What do you do to best represent you?

Quick note: I initially wrote this as a submission to another site that was asking people to contribute their thoughts behind the idea of non-graphic (i.e. account management) professionals having a portfolio. At the time, I was still searching for work and put together the post below. However, I didn’t complete the write up in time to be considered, as the site had already selected the post to publish. Given that it’s been over 7 months since I wrote this, I figured it would be OK to publish on my site, with some minor edits. With that being said, here are my thoughts on the subject of having a portfolio.

I suppose the very people who are going to overlook this post are the very people that this is being written for. If you’re a Graphic/Print/Web designer, then this post isn’t really for you, because you already (or should already) know the reasons why you should have one. For everyone else who was not previously mentioned, please follow along.

During the course of working in various advertising agencies, in-house departments and everything in-between, you more than likely worked on a slew of projects that are behind closed doors and locked cages. You contributed blood, sweat and tears into new branding concepts and advertising campaigns, only to lock them down behind barred walls for others to view as they pass by. And you move on as the next new beast comes into your zoo. This cycle continues to repeat itself. Each time some new design was completed and approved that designer(s) quickly took a snapshot for him/herself, because they knew what it meant: Another proof of their mastery and skill. Another proof of their contribution and completed work in taming the beast that was your project. But my question to you is: what about you?

You also contributed to finished designs and helped to guide the final product as well. When you saw something that was amiss, you pointed it out. When a proof was provided to you that didn’t fit with the client’s objectives, you asked for it to be re-done. Yet, as Account Managers/Executives, Proofreaders, Traffickers and etc… why haven’t you also considered sponging a copy for yourself. There are elements of you in that finished layout and it is evidence of your advertising identity.

A portfolio is not only for our better halves (i.e. graphic designers). It’s also for you and I.

Portfolios should show your greatest hits, just like an iPod plays your favorite music. What you put in it represents your style and ability to manage a project to completion. It reflects a commitment to ensure the final piece is accurate and that it was approved as having met the need of the client that it was produced for. It is your history, just as much as it is the person who actually did the design work. When you’re in the interview and the question comes up, “What was the last project you worked on and how did it turn out?”, wouldn’t it be nice to say, “Here, let me show you and explain how it was utilized”. When a client asks for the previous work you’ve done, so that they can discern the truth in your representation of being the best person they should let manage their advertising projects, do you really want to have an empty bag to present your past accomplishments? Even though I have only worked for a few years in this industry, each time that I went out on an interview, I had my portfolio with me. Sure it is short and it doesn’t reflect every bit of work or projects that I’ve been a part of, but it reflects what I consider the very best of my contribution to each of the projects that I am showcasing.

Further, your portfolio is a conversation starter and if presented right, can be very engaging. At the very least, you have the opportunity to deter the enormous amount of questions that are waiting to come your way, while you break down the ice in your interview. It’s a yielding moment that the interviewer provides to you, which allows you to gain more comfort with presenting your past hits and it’s in that moment that you can calm yourself for the remainder of the interview. Nothing is easier, then to discuss past projects as you flip through the pages of your previous work, because, at the heart of it all, you are talking about yourself.

Essentially, a portfolio maintains your zoo.

Stop leaving your successes behind.

Take your snapshots of the tamed projects of your past and lean on them once more to champion you through to that next beast of a project from a client and/or career opportunity.

——-@ds

The title says it all. I have a small notebook and in it contains a few of my ideas. Most of the time, I tend to intimately consider things I’d like to create or endeavors I’d like to make, but I hardly ever write them down. Rather, I store them in my mind and recall them as needed. However, I have kept coming back to an idea that I’ve had for a while. I contacted the owner of Please Feed The Animals, Erik Proulx, and asked him for his advice on how best to present one’s idea on the web to share with the larger community, but to also protect it from those who may have better resources to implement a potentially good endeavor. His reply, and this is paraphrasing at best, was that far too often many people keep great ideas locked away in notebooks that never see the light of day. This one statement was the one thing I needed to hear.  Since then, I’ve added a few more thoughts to the idea; talked to a few more people about it and have committed to writing it out and posting it on my blog site.

