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same
Mar 31, 2004

Seriously
Feel free to give advice and ask questions about Creative Careers or going to School/Art School in this thread.

Also feel free to post creative "full time" job openings (keep freelance stuff in the spec thread).

same fucked around with this message at 01:47 on Jul 19, 2007

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same
Mar 31, 2004

Seriously
My Brain to Yours: Chapter 1 - How the design of your resume can help you.

(reposted from GBS, but will be the first of many)

I apologize for my writing skills, I am an Art Director and Designer. If I had to write my way into dinner I would end up hungry many many days. I would also like to say everything I say is of course my opinion, but a good one I believe after working in this industry for many year. I hope everything I write to you will help you grow your skills and career.

This first article is geared not only toward the creative industry but to anybody with a resume. In fact this probably has helped more non creative people get a job, for the simple fact that many designers get their jobs based on a portfolio, and hardly every a resume. I rarely ever base my decision for hiring a designer based on their resume. The portfolio is what matters most, after that the resume just helps me to see if they are Jr. or Sr, their previous employers and maybe their interests, which do mean something for a designer. But for those in the non creative realm, a resume is your life line.

There have been many lists and websites created to assist you in creating a resume. A recent list that I found interesting can be found here.
How To Make An Impression w/ Your Resume in 30 Seconds
http://www.randsinrepose.com/archiv...and_a_hook.html
These are good things to adhere to as far as CONTENT goes.

Other websites then proceed to show how to layout your resume. Here is an example.
http://www.southworth.com/page.php?id=137

But even these so called templates have many flaws in them. This article will show you how to make your resume stand out by the design alone.

First off the one thing I want to let you know is by design, I am mainly referring to the "Layout" of a resume. Many designers try to stand out by creating a resume that has pictures, colors, logos and such. Many other people try to use Color Paper, fancy stupid fonts and more. I find these things more distracting than helpful. Some resumes that are designed with colors and graphics are nice and show a glimpse into an illustrators personality, etc. But if you do design your resume in this manner you better be drat sure it is really really good and have a reason behind it. AKA. Maybe an illustrators resume is all drawn. But it still better be awesome or it will come across cheesy. They also can be a big clue into how amateurish you are. Designing a resume in this manner is usually seen in younger people.

Now, how can a layout help you stand out? And also how can the layout I am about to show you help you stand out?

Well like I said before, the resume templates often are the same style... 1 page .. everything separated by a line or box, and above all, these layouts make it very hard to fit your information onto 1 page.

(a Bad resume layout)


I agree when people say, keep your resume on 1 page. I think the only time this does not apply is if you are a big time Boss with many years of experience and need to almost make your resume, an essay. But for the majority of us, 1 page is ideal.

So when I started out in this industry I had a resume like this. I found it very hard to fit everything on one page and I also hated the fact that my resume looked like everybody else's. I then started to design a resume using colors and logos the works. I took a step back and hated what I just did. It was over kill. I then spent the next few days figuring out how to make a resume work without making it a gimmick.

I finally figured the problem out by reading a newspaper one morning. The reason a newspaper has many columns is to break up the information for easy reading, pleasing to the eye and the ability to fit many different stories onto one page.

There was my answer. I then set out designing this template.

http://www.tofslie.com/dump/resumeexample.pdf

I applied the same reasoning to this design. I ordered things by importance to the reader. I laid everything out in a way that will not only make it incredibly easy for the end user to read, but in one fell swoop made it easy to fit all the information you need on 1 page, without making it seem like a huge wall of text. Sort of like the old homepage of Something Awful. It was great content, but many people including myself were turned off by it. You have no idea how many compliments I get on this layout.


I then set out to help my non designer friends graduating from college. They adapted this layout for their "resume" and resume classes a person takes their senior year. The first thing their teachers said was pretty much, this is stupid and doesn't look like a resume. My friends disagreed. I disagreed. It is common knowledge that many Professors are way out of touch with the real world. They may be book smart but are slow to change.

So off my friends went submitting their new resumes to companies. Everyone of them got a call back to many interviews. During the interview every single one of the bosses said a big reason they were called back was how the resume caught their eye in a good way, a professional way.

