1. What exactly do you do?
- What field is your job in?
Design/Photography - What is your job title?
Graphic Designer, Photographer - Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for (size and general description of what type of organization it is)
I am a self-employed freelance graphic designer and photographer working from my home office.
- How long have you been employed in this position?
Since Fall of 2003. - How many hours do you work a week on average?
20 to 30 on an average week; 50 to 60 when deadlines are looming. - Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
20 to 30 on an average week; 50 to 60 when deadlines are looming. - Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
I specialize in providing affordable creative services to small companies; Typically, I will help a startup company with their logo, brand identity, website, and stationery. I also take on projects for larger companies that may involve creating a print ad or PowerPoint template. I supplement my design services with pet and portrait photography. I also shoot products and events.
- What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
25500 - What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
18000 - Please list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation, sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
I have health insurance through my husband's employer; since I freelance, I do not receive benefits. - Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
Freelancing is difficult; I set my rate at $50 per hour, but often lower my rate to help with small company budgets.
2. Work environment!
- Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
I miss the culture of being in an office. I was laid off from my job in 2002; at that company I was responsible for the holiday intra-office events. I work from home, but stay in constant contact with my clients. I like the one-on-one relationships I have with my clients, and have a friendly rapport with them - something you often don't get in an office setting. It's a trade-off, really.
- Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
- Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
- Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it
Since it's just me, I don't really have anyone with whom to collaborate! :)
- Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
- 4 Income
- 6 Work Environment - co-workers
- 7 Work Environment - supervisors
- 5 Benefits
- 3 Hours
- 2 Level of responsibility
- 1 The actual "work" you do at your job
- 8 Job Title
3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours?
- If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Work at a temp agency for a few years first, to get the feel of working on several different projects and in several different environments. Be part of a creative team, and gain collaborative experience before you strike out on your own. Being a creative designer is a talent, but you cannot ignore basic communication and collaboration skills!
- What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social skills, organization skills, technical skills)
Project organization, first and foremost; you will need to be comfortable working on many different projects at once, and you will have to track expenses and billing accordingly. Next, understand the needs of your clients; you will have to be very patient with people who are not skilled in knowing what to ask for, and you'll have to be even MORE patient with those who think they know exactly what they want, but actually don't. Be able to internalize several different personalities of your clients - you may work on vastly different projects, and will have to be comfortable taking a unique approach for each client. For instance, designing a website for a caterer is going to be a different experience than helping a baby-goods retailer with starting her business.
- Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Design and business skills. I highly recommend a college degree. I have a B.A. in English. - What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Be humble. Creativity is a highly subjective area of expertise, and design is part art and part science. Once you define your audience (I targeted small business owners), be prepared to learn new perspectives on your approach to working. Design is an always-evolving medium (as is photography), so you should never feel that you know everything!
4. How did you get your J-O-B
- How did you find your current job? (e.g. newspaper, internet, referral, etc.)
I always had side design projects while working my "real" job; when I was laid off, this was a natural progression. - What was the application process for your job? (e.g. submitted resume, paper application, electronic application, all, etc.)
Asking my husband for a shiny new Mac. :) - Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail? (e.g., number of interviews, who you interviewed with, group interview, individual interview, etc.)
n/a. - If you can remember, what questions were you asked at your interview?
n/a. - Is this the job / field you planned to work in?
Yes - If your job is in a different field from your original plan how did you get here? Explain (Plan can be from high school/college/post college/personal plan)
I was a writer in high school (yearbook) and college (newspaper, yearbook). I graduated college with a B.A. in English, and then decided that I had a lot of creativity stashed inside of me. I serendipitously found a job as a Communications Assistant at the University of Minnesota, and learned design basics while on the job. In 1996 we moved to Boston, and I became a print production temp at MacTemps. I received on-the-job training in design, which led to a job with a consulting company from 1999-2002. Photography was always a side hobby that complemented my writing and my design. When I was laid off from the consulting company in 2002, I just began taking on projects, and started my design company in 2003.
5. Background: Are you qualified?
- Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Through MacTemps, I received training in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Quark XPress, and Macromedia FreeHand. I have self-taught myself Adobe InDesign, PowerPoint and Dreamweaver, and I am currently learning Adobe Flash. Training is essential to design and photography, as the work requires a thorough knowledge of the software used for projects. I took photojournalism courses in college, and even worked in the darkroom. - Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain
n/a - Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain
Yes! I have a B.A. in English (Communications minor). I believe that writing, photography, and design are all methods of communication designed to project a message to the intended audience. - If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare you for your job?
6. The Future and Beyond (FINAL SECTION)
- If someone were to observe you at work, what would he or she say is "fun" about your job?