I can’t quite state when the post will happen, but it will. I may very well wait until I can transition this blog off of WordPress’ hosting site and onto my own self-hosting service, and let that be the first new post of my new, self-owned/contained, blog site. Either way, the time is ticking and one of the crucial elements will be to find a few people that have the resources needed to accomplish the goal of this idea. This is just one post to get the ball rolling…

——-@ds

It has been about 3 weeks since my last post, but I am happy to report that I am working again, at least on a temporary assignment. I’ve been re-employed at my former company that I was initially laid off from. I am back in my previous department, but in a new role. As I’ve told those close to me, I’m very happy for the reprieve, even if there is an end date. This all came about on the 3rd of August. That day I had to fill out all the paper work and fax/email it back to the company. By Wednesday, I had to accept and sign the offer letter and take the mandatory drug test. And all of this was being rushed so I could start on the following Monday, August 10, which I did. It has also been an odd transition of getting back into the mindset of having a schedule to adhere to in order to get some sleep, wake up at a proper hour and get to work on time. After almost 10-months of sleeping whenever, waking up whenever and doing whatever-whenever; I am slowly coming around to this familiar, but re-enacted routine.

This past Friday, I received my first pay check, but only for the first week, because I had not completed a full two weeks yet. A former colleague of the company (and now friend), who worked out of another state and was also laid off (he has recently relocated to Orlando, FL working for another new, but soon to be great, company) told me about a month ago, about how good it felt to receive his first paycheck in such a long time. I have to echo those sentiments: it does feel really good. But, I have not let this positive turn deter me from my current goals and path. I still have every intention of paying off my car. This should happen, if everything goes as planned, in October. After this time, I should be saving more and planning what I will do once the job is set to end by December, 31st 2009. With everything that has happened since October 2008, I’m not ready to bank on anything beyond this being a temporary position for me. I’ll always keep an open mind as to the possibilities and make some, not so formal, plans should those possibilities become realized, but my consistent plan will always be on the reality of what currently “is”.

So, as of now, what becomes of my website: www.runningwithoutcondition.com? I will continue to post. The metaphor still applies in all aspects of my life, not just my goal (which is still not completed) of being permanently employed as full-time somewhere. I still have plans of transitioning this site off of WordPress’ servers and set up my own hosting site. I still have a number of drafts waiting to be completed. I think that I will probably start publishing my “spouting” posts anytime, but any of my longer posts will most likely be done during the weekend.

It’s strange how you take for granted receiving a paycheck every two weeks when you are working.

I also want to thank JRM. You know who you are and I appreciate what you did.

——-@ds

Making different decisions when the madness of who I am is clouded by what I am used to?

Making different decisions when the madness of who I am is clouded by what I am used to?

Change is a fickle concept. Far too often we entrap ourselves in the embodiment of our created security and ego. Sure, we can make different decisions about the food that we eat from day to day, or the people we’ll talk with from one moment to the next, but what about when real change is needed? When at the crux of continuing down a familiar and constant trail that is potentially leading nowhere or embarking on an entirely unknown path, so unknown that you’re not even sure where to start; then how does one make different decisions when the madness of who they are becomes clouded by what they are used to?

I am striving for change. I keep trying to do stuff that I am not normally used to doing in an effort to affect change in myself, my life and my perception. Maybe I am not doing enough, or maybe I, at times, end up over doing it. As I look back on the past 8 – 9 months that I’ve been laid off, I am questioning if I have really done anything truly different or not. I started my own personal blog and wrote about a few personal aspects of my life as well as the ambiguous nature of being unemployed for the first time. I have opened up to more people in my life who, only a few years ago, I more than likely would not have done so. I know that I had to also let some people in my life go. I felt they were more of a detriment to my progress. It’s not that I dislike them, but one can only have so much negativity in their life when things outside of that relationship also seem a bit negative. You can succumb to that way of thinking if you do not anchor yourself appropriately. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I stand firm that it was the right decision. Yet, letting people go in our lives is not something that is new to anyone. Sometimes it’s easy to point out the change needed in other people’s lives, but when it’s your face looking back at you, it is not something that’s easily done. I know that unless I do something drastic, it won’t take a drastic turn, but I don’t believe that type of urgency is needed. After all, it’s persistence that I am going for.

Given all of this, one can not have change without having a counterweight to that change. Something that still holds you steady and true. Right now, my “striving for change” is landing my next job/career opportunity. I have been putting a lot of focus on that. There has been a week here and there that I’ve said, “Screw it, I’m taking a break from all of this searching”. However, I am feeling like I am beating the proverbial dead horse over and over again, and not progressing anywhere. What I have failed to realize or take note of is the key issue of: balance. In failing to recognize this concept, I forgot about the fact that life looks for equilibrium. It’s a teetering effect, put too much weight on one side and everything comes tumbling down.

I have been ignoring it. Indirectly pursuing it. And overall stifling it.

