DISQUS

Daniel Schutzsmith · 10 months ago

Hey Stan, I hear ya. I've got almost 10 years in the web industry under my belt now. I started out as a web developer, then web designer, then project manager, then sales, and now I'm doing new business as my main forté and I love it.

Its sappy but I'd say that if this really is your passion then stick with it and keep going. My wife can attest to the long nights I used to spend learning CSS, PHP, studying proposals, doing client research, etc....

What I am saying is, yes these are tough times right now, but if you're working your ass off and giving it your all its gonna pay off in the end.

Get a good portfolio together. Collaborate with graphic design studios that might not have the web chops (i guarantee there is at least 20 around you that you could help like this), and in general, get your name out there.

To paraphrase Jeff Fisher at Logomotives.com, "If you don't toot your own horn, who's gonna?".

goldoneshow · 10 months ago

First off, harsh reality coming so watch out: you may not be as good as you think. If Aquent can't place you at freelance then something's wrong i.e. you may not be fast enough, your designs skills may not be that good especially since you went to school for info systems not design. That's one thing.
If I'm totally wrong then you're not looking in the right places like California for example. Cali has more web/digital people than just about anywhere else in the world. Look in smaller hotter markets like Atlanta, DC, Chicago, etc.
I can tell you right now digital is the only area of advertising that is still hiring so if you can't find a job in it, you're definitely not doing something right.
Good luck.

Wildside · 10 months ago

This is going to sound really basic, but Stan, do you have a portfolio?

Honestly, that's the first question. No one's going to hire you without one. And from hearing your backstory, I would suspect you don't.

If Starbucks pays your bills and give you the time to put together your book (or get it up to snuff), then that may actually be a route to go.

TheFounder · 10 months ago

**What's working for you :

you're going interactive
You're younger so you grew up with the internet

**What's NOT working for you
we're virtually in a depression...
you're in Michigan -- perhaps the highest unemployment rate in the nation
you might run into questions on "why were you let go" and stuff like that...

**for the future
I would strongly suggest that you brush up on php / mysql ... as this recession continues to move forward.. the high costs of Microsoft products are putting a damper on anything with the words "closed source" ... such as asp, aspx .. microsoft SQL ... you get the idea.


we're hiring like mad here.. but that's because we do mostly Social Media and SEO stuff... sort of high in demand now because of the lost cost high ROI for the client.

think of it this way... clients have MUCH smaller budgets... so big firms are going for what 2 years ago would have been a typical campaign for a mid sized firm... mid firms are doing what small firms have been doing 2 years ago.. smaller firms stopped advertising altogether for the most part.

Your next pitch for a job.. stress how you work hard to achieve a positive ROI for the client... and you think of that with every step of the design and development process....

Matthew · 10 months ago

The Founder--you're hiring like mad? Where? I'm all ears. Give us an email to send resume/portfolios to, and we'll flood your inbox!

cheers,
Matthew
eurokrafty@gmail.com

Steven Jacobs · 10 months ago

No sense in moving, unless you just hate the weather here in Detroit. The rest of the country has pretty much caught up with Detroit's poor economy and job opportunities really aren't all that much better elsewhere.

I was in the same situation as you back during the recession of 1990/1991. It's hard to get a job out of college when companies can hire someone else who is also out of work yet has ten years experience as is willing to accept roughly the same salary as you.

Just keep interviewing. Something will hit eventually. It may take a couple of years to land that dream job you want (as it did me), so be patient. Work at Starbucks or wherever to make the bills, keep trying, and party your nuts off. You're young. Enjoy the free time.

PS: Fuck Doner. I hear it blows to work there. I won't even interview there anymore.

Tom Cunniff · 10 months ago

Tough situation. But, good for Stan for looking for advice.

Here's some advice from an old guy who has reinvented himself a few times:

1) (How does) a recent college grad get a next job despite limited experience?" In this economy, limited experience will likely be a very tough sell. You'll be up against people with a LOT of experience who will be be willing to trade down in salary.

