character building'. We all know what it's like when you start a job - those rather awkward introductions, during which you are forced to assume a fixed grin. Well, you'll have the pleasure of this activity many times. This, I can assure you, is much better than having to maintain non existent 'friendships' for the best part of four decades!

There will also, during these early exchanges, be an assumption that you know exactly how an IT system works and where all the appropriate files are kept. The fact that some regular staff recoil in shock when you don't know these company secrets remains a mystery. I can only advise that you remain philosophical about such behaviour.

Once settled and you have committed one or two of your colleagues names to memory (even if it's just the first letter) you will feel able to embark on your new responsibilities with gusto.

* A typical gift and permanent reminder of a member of staff having completed an inordinate amount of time in the same place.

Blog entry thanks to: John Pinching
Image 1: Photo of top journo and editorial freelancer John Pinching
Image 2 courtesy of: teain.mycup