There’s constant shifting in our lives and in the effect that our lives have on all things outside of our being due to, and in lack of, balance. Our shifts produce their own unique ripples that transcend and eclipse those created by others that you know, others that they know, and so on. In the end, there will be balance and we will find our own equilibrium in life. It just takes time and effort to get there. I haven’t been lacking in the time or the effort, but in balancing this out with the rest of my life. Lately, I’ve been venturing out more, rather then just staying in. I hid behind the veil of “trying to keep my expenses low” or “not having a purpose to go out”. The time for that has come to an end. It came to an end a while ago, and it’s only now that I’ve come to the point of writing about it.

What we do, how we do it and how we think manifests outside of us and if the external situation or that which surrounds us is the aspect that we want to change, then we have to bring the focus back on to ourselves in order to change our interaction with it. All the time I spent staying in for the reasons I convinced myself to do so, created an imbalance in my life. I prevented myself from engaging others and meeting new people, going out to get something as simple as fresh air, challenging myself to break past my insecurities and find entirely new experiences. When we allow ourselves to move past what we are used to, then that madness of being clouded in our own self-absorption begins to secede. And when that happens, then the change that we seek happens. But it only comes about with being in tandem with those new experiences and that, which we are seeking.

That, in itself, is balance.

——-@ds

**Elements of balance was originally included on a post of mine on my former Myspace blog, which has been fully removed, on March 28, 2008.  Edited and updated, July 22, 2009.

Roughly two months back, I registered a domain, Running Without Condition, for the very first time on my own. It wasn’t difficult, but this was my first step in setting up my own full-fledge website with a hosting company at some point in the future. The prompting of this was due to the fact that I love WordPress so much, that I want to be able to control it more on my own. When you’re using WordPress.com, it’s a great springboard for getting adjusted with the interface and the program for free. However, you begin to see that in its ease of use the .com version of WordPress is very linear (and for good reason), but if you want to get more out of WordPress, use it as a CMS (something that I want to do and learn from the experience of interaction and mucking around), or increase its functionality with the use of plugins; then you need to go the WordPress.org route.

Both routes are free, however, the WordPress.org version is completely controlled by the user and requires the user to have his/her own domain and server space. With all of that being said, I’ve been reading a lot since I registered my domain on how to install WordPress on my server and what I can potentially do with it when I am ready. Part of understanding that use is understanding how to increase its flexibility with the use of plugins. Plugins, in my view, are like constructing your own personal robot. You start with a base (that’s the wordpress.org installation) and then you start to think how you want to build your robot so that it can do what you want and how you want it to do it. This is where Plugins enter. They provide the functionality that you seek to increase WordPress (your robot) beyond its basic installation. 

I just came across another post about the use of WordPress plugins on Kikolani’s website. Her post, entitled, “WordPress Thesis Theme Customization Part Two: Plugins” speaks directly to the heart of using plugins with WordPress. Kikolani even provides some very useful plugins to start off with and short descriptions of what they do. If you have any interest in using WordPress and customizing it to your needs, then you should definitely take a moment to read her WordPress customization post. 

——-@ds

A month or so back, I was on Linkedin commenting on a topic that I had initially started and someone posted something of interest about job searching. The gentleman brought up a situation that had happened to him and in it, he proposed the idea of offering yourself for free to a company in exchange for either: being considered for a future position later; references to jobs that you are still applying and seeking, and/or the benefit of keeping your skills abreast with the changes in the work environment. I thought the idea had some potential usefulness.

I recently came back to this idea and thought, “why not”. During this time of being laid off and the countless applications for positions, networking through my contacts and etc… not one of the employers have found me worthy enough to hire. That’s been very frustrating, because I can’t recall a time in my life where I was unable to find a job for a stretch of time as long as it currently has been. There was only one time before that I was out of work for just about 3-months, but that was because my internship with Disney on their College Program came to an end. That has been the only other time that I have been remotely in a similar situation. And, yes, I know that many others are going through this and that it is not just me. But it is still frustrating, nonetheless.

With that being said, I reread the post on Linkedin that spoke about offering your services for free and I decided to give it a shot. I saw a job in my field that was asking for an intern for the summer with the *possibility* of being brought on. I thought, “What better an opportunity to offer myself to a place than one that is seeking an intern to begin with”.

A short time later I received the standard reply that my resume has been received and that it will be looked over to see if it meets their needs. I couldn’t believe that in offering myself for free, it didn’t even yield a phone interview. I’m hoping that I am actually being considered, sort of like I’m hoping on all the countless jobs I’ve applied to (of which some responses are just now coming in and they have all been “no” so far). I know that this wasn’t a no, but I have a lingering sensation that it was indeed a “no”. I think my jaw almost dropped. I just lifted it back up.

Am I not even good enough for free?

Really?