Fortunately, you can build experience without having a job. You can design for yourself. Better yet, volunteer to design sites for friends who need jobs. Even better still, volunteer to design for a pro-bono cause you care about.

This won't pay the rent, but it *will* build your skills and build your network. The more you design, the better you'll be and the more people who see your designs the more people who can tell their friends "I know this designer named Stan who's a great guy -- you should hire him".

2) How do you make those California dream jobs seem more realistic?

I wasn't clear from your question about whether you *want* to relocate or absolutely do NOT want to relocate. Maybe that's no accident. I think your first step is to get clear about this issue. If you definitely don't want to relocate, be clear about that. If you would, know exactly what circumstances would make that possible and be clear about that.

A lot of people think it's better to appear open-minded about relocation, but in reality it's being undecided. That's frustrating and confusing for everybody involved. The best way to get what you want, is to know what you want.

You're in a rough spot. What you have going for you is youth, energy and enthusiasm. My final advice is to make sure you do things that build your energy and enthusiasm and avoid things that diminish it.

You'll get through this, and you'll come out the other side of this challenge stronger than ever. Good luck.

Craig Elimeliah · 10 months ago

There are a number of digital agencies who would love to hire someone like you at a lower salary but with a chance to prove yourself! Forget the agencies, they wont get it, look to places like NYC's digital agency scene and you will find more luck,

shoot me an email ill steer you right... craig@freedomandpartners.com

Ben · 10 months ago

Uh. Let me emphasize that 'California's dream jobs' are being cut left and right. Not a good time to be seeking work in the second most expensive city in the US.

Ben · 10 months ago

*city* I mean 'state'

Lee · 10 months ago

How interesting. I too started my career at one of the major agencies in the Detroit area via Aquent just a couple years ago. And was also angling to get out of Michigan and left for San Francisco a little over a year ago. And finally landed in NYC late last year, partly part based on the theory that that's where I'd find the most interesting work. (Of course, this was all before the economic crisis, not after).

The approach I found to be most useful (and still is) is to be as aggressive as possible with developing your own skills. Within the context of doing that, the interesting projects, the portfolio-building opportunities, and the good jobs will be more forthcoming in presenting themselves.

Chuck · 10 months ago

If you are on Twitter, I would try to search out as many web professionals as you possibly can. Try LinkedIn as well. As many people as you can network with as possible to get information and stay in touch as your skills improve. Once things loosen up, I expect freelance to pick up. Get in touch with small shops that may be more likely to hire vs a large shop that will be leaning on its remaining staff hard. Networking in the key right now and not everyone will be as reticent to work with non-local people.

youcandoit · 10 months ago

if you're an aspiring interactive creative, there's really only one piece of advice: MAKE SHIT ALL THE TIME. interactive is one of the few remaining disciplines where a good idea done well can still get you a job; even if its not for a huge client, or any client at all. if you are a technical/developer, find a similarly struggling designer and burn the midnight oil making small projects. if you're a designer, find yourself a BFF developer.

i got into advertising in just this way. a partner and i made two not so good social networks, which got us significantly better freelance assignments, which landed me a great-but-not-perfect advertising job, which eventually led me to run an interactive creative department.

make iphone apps. make widgets. make stupid websites. start a blog and talk about work and why you like it. put small, but complete, projects under your belt, and then get your foot in the door somewhere. there are so many ways you can make yourself useful in the interactive & advertising world. it can be frustrating feeling like you have to learn design, conceptual art direction, and code, but really this part of the industry is all about finding the various puzzle pieces and putting them together.

scott · 10 months ago

Stan - First off I have issues with you saying your stuck in Michigan. good tag line but really you can move. remember Starbucks are on every corner - even in a recession. I would have to state that you need to concentrate on your core skill set. Which part of digital really lights your fire? Strategic planning, design, social media setups, actually coding the website or applications... open your horizon's past just advertising digital campaigns. just my two cents from a 12 year digital veteran.