Placement - G . F Smith

Having struggled to secure a placement for some months now, I feel so relieved and happy to have confirmation of my attendance to G . F Smith for a full week of work experience. The relationships I have developed with employees of the paper merchant (Ben Watkinson, Jane Crowther, Steve Taylor) through industry engagement from this module assisted my securing of the placement, and I hope will lead to further professional relationships being established and perhaps additional contacts outside of G . F Smith.

The short placement will take place between the 21st and 25th May, during which time I will be shadowing and observing a range of workers across the paper merchant's Lockwood Street factory, in Hull.

As a designer with a focus on print-based and tactile design, paper is of great importance to my practice. It is something I have a passion for, in terms of its possibilities, and therefore I feel will be a great experience to see and understand more of what the company provide and do.

G . F Smith work with a range of high-end clients from the beauty, fashion and cosmetics sector, including Burberry, Mulberry, Glenfiddich, The White Company and Miller Harris amongst others. As a designer with aspirations to work for brands such as these, I am excited to learn more about the part G . F Smith play in the development of packaging, invites and collateral etc.

While the placement may be after the PPP submission deadline, I truly believe I tried my hardest to secure something before hand. I took all advice given in tutorials on board, explored a range of methodologies and strategies. It was important to me as a designer, and purely as an individual, to attend somewhere that was relevant to my practice, and not just a box ticking exercise. I believe G . F Smith fit this criteria, and I am most looking forward to the experience.

How to Email (almost) Anyone

• Google, Verbatim Search: Only shows results for exactly what you have searched.
• LinkedIn: Used to find employees of studios/agencies/designers etc. 
• Hunter.io: Finds any listed email address associated with searched website.
• Trial and Error: Most obvious addresses, e.g. name@company.com
• BCC Elimination: Variations of most obvious addresses, emails retuned are wrong etc.

Should no email be available, try the next best approach to making contact. This may be via social media, or through an alternative organisation associated with the person you desire to contact.

Points to Remember

• Context is key.
• Email should be used to establish contact, avoid back and forth.
• Be concise and to the point.
• Include a really clear ask.
• Make a reply easy.

Ey Up Glug Vs Ladies Wine & Design

Malin Persson is Global Development Manager for Glug HQ

Notes:

• 27 Years Old 
• Swedish 
• Graduated from Gothenburg High School in 2009
• Had no idea what she wanted to do.
• International Relations degree - Didn't enjoy it, quit - 'Meh.'
• Wanted to be creative.
• Relocated to Sydney in 2010.
• Billy Blue College of Design - Communication Design Foundation.
• Sydney was too far away.
• Moved back home in 2011.
• Still wanted to be creative - Anywhere but Sweden. 
• Moved to London to study Graphic Design at Ravensbourne.
• Realised she preferred production role.
• Found Glug - Community manager job role.
• Applied with no experience.
• Got the job.
• 2.5 years later - Global Development Manager.
• Doesn't have a job, has a 'mission.'

Advice

• If you want a job, do your homework.
• 'Oh Shits' are the shit.
• No one knows what they’re doing.
• Passion pressure.
• Adopt dreams.
• Do your research.
• What makes you tick - what feels like magic.
• What makes you stick - non negotiable.
• Who do you need around you? 
• Commercial context.
• LinkedIn.
• Don’t settle until you find your magic.
• How can we increase profit.
• Proximity Is power.
• Deliver dreams. 
• Eliminate fear. 
• Be daring. 
• Dare to ask about money.
• Date to ask about projects.
• Dare to ask about opportunities.
• Dare to be seen as serious.
• Start with google.
• Ask friends.
• Context leads to confidence.
• Be your own cheer leader.
• Give people the opportunity to place you in a box.
• Change routine.
• Perseverance. 
• Take control.
• Spot the opportunities.
• The future is freelance.
• Stay relevant.
• More yes, less No.

Cari Kirby is Marketing manager at 'Digital Amusements Agency' Team Cooper.