——-@ds

Addendum:

This won’t deter me; the mission continues…  

It’s been a while since an update, but I do not have anything enormous to note. I am and have still been searching for work. I had a few sparks here and there, but nothing solid. Beyond this, I have been giving honest consideration to two project ideas that I have had in development in my mind for a number of years now, but am at the juncture of which one I want to start first and commit to. Then it will be necessary to find a few people that would be interested in contributing to the project, in exchange for partnership in the business and its creation.

During the last month, or since my last post, I was house sitting for a friend for about 3 weeks and spent a lot of this time meeting with people I haven’t seen in a while and reflecting on some personal things. Some of the reflection was on the projects I’d like to start and also about what I will need to do should my unemployment run out (which is set to do so in October). A bit of concern on my end. I had hoped that I would not be out of work this long, but it appears that it is unfortunately leaning this way.

That’s about it for right now, just a minor update on the state of things. I should have another post soon, as I have about 3 different ones in the works, but they’re just not ready yet.

——-@ds

You want me smarter or dumber?

I’ve started thinking about the idea regarding dumbing one’s resume down. The idea behind this is for an individual to have a resume that employers wouldn’t see as being over qualified. I already have a personal pet peeve with the statement, “over qualified”. In my opinion, when I hear “over qualified” I immediately want to respond, “Then that means I am more than capable of handling the tasks of this position, so what’s the problem?” It is a poor, subjective reason to justify overlooking or deciding against an applicant, while providing no real reason for the decision. If I want to take and/or apply for a position that is a step or two lower then my skill set, shouldn’t that be my prerogative? And if it is, then why would anyone not consider someone simply on the basis of being more qualified for the position? I’m aware that many companies and hiring managers seem to have this belief that if they hire someone that is over qualified, then that means the individual is only using the job as a filler until they find another opportunity that is more complementary of their skill set. There’s also the second idea that the company believes they will have to pay more for the individual, but isn’t that part of what salary negotiating is about? I understand this line of thinking, but I also understand that it is not true in every case. When I apply for a position that I may be somewhat over qualified for, I’m actually looking at it as an opportunity to learn more in a specific area that the position addresses and use it as a means to enter a company to grow within. Isn’t this a fundamental idea behind career development and growth within a company?

When I look at my resume, I do not see how it is over qualified for any of the positions that I’ve applied for, but I have a heard a number of times now that this is the case. This has now led me to reconsider the content that is contained in my resume. The sad thing is that no one should actually have to consider revising their resume when it is correct in its representation and accurate with regard to their professional experience, and applicable for the job that they are applying to. This isn’t a stance against tailoring your resume so it more aptly reflects the job you’re pursuing, but simply the aspect of taking information from it or altering it in such a way that it makes you appear less qualified then you really are. It also seems to suggest a bit of a contradiction as to what employers really want. If it’s true that they want someone that is intelligent, capable, sound, driven, knowledgeable and experienced; then isn’t the idea surrounding dumbing one’s resume down a conflict in principle? And why should someone have to present themselves in a false manner in an effort to underplay their skill set, for an employer that is claiming to be looking for the best and brightest? Is it that they want the best and brightest liars?

I do not believe that anyone should have to under represent themselves in order to achieve what they are seeking, yet, I understand why people do it. I understand why people feel like they have to do it. It’s something that I am now grappling with and I don’t like it. I don’t want to under represent myself. I simply want a fair chance for what I am seeking. When people have been employed and have lied about their experience and certifications to gain the employment, only to be found out later to be fraudulent, they’re usually promptly fired, regardless of how well they may have performed the duties associated with their position. However, companies do not seem to have a problem with doing this exact same thing, but in reverse. If a person applies for a job and claims to have a masters degree and 15 years of experience, when they really only have an associates degree and 3 years of experience; while another person who may have a masters degree and 20 years of experience, but under represents their qualifications, then what really is the difference? Personally, I don’t believe there is anything different between someone who under represents and a person who over represents their self, because in both instances it’s a matter of spinning around the issue. I wonder if companies simply want to buy into the idea that applicants appear less qualified, while hoping that they are able to bring more to the table. Again, this is pure hypocrisy. If you want someone with more to offer then get the person who is offering more, rather then someone who feels forced into lowering their skill set in an effort to meet a level of standards that are not even being upheld. Standards. That’s what this is all about. Given all of this, I’m now at a conundrum where I either continue with my resume as it is and maintain my principals or “dumb it down”. It’s a decision that I am not happy with having to face, but the real decision that companies need to face is: Do you want your applicants smarter or dumber?

Feedback or opinions on the post? I’m all ears, share them here!

