Creative Staffing Tips
When it comes to Creative Staffing, we've been there, done that, now serving 130 tips in 14 categories ranging from Art and Creative Director Careers to Writing and Editing Careers.
Creating A Web Based Training Program: Step 4
The final step in creating a Web based training program is the review and revision process. Once people have gone through the training you can begin to address any issues that arose as the program was used. Sometimes these may simply not be apparent until the training is underway--or finished. Once identified, these issues can be adjusted and it will strengthen the training program overall. It can help to think of any revisions as a positive step.
There are many ways to review a Web based training program. User feedback is one tool that you can use to uncover any problems that may have come up along the way. You may also want to sit down and have a discussion with the web design training professional that set up the system to see what their thoughts are. They can often pinpoint any issues or see any potential problems that may be coming up down the line.
Writing Your Profile
If you're trying to land one of the coveted Chicago or New York design jobs, you'll need a strong portfolio and a sharply written profile to get your foot in the door. If you're not a writer by trade, you may want to consider hiring one to create your profile for you.
If you decide to go this route, you'll need to provide the writer with the tools to get the job done. This means giving them all of your information. Start by providing a resume, samples of your work, and other details to help them get the "big picture." Then take the time to sit down with the writer and talk a bit about your life, your design philosophy, and your career highlights.
Before hiring a writer to do this type of work, you may also want to ask them a few questions, such as:
- Have you done profiles before?
- How long have you been writing?
- Do I get more than one draft of the profile for the fee you charge?
- What do you know about the design industry?
Creating A Web Based Training Program: Step 3
Once you have come up with an idea for a Web based training program and created the design for it, it's time to roll it out for people to use. If you have done all of the preparation, this step should be a fairly smooth one.
Based on the information you came up with in step two, you'll know if everyone will be doing the training at the same time, or if you will do so in stages. You can split people up by department, do it alphabetically, or in any other way that is convenient. If possible, try to choose a slow time for the training so that it won't overload anyone with extra work.
Sometimes not everyone in the company may need to complete the particular training program you have created. For example, Web developer training will probably not be extended to those in the sales department, unless it relates to their job as well. This type of specialized training may be a bit easier to implement, as it won't require a large-scale effort.
Online Portfolios
It doesn't matter if you're looking for a position at a Chicago graphic design company or hoping to start your own freelance business, you always need to have a good portfolio. In this digital age, many people are turning to the web to showcase their work, and this can be a great alternative to a traditional portfolio.
Many sites on the web offer this type of service, so a simple search can provide a good starting point. In addition, certain talent agencies may offer a bit of their own web space to help you highlight some of your best work for potential clients. Take a look around and see what's available before you settle on a website, but give it some serious consideration as an addition to your regular portfolio.
Savvy designers will understand the need to have both a physical portfolio and an online presence. It just makes sense, since you can't be sure what the client may prefer. If you have all the bases covered, you'll be able to show your best work to someone no matter where they're located.
Creating A Web Based Training Program: Step 2
The second step in creating a Web based training program is to actually create the material as it will be used on-line. This step will be implemented by your Web professional, although you will undoubtedly want to review and approve the final content. It is during this portion of the process that you will need to address issues such as bandwidth demand, ease of access to the material and storage.
At the beginning of the Web programming training issues may arise, such as overall speed and loading times. You may need to adjust the materials to fix these problems, and the best time to do it is during this phase. Once the training program is live, it will be more difficult to change.
Be sure and communicate with your Web professional and make any tweaks to the overall picture before you begin using it with employees. You may want to run through the finished program yourself to review it, or have a few select employees test it before you sign off on the final product.
Corporate Design
If you're looking for graphic design or artist jobs, don't forget that all companies, whether they're in the creative, business, or healthcare industries, employ designers. Depending on their size and other factors, companies may hire freelance designers or have in-house designers to help them create and maintain a solid, polished company image. This is done by making sure that all of the collateral used for communications has the look and feel that the company wants to put forth. The idea is similar to branding, but it isn't just reserved for the public face of the corporation—it also creates an internal identity for those who work on-site.
The size of the company will typically dictate how many people they have working in this capacity. Corporate design involves consistent messaging of the logo, tagline, and other imagery that helps identify the brand to those inside and outside the company. Smaller companies may be able to employ a part-time freelancer for this type of work, but large corporations will often have several employees working on this full-time.
Creating A Web Based Training Program: Step 1
If you are thinking about using some type of Web based training for your employees, the very first step is to come up with any information that you will want to include. This step is the same regardless of whether you are working on a Web page design training program or a grammar review for writers. It can help to write out the idea and your objectives for the training as well.
Once you have an idea and direction, you will need content for the training program. You may choose to hire a content writer to pull this all together, or you can always have someone in-house write the material. Content writers generally have expertise in writing for the Web, which can be an advantage in this type of situation. They may be able to package the material in a way that is more user-friendly than someone who hasn't done much writing for the Web.
Once this step is complete, it is time to talk to your Web designer about where to put the information and how to present it to your employees.
Art Directors: Diverse Work Responsibilities
If you are an art director looking for creative director work, chances are you will be well prepared. Most art directors have numerous responsibilities, which often overlap with those expected of creative directors. Art direction has to do with creative concepts, layout and style. This can mean many different things—from working with copywriters to implementing the ideas set forth by those setting the direction of the company.
Layout work requires a savvy technical side. Art directors will often work with programs such as In Design or Photoshop to create pages or imagery for a particular catalogue or campaign. They also need to be able to work well with people, as fine-tuning pages often means revisions are being asked of the copywriters. The art director must wear many hats in order to get the job done, but doing this type of work can open the doors for a move up to a creative director position if done well. Both are "big picture" jobs.
Hiring A Content Writer
A content writer is someone you may want to consider bringing on board if you are putting together a Web based training program. These writing professionals are experts in packaging writing for the Web and can help make the process of developing a training program on-line much easier.
The content writer may be willing to sit down with the Web developer and talk about design. They can help in areas such as phrasing questions well, keeping a consistent pattern or theme and making sure instructions are easy to understand. They can also help keep things concise by using bullet points, numbered items and other "Web friendly" tools.
There are many different types of content writers out there, so when hiring, make sure the person you select is right for the job. Ask if they have had any prior experience writing training materials, and see if they are willing to work with you on revisions down the line if needed.
Quality Training
If you're going through the time and trouble to set up a Web based training program, you'll want to be sure it is a quality offering. There are some factors that you can take into consideration that will help you stay on-target for this. Here are some questions you can ask about the program to see if it measures up:
- Is the program centered on the learner and not the content?
- Is the material interesting?
- Is the training interactive?
- Does the training address different learning styles?
- Is the training easy to access?
- Is the material that is being presented organized well?
- Does the material help people apply what they have learned?
- Is the training user-friendly?
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