Notes

• Grew up Bala, North Wales - Wanted to get away.
• Didn’t know what she wanted to do.
• Studied Media and Politics at University, Northumbria.
• Met a boy - moved to Sheffield. 
• Still no clue what she wanted to do.
• Applied for random temp jobs.
• Landed a job as Account Executive at an agency in Sheffield. 
• Had a baby - Maternity leave.
• Returned to work 4 days a week after maternity leave.
• Had another baby.
• Struggle to balance life as a Mum and career.
• Lost confidence in self.
• Began Freelancing. 
• Found part time flexibly job at Team Cooper
• They were looking for ‘her.’
• Flexibility/Flexible working can improve staff retention and overall productivity in the workplace.

Advice

• Make life work for you.
• Flexibility is the future.
• Reach out.
• Have a network of people.
• You can’t be who you can’t see.
• Speak out.
• Talk about feelings.
• Can we have it all? Yes

Olivia Downing is a Copywriter at a Manchester-based advertising agency, associate Lecturer in Advertising at UCLAN, and Founder of CIA - Chicks in Advertising.

Notes

• Talk on 'How to get lucky.'
• Used to be a stand-up comedian in Paris for two years.
• Became a copywriter for ad agency. 
• UCLAN Lecturer on Mondays.
• Problem with luck/ 'You're so lucky.'
• Not luck, actually result of hard work.

Advice

• You can sleep when you’re dead.
• Find time to do what you want.
• Have empathy.
• Words are less important than being able to relate.
• Work has a person at the end of it.
• What’s the worst that can happen?
• Fight the fear and do it anyway.
• Be more Han (Do more things solo).
• It’s okay not to be okay.
• It’s not all roses all the time.
• Don’t wait for the change be it.
• Be a crazy one.

Ellen ling is a Creative Copywriter at Love Creative in Manchester.

Notes:

• From Harrow on the Hill.
• Went to drama school in Scotland (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland).
• Performance art act 'I'm Not her Sidekick.'
• Graduated in niche subject.
• Moved back home.
• Shop Manager in Camden.
• Was 'all of the fucked.'
• Did unpaid internships 6 months.
• Got admin role in agency for 4 months.
• Found job at D&AD - Production Assistant for New Blood Awards (3 Months).
• Awards Executive at D&AD (4 Months).
• New Blood Content and Social ( 1 year).
• Loved writing.
• Spoke to copywriters.
• Built portfolio.
• Met a man. 
• Moved to Manchester.
• Got Job at Love Creative. 

Advice

• Survive your experiences.
• Flip the switch.
• Be the hungry talent in a starving industry.
• If you’re not hearing different viewpoints, think alarm bells.
• Royally fuck it up.
• You learn by failing.
• Make good shit.
• Think your way out of it. 
• Everything is about solving problems. 
• Detective work - every brief is a case to solve.
• Listen to your gut instinct.
• Work out who you are - Be that.
• Don’t grow a wishbone where your backbone should be.
• Say what you mean, Mean what you say.
• Be less credited in something way better.
• Be the dumbest person in the room 
• Everyone will always show their best side.

Career Track Tuesday: Recruiting Creative Graduates

Tonight I attended a workshop on the recruitment of creative graduates, featuring Clare Gillen of Asda/George Home & Ross Featherston of Zeal. They discussed how their respective employers recruit creative graduates, including the media they use, the interview formats, the questions they ask, the criteria for inviting candidates to interview, the mistakes candidates make, the differences between successful and unsuccessful candidates, and the core skills they seek.

Claire Gillen

Claire Gillen is Design Manager for George Homeware at supermarket Asda. She graduated with a degree in 3D design (lighting, furniture, tableware etc.) before freelancing in the printed textiles sector, with clients including Next,  M&S, and Wilko.

Different retailers & developers of homeware work in partnership with buyers. At George/Asda Home, the design team carry out four trend presentations per year, typically for each season. Competitor research becomes very important as in the retail sector it can be a hard sell and you must ensure that the idea will sell, meaning it has to be approved by a senior team prior to production and distribution. Ideas must be well informed.

Claire describes the job as fun, challenging and fast paced.There are 9 designers on the design team, and while each designer is responsible for their own designs, the team do at times work together and support one another. 

There is usually 4 stage recruitment process at George/Asda Home.

Design graduates would to apply for a design assistant role. Designers at Asda Home/George typically go to new designers exhibitions and showcases to find new designers. Alternatively, they offer placements which can in some cases turn in to a permanent position once graduated. Jobs at Asda Home/George are also listen on job sites and the company's career page on their website. 

