Freelance Career Agencies Tips

From Freelance to Full-Time

If you've worked in a major city, you know how competitive it can be when it comes to finding a job in any of the creative fields. With all of the professionals who work in graphic design New York and other large cities like Chicago and Los Angeles have to offer employers, it's a good idea to sign up with a career agency to gain an edge over the competition.

Most talent agencies place people in contract positions, but many of these have the potential to become full-time jobs. If you've been working as a freelancer, this can be the perfect way to transition into a corporate environment. You'll be able to get a feel for the working conditions and see if the company is somewhere you can see yourself working on a permanent basis.

If the match is a good one, you may be offered a full-time spot once the contract term is over. If you don't see yourself staying, you can always decline and try out another contractor position through the talent agency.

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Fast-Tracking Your Job Search

It doesn't matter if you're one of the top freelance creative directors in your field or a brand new web designer, finding a job can take time when you're working for yourself. If you want to fast-track your search for clients, try signing up with a career agency. These organizations already have connections in the field, which means you aren't starting a job search from scratch, as you would be if you did it all by yourself.

Trying to find work on your own means you'll have to spend a lot of time networking, marketing, and sending out proposals. This is not only time-consuming, but it can be expensive as well. Rather than taking this kind of "scatter-shot" approach, signing up with a talent agency means that you'll have someone else looking for you. This way, you can concentrate on things such as refining and polishing your portfolio so that you're ready to interview when the agency finds a promising contract job. It can also help increase your chances of finding work.

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Finding Freelance Work

One of the most difficult things about making a living as a freelancer is actually finding the work. Once you have clients, keeping them happy is part of the job, but that task is often far easier than locating them in the first place. There are many ways to go about this process, but the savvy contractor will enlist the help of a talent agency to help them connect with work in the field. When large corporations are looking to hire a production artist or other creative, they often turn to these companies to give them a hand.

Talent agencies (or career agencies) are in the business of making a good match between a business client and freelance workers. They do much of the groundwork, such as finding those companies that are looking to hire contractors and setting up the actual interview. Many times, these positions can be more lucrative than those you might find in the paper or on job boards. Even though they take a cut of the payment, they also help negotiate the fee, and they work hard to get a good rate for their contractors.

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Interviewing an Agency

If you're thinking about using a talent agency to help you get one of the coveted Los Angeles design jobs or to find freelance work near where you live, it's smart to think about interviewing them. After all, not all career agencies are created equal, and you'll want to make sure you're aligning yourself with one that will work hard to get you a job. Instead of being nervous for that first meeting, remember that you're trying to determine whether they're a good fit for you.

In order to find out if it's a match, try asking some questions when you sit down with the agent. Some smart things to check into include:

• What type of clients they typically handle.
• Some examples of the companies they've placed talent with.
• How large their agency is and how many people they represent.
• How long they've been in business.
• What you can expect from them in terms of service.

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Big Cities, Big Competition?

If you want to be a Los Angeles graphic designer or are trying to get a job in the field in Chicago, New York, or other major cities, aligning yourself with a career agency is a smart move. The competition in these big cities is extremely stiff, and talent agencies are a tool that can be used to help you connect with work quickly. They can also assist you in finding a position that pays well and has the potential to turn into a full-time job. The bottom line is, if you're going to throw your hat in the ring in a place that has lots of competition, it's a great perk to have someone else helping you look for work.

Even if you're not a freelancer, a talent agency can be a good way to get started on your career in a large city. Unless you have a job lined up, the search for work can be overwhelming. Traditional methods, such as job boards or looking through the paper may not bring immediate results or connect you with work that pays well. Even if you choose to look on your own, it doesn't hurt to have professionals who are familiar with the big city searching for you at the same time.

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Communicating with Your Career Agency

If you've teamed up with a career agency, it doesn't matter if it's in a small town or if it's one of the biggest talent agencies San Francisco has to offer, communication will be important. These organizations try to match companies with talent and they aim to make sure everyone is happy with the arrangement. Because of this, it's crucial that you're forthcoming when you talk about the expectations you have for a position.

If you're hoping to work part-time from home, be sure and tell the representative that you prefer off-site work. If you're trying to find a permanent position, you'll want to make that clear as well. The more your talent rep knows about you, the better they can match you up with potential clients.

It can backfire if you try to be too flexible when you're really looking for something in particular. If an agency finds a slot for you and it doesn't work out, it creates a difficult situation for all involved. Luckily, this is much less likely to happen if you're honest about what you're looking for in the first place.

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Career Agencies: Finding a Good Match

If you're one of the many designers and artists that freelance for a living, you may want to consider enlisting the help of a career agency. If you decide to try one out, be sure to select a place that specializes in the creative fields. Chances are good that they will have already established relationships with companies that have the type of work you're trying to find. If you go with an agency that's geared more toward other career fields, they might not be able to locate work for you as easily.

How can you tell if the agency is a good match? The first step is to visit their website and see what it can tell you. If you like what you see, make an appointment to speak with someone there and prepare a list of questions so that you get the answers you need. A good talent agency will be able to tell you specifics about what it is that they do and the kinds of jobs they can connect you with. Don't be afraid to shop around until you find a place that feels like it is a good fit.

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