7 Tips for Acing Your AI-Powered Video Interview  

Tuesday, July 1st, 2025|

In today’s evolving hiring landscape, many companies are using AI-powered video interview platforms to streamline the early stages of the interview process. Several platforms exist, and although each platform varies in design and assessment style, they all share one thing in common: you’ll often be responding to pre-set questions on video without speaking to a real person.

These types of interviews can feel awkward if you’ve never done one before; however, with the right preparation, they’re an opportunity to stand out.  Below are seven tips to prepare and ace your interview.

1. Understand the Format

AI-powered video interviews typically consist of pre-recorded questions that you’ll answer. You’re given 30 to 60 seconds to prepare and 1 to 3 minutes to respond to each question. Since there’s no real-time feedback, it’s important to deliver your responses clearly, confidently, and with energy and enthusiasm, while remaining authentic to who you are.

2. Practice Makes Confident

Just like an in-person interview, confidence comes with practice. Speak your answers out loud and record yourself using Zoom or your webcam to review your body language, tone, and pace. Focus on sounding natural and not scripted. Aim to prepare bullet points rather than word-for-word answers to avoid sounding robotic.

3.Create a Pro Setup

Treat your video interview like any professional meeting or audition:

  • Find a quiet, well-lit space with minimal background noise.
  • Sit in front of a neutral background; a blank wall works best.
  • Place your laptop at eye level to maintain natural eye contact.
  • Frame yourself so your head and shoulders are positioned properly on camera.
  • Dress professionally, just as you would for an in-person interview.

4. Prep for Common Question Types

Knowing what to expect can calm your nerves. Here are a few of the most common question types and how to approach them:

  • “Tell us about yourself.”
    Craft a 60–90 second pitch covering your experience: include past and present role, and future goals. Make sure it connects to the job you’re applying for and also speaks to your values, accomplishments and passions.
  • Behavioral Questions
    These often focus on how you handle challenges, conflict, or teamwork. Use the STAR method to structure your responses clearly and concisely.
    The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a framework that focuses on answering behavioral questions. Have 3–5 strong stories ready that highlight your skills, challenges you’ve overcome, and the value you bring.
  • Process-Based or Design Thinking Questions
    Hiring teams want to understand your problem-solving mindset. Walk through your process step by step: Define → Research → Ideate → Prototype/Test → Reflect.
  • “Why do you want to work here?”
    Do your homework! Study the company’s website, social media, and industry. Mention specifics about the company’s mission, culture, or recent news, and tie it back to your values and interests.
  • Creative or Personal Questions
    You might get questions like “What’s something you’re passionate about that’s not on your resume?” Use these to showcase curiosity, passion, or a surprising skill—bonus points if it relates back to your professional strengths.

5. Simulate the Real Experience

Set a timer and practice with the same time constraints you’ll face during the interview. This helps you get comfortable answering within a time limit. Rehearse until you can deliver answers that are clear and complete without sounding rushed or memorized.

6. Final Tips for Success

  • Smile and show personality—even AI can detect energy and enthusiasm.
  • Use prep time wisely—pause, breathe, and mentally organize your answer before hitting record.
  • Progress over perfection—authenticity and confidence matter more than delivering a flawless script.

7. Sample Questions You Might Encounter

  1. Can you walk us through your background and what led you to where you are today?
  2. Tell us about a time you faced a conflict. What did you do, and what was the outcome?
  3. What’s a project you’re proud of, and why?
  4. How do you apply design thinking in your work?
  5. What drew you to our company and this role?
  6. What’s something you’re passionate about that’s not on your resume?
  7. How do you handle feedback?
  8. What motivates you to do your best work?

Below are some of the platforms you may come across:

  • HireVue –on-demand interview platform well-suited for enterprise-level companies.
  • Modern Hire – often used for recorded video and voice interviews with AI-backed analysis.
  • VidCruiter – used for both live and pre-recorded video interviews, sometimes with built-in automation.
  • Pymetrics – uses neuroscience-based games to assess traits and match candidates to roles.
  • myInterview and Spark Hire – both provide one-way video interview experiences, sometimes paired with AI insights.

With a little preparation and the right mindset, you can turn a one-way video interview into a compelling story about who you are and why you’re the right fit. You’ve got this!

~Stephany Yu/Creative Recruiter

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How Adults Learn

Wednesday, June 21st, 2023|

Whether you are training new hires or making a presentation to a large group, it’s important to communicate your ideas properly. And whether you do this in person, or online it requires additional steps to create engagement and interactivity.

Adults learn differently and bring their life experiences and cognitive abilities with them, and thus have different ways of learning and processing information that may not necessarily resonate with everyone in the same way.

Presenting material in different styles and modalities can transform a training experience from frustration into an epiphany. Balance your training where some work can be done collaboratively in a peer-to-peer environment and where your new hires can learn from each other while solving problems.

 Personalize the experience to enable your employees to adapt to methods that best suit their learning style. Storytelling and linking situational examples with past experiences or scenarios can lead to better retention.

