Right at the beginning of the year we’d like to start with a highly topical subject: Burnout. For many of us the new year has begun just like the old: a pile of work on the desk, the telephone ringing constantly, one meeting after the next… Add to that the fact that our private lives suffer as a result of a dominating job. That’s when one’s entire life can get out of control. Then it’s time to ask: how much more can I take? How long can this go on?
Posts Tagged ‘agencies’
TOCA ME design conference 2012 – Inspired by Design!
On February 11th, 2012 TOCA ME design conference will take place in Munich‘s Reithalle for its fifth time with renown speakers from all over the world. The goal of the event under the claim »Inspired by Design« is a critical evaluation of design as well as the connection of the Munich design and creative scene with the international design centers.
Amongst the speakers of TOCA ME design conference are Golan Levin, artist, composer, performer and developer, and Evan Roth, co-founder of Graffiti Research Lab and FAT Lab (Free Art & Technology Lab). Furthermore, Anita Fontaine & Geoffrey Lillemon of Champagne Valentine, Vera-Maria Glahn & Marcus Wendt of the multidisciplinary design studio FIELD in London and Mate Steinforth of SEHSUCHT Berlin give insights into the processes and techniques of their creations.
Why creatives should always be curious
The relatively high job fluctuation is a well known idiosyncrasy of the creative industries, and we of course experience that first hand almost ever day in our recruitment work. While most people in other industries change jobs every 4-6 years, the average in the communication Industry is more like 2-3 years. The reasons for this are certainly various – a low tolerance amongst creative people for repetition and routine; the stress of the industry taking its toll; people just looking for a new challenge… I would take the last point even further: it’s not just a new challenge that we need regularly, but also our curiosity needs food to feed off and our desire to learn is almost unquenchable. In interviews and in selecting candidates for jobs, we at Designerdock don’t just try to find people who have the right experience for a certain position. We also consider whether the position will help our candidates develop their skill set and further their careers. In essence that means that there should be something to learn in the new job. It might be soft skills, software skills, new responsibilities, new media… Often, when faced with the choice of a new job with more money (but the same old routine) or a new job in new territory, many candidates choose the later, which we support whole-heartedly.
THE THIRD WAY (Part 4)
Marketing on a shoe-string budget
The previous installments of this blog series have discussed deciding to start your own business and finding the right business idea which utilises your interests and skills while at the same time not requiring huge start-up costs.
A good idea is one important element when you are starting up a business, but without a marketing concept most new companies are doomed. If you come from the communications industry you know how many millions big brands pump into advertsing and marketing each year. Most of us have to start with a very small budget, especially if we don’t want to get into debt or give up a large part of the ownership to investors.