Advice

• Make your portfolio impactful and memorable.
• Have confidence.
• Do research on your potential employer.
• Have different versions of your portfolio, tailored to role being applied to.
• Have a commercial awareness.

Zeal are a full service digital and creative agency. Having graduated 15 years ago with a degree in New Media Production, Ross Featherston is now the Head of Development at Zeal. 

Advice

• Be quick to adapt and learn.
• Be confident.
• Beware of your ego.
• You can never stop learning.
• Be eager to learn.
• Clients can be wrong, but so can you.
• You have to be diplomatic and resilient.

Portfolio Tips

• Quality over quantity.
• Show what you did & why you did it.
• Tailor to job being applied to.
• Show ability in problem solving.
• Know your client base, make it clear
• You will be Googled by employers.

Career Track Tuesdays: Professionalism

Tonight I attended a workshop on Professionalism, facilitated by Cliff Sewell, a recruitment practitioner with the fundamental belief that 'there is more to life than work.' Cliff gave advice on the transition between student and professional life, highlighting the boundaries between personal and professional life, exploring adjustments to conversations, clothes, punctuality and responsiveness, as well as suggesting areas of knowledge to develop. Cliff has recently founded his own recruitment agency, 15ten15 recruitment.

Notes

Pathways to Employment

• Job Boards
• LinkedIn
• Graduate Schemes
• Training Schemes
• Direct Company Approach
• Career Sites
• Social Media

Knowing what you would like to do will help in determining what path is best for you to go down, and to achieve what it is that you are striving for.

The Process

1. Student/Undergraduate
2. Research
3. Application 
4. Interview Prep
5. The Interview
6. The Follow Up
7. Successful or Unsuccessful

Advice

When applying for a job, there are certain steps one can take to gain an advantage over other applicants and 'get on the radar.' Tips include:

• Find out as much information as possible about the recruiter/company posting the job.
• Call the advertiser of the job. This may be found on LinkedIn, or other job-posting site. 
• Ask the receptionist's name and ask them to pass on a message to the employer. 
• Practice what you are going to say.
• Practice questions.
• Plan for all eventualities/multiple scenarios.
• Follow up any/all conversations with an email, give thanks for taking call.

Question Examples

Some good questions to ask potential employers. Remember, don't try to sell yourself on the phone.

• What are you looking for in a candidate?
• What is the interview process?
• What does the future look like for 'x'?
• What is your client base like?
• What are your goals within your sector?

Interview Preparation

• Visit the place, observe employees coming and going, see dress code etc.
• Check the weather for the day of your interview.
• Make sure that you arrive early and prepared, at least an hour before it starts (Don't go in early).
• Research the recruiter and the business.
• Check the parking situation.
• Google/LinkedIn search the interviewer.
• Make notes, write down questions.
• Learn the business' numbers/accounts.

Interview Tips

• Show interest.
• Dress smartly, always wear shirt and tie.
• The receptionist will always have the final say - make a point to introduce yourself and be polite. Address them by name.
• Remain composed.
• Be humble, show humility.
• If you don't know an answer to a question, don't pretend to know the answer - just say you don't know.
• Show willingness to learn.
• Never ask about pay at the first interview, unless mentioned by employer.
• Ask questions throughout.

Question Examples

• What's the culture like?
• Tell me about you, what do you enjoy about your job?
• What are the plans for the company?
• Clients?
• What's important to you as a business?
• What does day one look like?
• Why is this job position open?

 Additional Tips

• Find out about the customers and competitors of the business.
• NEVER ask about holidays or working hours (first interview).
• Take time leaving the interview.
• Thank interviewer for time.
• Ask for contact details/business card
• Make sure you follow-up ASAP.
• Say 'If you offer me the job, I'll take it.'
• As you leave the building, remember to say bye to the receptionist.

Points to Remember

• Think, act and look like a professional.
• People buy in to people.
• Appreciate the employers decision.
• Acknowledge openness to future rolls/opportunities.
• Working pace is FAST.

Cliff's workshop has undoubtedly given me invaluable knowledge and advice on how to approach the job application process and as a result I feel much more confident about applying for jobs post-graduation.