The fact that I work in my pajamas and have cats on my desk. :) Seriously, though: the autonomy of being able to set my own hours and work wherever I want. I often joke that I can work anywhere in the world, as long as I have an internet connection to stay connected to my clients. In 2007 I was in the Caribbean, working from a porch balcony thanks to the resort wi-fi. - What is (are) the most fulfilling aspect(s) and least fulfilling aspect(s) of your current employment? (e.g. fiscal, spiritual, type of work, hours, commute, compensation, etc.)
The most fulfilling aspect of my design work is helping a small company establish a brand identity and get up and running. It's wonderful to see the response from people; I once designed a website for a feline veterinary clinic, and quadrupled their website traffic. Their customer base increased dramatically as well. The LEAST fulfilling aspect of my employment is the "feast or famine" nature of projects. Sometimes I can go weeks without anything to do! - Is your current employment part of your career plan? Why or why not?
Definitely. I am able to travel whenever my husband wants (he has five weeks' vacation), and I can fly South to help my mother when needed without taking days off work. This autonomy is wonderful for me. - What are your current career goals? (Can be broad or specific)
I want to publish a book, and I want to have an art gallery show of my photography. I also want to teach basic design or photography skills to others. - Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
Don't ever stop learning. With any career for which technology is an integral aspect of the job, you MUST dedicate yourself to pushing your own boundaries and learning new approaches and techniques. Never allow your skills to become stale, since design is a "hip" industry with many, many young designers entering the workforce every year.
7. A Day in the Life Of...
- 7 am - 8 am
Still asleep! (I have no commute) I might as well take this opportunity to mention that it's been very slow for me lately. I don't have any large deadlines, so this is NOT an average day.... - 8 am - 9 am
Woke up at 8:30. Checking email and sucked into browsing the Internet for interesting news and stories of the day (and yes, I'll admit to being addicted to CuteOverload, LOLCats, and Scrabble on Facebook). Munch on a bowl of Froot-Loops, since I don't feel like having a bagel today. - 9 am - 10 am
Going through my email, answering emails that require a response, and tending to any actionable items. Today, I'm adding a "Zagat Rated" banner to a caterer's website, and making some edits and additions to an activist's website. Send two versions of an EPS file to a client who needs to create a sign. - 10 am - 11 am
Personal stuff: my cat is in the hospital for a thyroid treatment, and I discuss a few options with the veterinarian. Then I clean up the kitchen, finish up the dishes from last night. Print out some emails to cross-check edits. - 11 am - 12 am
Work on my photography portfolio, since I have nothing pressing at the moment. A friend calls with questions about Pantone colors; I take her through steps to identify colors in a logo she is working on. Around 11:45, I fix lunch for me and my husband. - 12 am - 1 pm
- 1 pm - 2 pm
Errand time: off to Toyota to have my Prius checked. Use Toyota's wi-fi to chat with a client about updating her website. Check through my to-do list. On the way home, pick up birthday cards, buy groceries, and get ice cream. - 2 pm - 3 pm
Working. Retouching photos from a photoshoot last weekend with a Presa Canaria Mastiff. Create a tradeshow banner for a client who runs a farm; send over a PDF of the file for approval, and upload the final file to my FTP server. Once that's finished, post two of the Mastiff photos to my photoblog. - 3 pm - 4 pm
Personal stuff: my cat is in the hospital for a thyroid treatment, and I discuss a few options with the veterinarian. Then I clean up the kitchen, finish up the dishes from last night. Print out some emails to cross-check edits. - 4 pm - 5 pm
Check emails; nothing urgent. Begin setting up a 2009 calendar for a rescue organization; I have had nine photo shoots with various breeds of dogs, and will be setting up the file in InDesign to be printed in November. I then create a certificate for the House Rabbit Network's fundraiser in October; I'm donating a portrait session for their silent auction. I consider this advertising. - 5 pm - 6 pm
Send out an email to my activist client, instructing him on creating a slideshow for Flickr. Record a few expense receipts in my finance spreadsheet. Talk to a photography client on the phone about a new digital camera; she wants advice on what to get. Enter a paid invoice on my spreadsheet. - 6 pm - 7 pm
More work on my photography portfolio, then we go out to eat dinner. - 7 pm - 8 pm
Dinner out. Talking about the current political circus and the economy. - 8 pm - 9 pm
Back home; check through email again, and see if I have anything in my schedule that needs my attention (there's nothing, because it's been very slow lately). Finish getting photos ready for my photography portfolio, and then play Scrabble for a while. - 9 pm - 10 pm
The client who needed the EPS files just wrote back; she needs edits to the files, which I take care of. I send the updated files back to her. - 10 pm - 11 pm
Go through some personal photos and read a magazine. Generally hanging out in the bedroom, away from my laptop. At 10:45, a quick check of email before The Daily Show comes on. - 11 pm - 12 pm
Watching The Daily Show and then some scary news about the economy and Sarah Palin. Then more Scrabble, and finally bedtime.