ok, so it seems to me that design happens to be one of the few fields in which people send out there portfolio to firms regardless of employment opportunities. In fact I know numerous people who have gotten jobs from firms who "we not hiring" My question is this: What is the best way to go about this? calling the firm to ask if they are hiring, e-mailing, etc.? or just flat out bombarding them with your portfolio? Or is it best just to stick with firms that have employment positions posted?
Any help, or sharing of past experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Do both, send out resumes and teaser pages as well as cold call. Don't send digital files unless they ask for it. I delete emails that have attachments if I don't know the sender.
You definitely should send you resume/work to places that do not have posted positions. The firm may not post open positions, may have just gotten a big job that they haven't posted about, or may be looking for someone with your skill set, but haven't gotten around to putting forth the effort to actively pursue that person.
Call the office and ask to whom you should address your resume and send it in. I think offices are required by law to keep your resume on file for several months even if they aren't interested. It might be a good idea to send some "teaser" pages showing a brief example of your work/skills, but not more than a couple of pages. Add a cover letter, tell them you'll call to follow up and do it. The worst they can say is they're not hiring or not interested, and you can cross it off of your list.
All the (architecture) jobs I've gotten were for unposted positions.
Unfortunately, most firms still like hard copies of your info. That way they don't have to print it out. If you have an online portfolio, you can include a link on your cover letter or resume, but it's 50/50 on whether or not people will look at it.
JG good point about the Emails with attachments, I didnt think of that even when I do the same thing.
I am currently finishing up my webpage, with hopes that I dont have to print off quite as many portpholios, but it looks like that people still want hard copies of things.
Thanks again for the help, I took some time off right after school to help my family out and its tricky getting back into the swing of things.
In all seriousness, please make sure that, when you mention your _portfolio_ in e-mails to potential employers, you spell it with an f, not a ph. I don't know if you're doing that to be clever, ala 'phat', but it looks pretty bad and could turn somebody off pretty quickly, ie, before they even bother to look at your work or resume.
PH not an F except after E. Repeat aphter me: Waz it Joe Phesci _hoo_ once (1X) phamousleee re*m@rked, "phuck u, u phuckin phuck?" Stop PHlayin yer selph. Phleez! Else, pheel another phive phinger phitch slaph phall on the leph side oph yer phace. I O U PH not an F.
B-A-D? so bad that its good: fonograf. filatelist. phate. pharmakologi . spell kurewkly. phish. "In all seriousness," next time you want to patronizingly correct an innocent mistake and make clever commentary, deconsteuct that you phuckin barringer of the English Language.
I wasn't being patronizing, you jackass, I was trying to help him. He misspelled the word in the title of the thread as well as in his last post, and I would hate for anybody to get turned away from a job for a spelling mistake. Some people just aren't great spellers, and I was just trying to lend a hand. So stop hatin, playa.
1. Call each firm and ask for the name of the current person to whom to address resumes (even if there is a person listed on their website. This person could have quit two days ago.)
2. Ask for the correct spelling of that person's name. Ask if they have a title.
3. Get the correct address to which to send it.
4. Ask how the firm prefers to receive resumes. Some firms will not consider resumes and portfolios that are emailed. Some will not look at CDs.
5. Follow their directions!
I agree that it's fine (and often a good strategy) to contact firms that are not currently advertising any positions. Some firms (like mine) never advertise and hire entirely from the unsolicited materials resumes they receive.
Contrary to what a former poster has stated, there is no law requiring firms to keep your resume on file - but many will and they may even contact you a year or more later if a position opens up.
But something to keep in mind: if you contact a firm and they tell you specifically NOT to call them for a certain period of time, or NOT to email any large files, or any other instructions: LISTEN TO THEM!
I'll give you an example: I had a person call us a couple weeks ago about a summer internship. I told her that we'd like to receive her resume, but that we prefer not to receive large image files via email - so to either email only a resume, or mail us a resume and any portfolio materials she wished to send. I also told her that we wouldn't be considering summer staffing needs until early March - and to call back then if she wished, if we didn't contact her sooner. Soon afterward we received a gigantic email that contained a .pdf of her entire portfolio. Less than two weeks after I first spoke with her she called again to "check up on your hiring decisions."
This is a person that I will probably not hire, because she doesn't follow simple directions and she's just plain bugging us.