The bosses then went on to let every one of them know how the loved the layout of the resume and how easy it was to read it. They even said that it didn't look cluttered. Seeing a trend here? Did I sneak ahead and fill these bosses ears with this info? No, when you design an interface or layout in a very usable way, people will notice. They might not realize why it is easier and better, but they will notice. An example is the first time we used the Scroll Wheel on the ipod.

Well, there really is not much more I can say about this topic other than, buy using this layout or one similar, using the grid system and a newspaper type layout, you will have the edge on other the applicants without having to dip to the lows of using Bright Yellow paper or Fancy Fonts, colors and logos.

Anyway, I really encourage you to try this resume out and see what the people you submit it to say.

If you are not sure how to create a resume like this, I would consider using a program such as InDesign, Illustrator, Quark, etc., a page layout program. You can make this with word, but it is much harder to accomplish. Learning a page layout program can also really help you with your computer skills down the road. Also try and use a simple smaller font. Helvetica, Arial, Verdana. Or try this nice free font LACUNA http://www.glashaus-design.com/site/glashaus.html found on this site. t It is a bit narrower and will help with your formating. Also this font might work nicely too. http://typo3.org/teams/design/style...the-typo3-font/

Another thing you might not notice is that all my headers are lined up horizontally with another header. This really really helps with organization and cleanliness. Really try and keep your resume's content buckets and headers like this.


So, as you might have noticed this is Chapter 1 of... many.


Here are a few of the next chapters I will be posting on in the future:

2: The Mighty Portfolio - What to do and not to do.

3: Is art school or the traditional college art program/design program really worth it?

4. How do I get better at... whatever I am trying to do without floundering around. And how to get good at 1 thing and not sorta good at many things.

5: Now that you are in the industry, how do you advance your career?

6: Web Designer vs Web developer, the real truth.

7: ........ Ask away :) I am open to suggestions.

same
Mar 31, 2004

Seriously

Anal Wink posted:

I really love that 2 column resume design (and plan on using it or something like it next month at my school's career fair), but I do have one question. Is there any design reasons that the margin so big between the two? My first impression is that it's a lot of wasted space, but I'm just an armchair designer :shobon:


I think you could probably go a little bit wider, but leaving a good space between gives really good separation and makes your eye not wander between the two back and forth too much, not knowing what to read. This makes you pick a column and focus on it until you are ready to move on. Resting places and white space for your eye ..... is a godo thing

same
Mar 31, 2004

Seriously

The Iron Giant posted:

Mr. Tofslie,

I followed your advice in the first post about resume layout. My CV initially looked like one of the word templates (without the boxes, but everything left-flush). My best friend (Mac tech support) and my aunt (Human Resources) help me adjust the contents of the resume so that it would best showcase my graphic art experience in my previous employment. I then used InDesign to recreate your layout and to plug in my data.

I sent this resume to my best friend at her office. She had told a coworker that a friend was looking for graphic arts work, so the coworker asked for a copy of my resume. She called me later to say that her coworker hand-carried my resume into her boss's office. The supervisor also mentioned that it looked very impressive.

If this lands me a job, and they like my portfolio pieces, then I thank you in advance. I will give you credit for the inspiration if anyone asks.

PS: Your website is very impressive.

That's awesome man, I hope you get the job, keep us updated.

NOS482 posted:

I would like to see Chapter 2 of Same's post. I have been working on putting a portfolio together for about 3 months picking though projects and jobs and would love to hear exactly what an art director would be looking for.

Sorry, been so busy lately, will try and get to it soon.

same
Mar 31, 2004

Seriously

Corky Kraptrucker posted:

I find myself trying to figure my life out and am rapidly coming to the conclusion that I should have gotten into art like I told myself I would my whole life before I chickened out and decided to major in English (I'm 19 and a Sophomore). However, I really don't know a ton about any schools. I'm very interested in illustration and animation and I kind of want something on the Northwest coast. The Art Institute of Seattle sends me stuff like twice a month, but I don't know how to go about judging an art schools quality. Is that an okay school? Will I end up a talentless and destitude hack if I go there? Can anyone recommend me some killer schools in that part of the country?


personally, I recommend going to a state school like WSU or U of W and enroll in their art program. You will have a better well rounded experience in college and you will pay instate tuition which usually is cheaper. Most art schools in my opinion are rip offs. Too much money for what you learn. Also, going to a state school like WSU, gives you the option to do a minor in English or Business.
Also, look into the WUE Program. http://wue.wiche.edu/ It is a program that my wife and many other students use. It allows you to go to other colleges in other states, like the University of Idaho or something, for instate prices.

