Another fellow Creative emailed me a short while ago asking me my opinion on where and how a Graphic Designer should look for work. Since Creative temp agencies are clearly well-known to be a complete waste of our time, and the ads on CL aren’t any better, then what to do in this horrible job climate?

I have concluded that our industry (Creative) is flat-lined…..DEAD! Unfortunately, it’s been that way for a long time and I don’t see it getting better anytime soon. Not only are reputable businesses not hiring, the ones (not so reputable) that are hiring are offering ridiculously below market insulting wages, asking the world of skill and experience and willing to pay next to nothing in an effort to devalue our industry…..BIG TIME! This is completely unacceptable and why I as a professional Graphic Designer/Art Director (over 20 years experience) and professional photographer am seeking to change careers entirely.

I lost my full time gig 3-years ago (spent 10 years at my last full time gig) and have had only a handful of small projects since. I have worked steadily through recessions before as a freelancer and have even obtained full time positions, but not this time. Our industry is DEAD, plain and simple.

Now having said all this, I am still marketing myself, answering ads and cold-calling, cold emailing prospective employers. I send out thank you letters for the very few interviews I may get and I make follow up phone calls and, most importantly, I refuse to give into discouragement. Also, just as important, although I am willing to negotiate my fee and salary requirements WITHIN REASON, I refuse to allow myself to be taken advantage of and be low-balled by these sleaze-ball, sinking ship scumbag “businesses”.

What’s the answer for Creatives?? You can either retrain for another career, or continue to weather the storm and fight the battle to get that job and salary that you deserve for your hard-earned skills. If you choose to hang in there and fight, then don’t settle for less. Don’t work for free with the hope of false promises of “exposure”, “credit” “future pay” and other bullshit as such. Don’t allow yourself to be used as slave labor for $12 an hour (which isn’t even an entry-level wage for a student in this industry). Flag ads from this forum (which is just about all of them) from businesses that seek to exploit this recession and teach these scumbag “business” owners that they WILL get what they pay for, which is junk-looking amateur work for low pay.

Hang in there, stand your ground and don’t give up or settle for less. Keep trying.

thanks to the lovely Red Dodge for finding me & putting me on. i got to do my own layout too. check out Garage Magazine online.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajourneyroundmyskull/sets/72157623325108870/

some fine examples:

“Could you make my website fit a A4 paper? And please, no scrolling, visitors get confused when they have to scroll.”

“Can you give us another option for the front page? It’s not quite what we are looking for but aren’t sure of what we want either.”

“I want my website to look exactly like yours. That would be perfect. Except I want my own logo—exactly like this company’s.”

“These stock photos of Native Americans don’t look very Native American. Can we try Philippinos?”

“Well, I was hoping you wouldn’t just be interested in making money. I wanted you to understand how much you could learn from me, and how valuable that would be. That’s why I think $12/hr is a fair rate for you to produce the website. If you can’t work for this rate than you miss out.”