On the one hand it is good to be somewhat agressive, and you'll generally have better luck in your search if you do follow up after you send them your resume, to keep your name on their minds. On the other hand, if they've told you NOT to call until a certain date then don't! And if they say they don't accept materials in one form or another then they have reasons - whether because they have temporary technical difficulties with their email (like us) or because their usual hiring process is to pass applicants' physical portfolios around from inbox to inbox...
Joed - yeah, I can't spell worth beans, damn forum with no spell check!
so whats the over all verdict on well done, simple, web page portfolios? I designed my portfolio in a way that It can be a web page, a large PDF, or a printed "book." I think that I could also get away with very little work making it into a teaser. The beauty of the internet is the cost. On the other hand, people have to go out of there way to look at it. It also seems easier to put aside than a hard copy.
On one hand, I know a particular professor/principal in a firm who absolutely loves web based portfolios (URL at the bottom of a resume, for example) for their ease and convenience, not to mention saving a few trees.
The rest of them, however, (literally ALL of the rest) have suggested that resumes with an URL at the bottom are no more useful than a resume not accompanied by any portfolio, because, basically, unless the resume is incredibly blow-me-away impressive, they don't bother to spend the time to look at an online portfolio. It's just not worth their effort.
pencrush: that article is a bit misleading. The acts to which it refers dictate that resumes submitted by applicants for advertised positions, and applicants whose applications and/or resumes have been solicited by the firm must be kept on file for one year. Unsolicited materials sent in hopes of a position that has not been advertised are not protected - they can go right in the trash if the recipient so chooses.
Jan 25, 05 9:35 am ·
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proper etiquette when sending a portpholio
ok, so it seems to me that design happens to be one of the few fields in which people send out there portfolio to firms regardless of employment opportunities. In fact I know numerous people who have gotten jobs from firms who "we not hiring" My question is this: What is the best way to go about this? calling the firm to ask if they are hiring, e-mailing, etc.? or just flat out bombarding them with your portfolio? Or is it best just to stick with firms that have employment positions posted?
Any help, or sharing of past experiences would be greatly appreciated.
PGB
Do both, send out resumes and teaser pages as well as cold call. Don't send digital files unless they ask for it. I delete emails that have attachments if I don't know the sender.
Go to the office Ask to talk to the Boss.
Also Call like your a Client ask to talk to print boy.
Then have him transfer the call to the Boss.
Works all the Time.
Emails no good.
Send a four page flier.
You definitely should send you resume/work to places that do not have posted positions. The firm may not post open positions, may have just gotten a big job that they haven't posted about, or may be looking for someone with your skill set, but haven't gotten around to putting forth the effort to actively pursue that person.
Call the office and ask to whom you should address your resume and send it in. I think offices are required by law to keep your resume on file for several months even if they aren't interested. It might be a good idea to send some "teaser" pages showing a brief example of your work/skills, but not more than a couple of pages. Add a cover letter, tell them you'll call to follow up and do it. The worst they can say is they're not hiring or not interested, and you can cross it off of your list.
All the (architecture) jobs I've gotten were for unposted positions.
Unfortunately, most firms still like hard copies of your info. That way they don't have to print it out. If you have an online portfolio, you can include a link on your cover letter or resume, but it's 50/50 on whether or not people will look at it.
Thanks for all the info so far!
JG good point about the Emails with attachments, I didnt think of that even when I do the same thing.
I am currently finishing up my webpage, with hopes that I dont have to print off quite as many portpholios, but it looks like that people still want hard copies of things.
Thanks again for the help, I took some time off right after school to help my family out and its tricky getting back into the swing of things.
PGB
In all seriousness, please make sure that, when you mention your _portfolio_ in e-mails to potential employers, you spell it with an f, not a ph. I don't know if you're doing that to be clever, ala 'phat', but it looks pretty bad and could turn somebody off pretty quickly, ie, before they even bother to look at your work or resume.
Yo Joed the corn[p]holio,
PH not an F except after E. Repeat aphter me: Waz it Joe Phesci _hoo_ once (1X) phamousleee re*m@rked, "phuck u, u phuckin phuck?" Stop PHlayin yer selph. Phleez! Else, pheel another phive phinger phitch slaph phall on the leph side oph yer phace. I O U PH not an F.