——-@ds

Handwritten or Email?

After my most recent interview, I started to sit down and write a thank you letter to the interviewer on one of my “thank you” cards that I purchased a while back. After realizing that my penmanship (when writing in a very small space) has taken a hit after all these years of sending emails, messaging, texting and etc… I began to wonder if sending out a hand written thank you card even matters any more. Is it even considered more meaningful then sending exactly what you are writing as an email?

By sending it as an email, it’s instantaneous and clear. There’s no issue of wondering if the writing is legible or coming across in a professional manner. You also do not have to worry if it was “lost in the mail” or shuffled into some indiscriminate pile at the employer’s office. In contrast, when sending a hand written letter, it’s more personal and shows that you took the time to think about the person. It also reflects that you’re willing to physically write out and mail your note to them. Yet, I still find that I spend the same amount of time thinking about what I am going to say, whether I am writing or emailing it. That part does not change. The difference for me is the time it takes to actually pen the note by hand and in my case the effort I went through to ensure it was professional looking.

To compensate for my penmanship and the fact that it was angling downward to the right side, I realized that when time and money permits, I need to go and involve myself in a penmanship class to correct this issue. I also had to use a ruler and a pencil to outline very faint lines to keep my writing straight. Further, in an effort to ensure my penmanship looked cleaner, I wrote out my note in pencil in a very light manner and then traced over that with the actual pen. Later, I used an eraser to remove all the pencil markings.

However, this attention to detail and care is not something that will be noticed by the employer. In an interview prior to this last one, I didn’t send out a thank you card, instead I sent out an email to the three people that interviewed me and I can tell you that I didn’t get a better or worse response with the emailed “thank you” letter vs. the handwritten attempt. So, the question still remains, does it really matter to mail out a handwritten “thank you” letter after an interview or is email a fully acceptable manner to send such a letter, with the exception of those niche people that may actually consider the hand written note a reflection on a person’s professionalism and quality?

——-@ds

Ouch: Oh and one other thing, I need to buy better pens cause my middle finger was destroyed after pressing so hard on the pen I was using to write with. Any high quality (and very comfortable), pen suggestions? :-p

I’ve wanted to start working out for a while now, but just couldn’t get my mind in agreement with my desire. I haven’t weighed myself, which I know you should before you start working out, but let’s face it, I didn’t need another excuse not to start. A number of years ago I was part of an outdoor boot camp program and I loved it. It was great to be outside with others who shared the same desire; to lose weight and be fit. Although the fee for the boot camp program was very fair, it was still a stretch on my budget at the time. A couple of years after the boot camp, I started for a short time working out with co-workers, but that came to an end due to time constraints with everyone involved and life in general. Now that I am unemployed and am not making anywhere near the income I used to or back a couple of years ago, I decided to go with this P90x program. A friend no longer uses his P90x dvd’s, so he gave them to me. I’ve seen this infomercial a number of times on TV and the one thing that I liked about what it was advertising is that it talked quite extensively about not only maximizing your work outs, but also compensating for the plateau effect. The plateau effect (here are a few sources: Yahoo Answers and the Diet Blog’s 5 Ways to Break a Weight Loss Plateau to read more about the plateau effect and a third is my google search results on the term) is when your body gets used to the same work out pattern every day, such that it ceases to have an effect on your ability to lose weight over time. P90x compensates for this by changing the work out up over time. Now, I don’t want this blog to become a shill for advertising this system, I am only writing about why I decided to go with this program.

I’ve just completed day 3 of this (technically I didn’t do it yesterday, but I compensated in the day by doing something else. It probably wasn’t the best compensation, but I didn’t have the time) program and it is as crazy as it sounds. Everything is feeling all messed up, but in a good way. I’m about 5’7″ and I know I am over 280lbs. I think that I’m about 285lbs, but I am going to make sure at some point very soon. I’m happy to have finally started to work out. It’s something that I felt I should’ve started doing a while back. Now that I’ve been out of work, I wish I had started closer to around the time I was laid off, which was on October 15, 2008. I know that I should’ve started and I’ve blogged about that fact before in my Adrift post. No matter what, I’ve started now and I’m going to keep pushing myself to continue. I’ll chime in once in a while and blog about how well I am doing and will incorporate my changes in weight (hopefully that happens) at that time. One thing I’ve noticed about myself, is when I work out with people who are relying on me to show up and vice-versa, I’m more apt to working out. It’s almost like I need that dependency. The fight with in me right now is to figure out how to break that need and bring it back onto myself. So, while you can feel free to help keep me honest, I’ll be doing the same!

——-@ds