We’re not talking about jawbreakers or chocolate bars but our sweet Hot Jobs, featuring…
So call us today to load up on these and other creative, marketing and interactive job search goodies!
Posted in Creative, Hiring, Job Openings, Job Search Tip
Tagged boston creative jobs, Boston Jobs, copywriter, creative, designer, hot jobs, information architect, interactive, Job search, marketing, UX
Not feeling so creative today? Well that could be a problem…
Creatives are like athletes…when you’re on, you’re in great shape, and have amazing ideas that translate to amazing designs that your team and your clients love!
But when your game is off, it can be painful, and you can’t seem to get out of your own way. We’ve all experienced “designer’s block” when you just can’t create something that “wows.” And this feeling of walking through wet cement usually hits at the worst times (the deadline, the new consulting gig, etc.)
In addition to on-the-job designer’s block, creatives who haven’t flexed their design muscles for awhile (either being out of work or in a position where they’re not challenged) can get pretty out of shape. I ran across an interesting article in Smashing Magazine that discussed designing something every day as a way to boost your design skills. It made me think back to my high school art teacher who insisted that we do thumbnail sketches every single day to keep our drawing skills “in shape,” and she was right…it really did work to help me stay creatively fit and inspired.
Another way to get some inspiration is surfing (the web that is…or hanging ten is cool too!) Just as the pros check out the opposing team to sharpen their game day skills, creatives need to check other creatives’ work and websites they admire to get some fresh perspective.
In fact, you can start this weekend at National Portfolio Day
(yes, it’s a real thing), and it’s happening on Sunday, October 30th.
So as a creative, what’s your approach to staying in design shape and kicking that designer’s block to the curb?
Tagged creative, design skills, designer's block, ideas, inspired
Making the right career decision isn’t always easy, so we’re giving your game a competitive edge with this week’s featured Hot Jobs …
To learn more about these and other creative, marketing and interactive positions – simply give us a call!
Posted in Creative, Hiring, Job Openings
Tagged career, Communication, copywriter, hot jobs, job, marketing, projcect manager, style guide, UX Designer, writer
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy…”
The old adage can be true, especially for creative teams. Striking a balance between creativity and a business environment can be a challenge while designing and managing a team of creative professionals.
I visited a client recently, and was impressed by their team dynamics – working hard, but having some fun while doing it. You could sense the energy and camaraderie within the group. They worked well together as a team, but each individual played a key role with clearly defined responsibilities. In addition, the physical workspace had great casual and comfortable spaces to collaborate, and small perks including catered Friday morning breakfasts, lunchtime foosball games, and other fun props, gave team members opportunities to blow off some steam, bond with each other and actually develop some fresh creative ideas in the process. Seemed like a perfect balance of work and play, and a great recipe for a creative team design.
But designing an effective creative team while planning long-term management and growth strategies for a manager is not an easy feat. Those who “get it” are successful in hiring and retaining the best individuals to work cohesively as a team while balancing their left- and right-brain skills and work habits.
And it all starts with you…
Take a close look at yourself – to honestly assess your management strengths, weaknesses and overall style. You can’t design and manage an effective team without understanding yourself first.
The Environment – Creative teams are asked to create while under pressure to meet deadlines, meet financial restrictions in many cases, and then do it again for the next project. Is the environment and physical space conducive to collaboration but also one that can provide individual space? Think functionality, mobility and perhaps allowing each member to individualize their space. In the end it needs to be conducive to being there 5 days a week.
Work Schedules – The old 9-5 schedule may not be for everyone (if it even exists at all anymore.) Depending on your company’s policies, consider subtle shifts to schedules that accommodate staff and allow for maximum creativity while still working as an interconnected team.
Skills Development – Organizations are seeking creative professionals across all aspects of their creative teams who can effectively communicate with peers, clients, management, vendors and who can effectively articulate their thoughts and ideas. Encouraging the continuation of skills development – whether it’s a formal education perk your company provides or networking and industry-related seminars — can foster a “whole-brain” environment where creatives can create while successfully managing the business objectives at hand.
Career Path – When you build a team, you need to consider long-term strategies for each individual employee, but keep in mind that not everyone wants to move up or manage or take on more responsibility. Understanding your employees through regular communication and developing a mutual understanding of where you’d like to position them as well as where they see themselves within the organization long-term, can help you create a clear career path which is a great way to motivate while ensuring that everyone’s on the same page for success!
Posted in Creative, Design, Hiring
Tagged building, career path, creative team, design, manager
Nothing like Fall in New England — a great time of year for pumpkin patches, corn mazes and finding a great career opportunity.
Feeling lost?…We can help you find your way to a new career with our featured Hot Jobs including…
To learn more about this week’s featured jobs as well as other career opportunities in creative, marketing and interactive roles, simply give us a call!
Posted in Design, Hiring, Job Openings, Job Search Tip
Tagged career, designer, hot jobs, Interactive Brand Specialist, mobile, Producer, UX, Web Content
In today’s world of TV, web and mobile-based advertising, the use of print advertising (you know…newspapers and magazines) has been on the decline for quite some time. This leads me to my next thought. Is print advertising still a strong and viable ad medium?
Mercedes Benz seems to think so – and after checking out their recent campaign created by Shalmor Avnon Amichay/Y&R Interactive Tel Aviv, Israel, I can affirm.
The double page spreads beautifully illustrate how the experience of owning a luxury car draws on the ties between the analytical left side of the brain and the colorful, explosive right side. And the copy, which is carefully crafted to work with each illustration, can be viewed by clicking on the images.
In essence, Mercedes Benz is implying that they resemble the two sides of the brain – a combination of opposites that together create technological innovation.
Talk about sensory, interactive and memorable advertising…
Let us help you with your job search “To Do” list to stay on track to find that next great creative, marketing or interactive role.
Check out our Hot Jobs, including this week’s featured opportunities…
- Web Production
- Producer
- Brand Strategist
- Production Artist
Then connect with us to stay up to date on the latest jobs and news…
And of course, we’re always a phone call away, when you’re ready to learn more about these and other great opportunities!
Be inspired, educated and network.
CM Access is thrilled to partner with the In-House Agency Forum (IHAF) as one of the sponsors of their Annual Conference held in Norwood, MA October 7, 20011!
The IHAF Annual Conference, Achieving Functional Excellence will feature industry experts along with a series of break-out sessions focused on best practices across the most common in-house agency functions: Account Service, Creative, Media, Production and Traffic.
Come out and join the 125-150 in-house agency executives, marketing managers and other creative contributors as they learn about functional excellence, the dependencies that exist across agency functions and how they can boost performance across their in-house team.
We’d love to see you there!
When:
Friday, October 7, 2011
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. EDT
Where:
Four Points Sheraton, Norwood, MA
Directions
Posted in Creative, Design, Interactive, Marketing, Networking
Tagged creative, IHAF, In-House Agencies, marketing, Media, networking, Production
It’s October, and the trees are just starting to show hints of fall color. We can’t help but think how a change of seasons can be the perfect time to change your job search strategies. And it all starts here!
It’s a great time of year to find that perfect creative, marketing or interactive role you’ve been looking for. Everyone is settled in from the post-summer routines, and we’re not in the end-of-year/holiday frenzy just yet.
We have some exciting featured Hot Jobs this week including…
Give us a call! We’re ready to help you “fall” into a new career (sorry, just couldn’t resist!)
Posted in Creative, Design, Interactive, Job Openings, Marketing
Tagged account services, career, creative, fall, hot jobs, interactive, marketing, project manager, web designer
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