B-A-D? so bad that its good: fonograf. filatelist. phate. pharmakologi . spell kurewkly. phish. "In all seriousness," next time you want to patronizingly correct an innocent mistake and make clever commentary, deconsteuct that you phuckin barringer of the English Language.
I wasn't being patronizing, you jackass, I was trying to help him. He misspelled the word in the title of the thread as well as in his last post, and I would hate for anybody to get turned away from a job for a spelling mistake. Some people just aren't great spellers, and I was just trying to lend a hand. So stop hatin, playa.
sorry but i mistakenly misspelled "deconstruct."
on the original question-
it may get expensive to e-mail everyone an full portfolio. How about sending a nicely designed one page pf brief?
if they want to see the rest of the goods they will call you.
1. Call each firm and ask for the name of the current person to whom to address resumes (even if there is a person listed on their website. This person could have quit two days ago.)
2. Ask for the correct spelling of that person's name. Ask if they have a title.
3. Get the correct address to which to send it.
4. Ask how the firm prefers to receive resumes. Some firms will not consider resumes and portfolios that are emailed. Some will not look at CDs.
5. Follow their directions!
I agree that it's fine (and often a good strategy) to contact firms that are not currently advertising any positions. Some firms (like mine) never advertise and hire entirely from the unsolicited materials resumes they receive.
Contrary to what a former poster has stated, there is no law requiring firms to keep your resume on file - but many will and they may even contact you a year or more later if a position opens up.
But something to keep in mind: if you contact a firm and they tell you specifically NOT to call them for a certain period of time, or NOT to email any large files, or any other instructions: LISTEN TO THEM!
I'll give you an example: I had a person call us a couple weeks ago about a summer internship. I told her that we'd like to receive her resume, but that we prefer not to receive large image files via email - so to either email only a resume, or mail us a resume and any portfolio materials she wished to send. I also told her that we wouldn't be considering summer staffing needs until early March - and to call back then if she wished, if we didn't contact her sooner. Soon afterward we received a gigantic email that contained a .pdf of her entire portfolio. Less than two weeks after I first spoke with her she called again to "check up on your hiring decisions."
This is a person that I will probably not hire, because she doesn't follow simple directions and she's just plain bugging us.
On the one hand it is good to be somewhat agressive, and you'll generally have better luck in your search if you do follow up after you send them your resume, to keep your name on their minds. On the other hand, if they've told you NOT to call until a certain date then don't! And if they say they don't accept materials in one form or another then they have reasons - whether because they have temporary technical difficulties with their email (like us) or because their usual hiring process is to pass applicants' physical portfolios around from inbox to inbox...
Just make it a habit to contact the firm FIRST.
dont work - stay at home and start a revolution
great info guys! thanks.
Joed - yeah, I can't spell worth beans, damn forum with no spell check!
so whats the over all verdict on well done, simple, web page portfolios? I designed my portfolio in a way that It can be a web page, a large PDF, or a printed "book." I think that I could also get away with very little work making it into a teaser. The beauty of the internet is the cost. On the other hand, people have to go out of there way to look at it. It also seems easier to put aside than a hard copy.
Thanks again for all the info, good stuff.
PGB
On one hand, I know a particular professor/principal in a firm who absolutely loves web based portfolios (URL at the bottom of a resume, for example) for their ease and convenience, not to mention saving a few trees.
The rest of them, however, (literally ALL of the rest) have suggested that resumes with an URL at the bottom are no more useful than a resume not accompanied by any portfolio, because, basically, unless the resume is incredibly blow-me-away impressive, they don't bother to spend the time to look at an online portfolio. It's just not worth their effort.
One thing to be wary of is having a convoluted web address. Nobody wants to type in http://members.tripod.com/neighborhoods/~artcityUSA/funydude22020/homepage.html.. not even if the resume was blow-me-away impressive. I recommend a first or second level domain (www.yourname.com or yourname.whateverwebsite.com or even www.whateverwebsite.com/yourname)
.mm
hey Bloopox, actually it is a law that firms keep your resume on file for a year, but thanks for trying to discredit what I said.
god people are so bitchy, lighten up and grow up . . .
pencrush: that article is a bit misleading. The acts to which it refers dictate that resumes submitted by applicants for advertised positions, and applicants whose applications and/or resumes have been solicited by the firm must be kept on file for one year. Unsolicited materials sent in hopes of a position that has not been advertised are not protected - they can go right in the trash if the recipient so chooses.
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