The Creative Group is a specialized staffing service placing interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals with a variety of firms. For more information, including online job-hunting services and candidate portfolios, visit creativegroup.com. Follow The Creative Group at facebook.com/thecreativegroup or twitter.com/CreativeGroup.
Vacation season is upon us, but some creative professionals may be foregoing their R & R this year – whether due to personal finances, heavier workloads or both. In fact, 14 percent of advertising and marketing executives interviewed by The Creative Group said they anticipate taking less time off in the coming 12 months than they did the previous year.
Have you ever been excited to show a friend your new skinny jeans only to have the person say, “I was reading that wide-leg pants are really hot right now”? People like this – enemies disguised as friends – are known as “frenemies” and are common in life.
In fact, you may know them best from work. Unfortunately, few things can wreak havoc on your career like a colleague who seems friendly to your face and is anything but behind your back. What do you do when you discover a frenemy at your gate? Following are some tips:
Work-related stress is nothing new. But these days, stress in the office just might be nearing an all-time high. While many in-house creative departments are slowly adding headcount as the economy improves, many teams are still operating lean and having to take on heavier workloads.
Most creative professionals are familiar with the term career-limiting move – when you make a mistake so bad it jeopardizes your job, or even your career. While it’s true that some mistakes are difficult (if not impossible) to bounce back from, in many cases, most on-the-job gaffes can be smoothed over by taking the right action steps.
In a survey of in-house designers by The Creative Group, more than one-third of respondents said their company’s top creative leaders are “very respected” by other managers in the organization; and more than half said their leaders are “somewhat respected.” These findings speak to the increasing importance of creative leadership and the recognition that visual identity and design are crucial components of a company’s success.
For many creative professionals, particularly those who have taken on extra work during the downturn, an established routine can do wonders for maintaining on-the-job productivity. At the same time, sticking to the same schedule day after day and operating on autopilot, while comfortable, can lead to complacency.
If you manage a creative team, giving input on their work may feel like walking a tightrope: You don’t want to hurt feelings or crush spirits, yet you’re responsible for ensuring the final product is a success.
You might be a pro at spotting experienced talent, but what about when you’re hiring those fairly new to the work world? Employers are expected to hire 13.5 percent more college graduates in 2011 than they did in 2010, according to the most recent National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook survey.
Boost your marketability by adding a few in-demand skills to your repertoire. For example, being able to design eye-catching presentations with Keynote can increase your attractiveness to employers.
Communication is crucial for building a cohesive creative team – but it doesn’t always come easily, especially when you’re dealing with different personality types. Read about four personality types and tips for communicating effectively with each one in The Creative Group’s eZine.
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