Watch Art School Confidential, there is one line in there that rings true...
"what is the secret to becoming a great artist?"

Answer

"to be a great artist, you simply have to be a great artist"

After going to art school and design school, this is very true.

Some people work their rear end of and get nowhere and suck, some people dont lift a finger and become geniuses.

Think of art school as a way to channel and get your artist out of yourself. If you go to any decent art school, this will happen. You will start out rough, but you will see after the first year who will be good and who sucks.. and it is not because of the teachers, it is just a method of projects and advice to help you along your way.

But going to the best art school in the world is not going to help you become talented, it may help you get better, but it is not going to make you good, if that makes sense. Aka, some people who suck.. get sorta better than they were before but never really get good enough to land them a job. You either have it or you dont.... Art school just weeds people out and guides them.

Lost of people get good at what they do, a few become really good. But if you want to be a true artist there is no guarantee for a job or that people will like your work. That is why many artists learn illustration and graphic design, these are much much much better skills to find a job that pays decent.

same fucked around with this message at 06:41 on Sep 2, 2007

same
Mar 31, 2004

Seriously

Brother Michael posted:

I am a senior in college this year. I will be earning a degree in Economics, but my original degree was in Visual Communications. I changed to econ because I thought that I was not good enough to be a graphic designer, nor did I think that working for a small company would be the decision for me.

After having worked for a large corporation for about 2 years as an intern, I have decided that the grass is indeed NOT greener on the other side. In fact, I hate it. I remember working at my print shop internship that I had a few years ago and I miss it. I hate the idea of working for large company and being just a cog in a machine and doing horribly boring work (adding users all day to a Novell Network is not nearly as fun as working on design work).

I want to get back into the design world. I am not going to change my major this close to graduation. I guess how can I get into the design world when I don't have a degree in design or marketing and I don't have a portfolio? i know how to use a lot of the tools (like Adobe products, cameras, printers/presses) but I lack training and experience.

To be a designer, you really don't need to have a degree, but the one thing you must have, with or without a degree, is a good portfolio. Most agencies never really look at if a designer has a degree, only if their work is great.

So you really need to get some projects under your belt. Lots of people get started in this industry by just doing design favors for friends... and build a portfolio that way. Websites, Posters, Business cards etc.

I would definitely continue on the path you are on now, as you will need a job, but try and do this in your spare time, and try and get a good 10 pieces under your belt, ask advice along the way,,, get better each time.... then do some more... and update your portfolio with your best pieces, then you will be more likely to get a job.

same
Mar 31, 2004

Seriously
Looking for a Design Intern. Job is in Hood River, OR. Near Portland,OR

IT'S EVEN PAID!

email me if you want the glory

same
Mar 31, 2004

Seriously

Jabe posted:

Same, please give your thoughts about design email signature etiquette!

God, I really need to post here with my followups. Been so busy.

same
Mar 31, 2004

Seriously

mDJ posted:

I am in the same position except my parents won't support the Art Institute of San Diego or any Art Institute in general.. Its also around $120k for a BS degree. I will most likely end up going to a Cal-State school majoring in some art program. (CSU East Bay or CSU Channel Islands)

I came out of school with 15k in debt going to University of Idaho Art program.

I am doing just fine. It is not the college you go to, but how good you are and the natural talent you posses and how good the teachers are that push you. Honestly the people that do well are most of the time are not the ones that go to a fancy university (although there are few that help) but the ones that know how to learn on their own and push themselves. And honestly, natural talent plays a huge part. If you do not have the artistic blood in you somewhat, you probably won't do well no matter how hard you try. The best graphic designers usually are the ones that have had great talent in other fields, like drawing, architecture etc.

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same
Mar 31, 2004

Seriously
Looking for a very talented Sr. Designer to join my nike team

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