Adult learners have specific learning styles and balancing your training where you can combine the various styles can also have a positive impact.

For example, some people learn best through pictures and graphics. Others connect with metaphors and associations, while some learn best through reading or listening to an oral presentation. Some may have trouble sitting still for hours and may learn better by doing group activities.

Most of us learn best through a combination of pictures, sounds, and feelings, that compliment our dominant learning style. This idea is crystallized in an educational theory called “VAK,” for “visual, auditory, kinesthetic.”

If you facilitate training, and onboarding sessions, or make frequent presentations consider experimenting with visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities and notice how participants respond.

Auditory Learners

Auditory learners learn best through language; when something makes sense to them, they may say, “I hear that!”. If your training materials are text-heavy, encourage participants to take turns reading the material aloud. Use the Socratic method – ask questions and let the group paraphrase the core ideas in their own words. Invite compelling guest speakers to share their stories and teach in different verbal styles. E-learning materials can include audiobooks or podcasts that can be consumed on the go. Use repetition or clever wordplay to help the material “click.”

Skilled copywriters are well-positioned to help you speak your audience’s language and get them talking.

Kinesthetic Learners

This type of learner likes to move around, do things, and take a “hands-on” approach to learning. Reading a book or watching a video may become a challenge if they can’t get involved and connect to the ideas being presented. Kinesthetic learners will retain more information if they take notes by hand, work with three-dimensional models, or interact with others in the group. To engage kinesthetic learners, let them change seats, or stand as needed for part of the presentation or provide frequent breaks for snacks and fresh air. Make your training interactive, and add components of peer-to-peer learning.

The right experience designer or instructional designer can help design modules to create more interaction.

Visual Learners

Visual learners learn best with visuals, graphics, presentations, slideshows, videos, flowcharts, and infographics. To engage them, use color, diagrams, photographs, and information architecture to break up heavy text. They have keen aesthetic sensibilities and see the symbolism in imagery that others may overlook. When explaining themselves to others, they may say, “look here,” or “let me draw you a picture.”

To engage visual learners, work with the best designers and presentation specialists you can find.

If you are training online, be sure to take plenty of breaks, group trainees into breakout rooms, call on the audience to read portions of the text, use the whiteboard, and use slides where possible.

What is your learning style?

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Prepping for your next Interview

Friday, January 13th, 2023|

Interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience! Preparation helps calm those nerves. In order to help you through your next interview, we’ve compiled a list of things to consider to get that job offer.

  1. Do Research
    Being prepared for an interview is a given, but how well do you really know the position and the company? It’s useful to make notes and bullet point any relevant information before your interview. Do your research and check out Linkedin, reviews and social media posts to learn a few facts about the company.   This shows your interest in the product offerings and culture of the company
  2. Watch your Body Language
    We can’t stress how important body language is. If you don’t believe us, watch this TED Talk  by Amy Cuddy (it has over 22 M views!!)  We are not saying you should walk or Zoom into an interview with attitude, but what we are saying is that subtle language such as posture and hand movements can make all the difference between appearing shy or confident. Sit up straight, make eye contact and use open hand gestures. Check out our Zoom interview best practices blog too.
  3. Be Grateful
    Gratitude can go a long way so thanking the interviewer for meeting with you and following up with a thank you note will show how interested you really are. You could be up against several candidates and if you’re the only one to follow up and thank them, you’re already ahead of the rest.
  4. Questions
    Even if the interviewer has answered everything for you, ask another one! There’s nothing worse than being in an interview and not having any questions prepared or forgetting to ask something. Take in a list of questions and refer back to your notes when they ask you. If they truly have answered everything, at least they can see how prepared you were, but make sure you leave knowing as much as possible about the job and company.
  5. Stand Out
    How can you stand out – what is your unique ability? Winnie Hart of Twin Engine branding has a wonderful series of e-books to help define what makes you stand out.  Whatever your unique skill set, ability, or qualification, bring it up as a topic of conversation to help the interviewer remember you.
  6. Avoid Negative Talk
    This one is absolutely a key point to avoid using negative language. Refrain from saying “I’m not” or “I can’t” and say phrases such as “I’m strong with” or “I can”. Also, avoid speaking negatively about a previous role or boss.  Be truthful about why a role came to an end, however, do it with professionalism.
  7. Infuse Enthusiasm
    Be sure to show your enthusiasm about the role, the company, and the opportunity presented to you. Everyone wants to work with people who share the same excitement and passion about a project or product, so show your personality, and communication style. This is one of our core values here at Artisan Creative too.
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Avoid Doing These 6 Things During a Job Interview

Tuesday, September 13th, 2022|

Interviews necessitate that you make a good impression, however nerves or being unprepared can hold you back from presenting yourself in the best light.  Here are six things to avoid during any job interview to ensure a successful conversation.

  1. Being unprepared. Anticipate questions about your resume and experience, and have answers for the most common interview questions. Do your research to get an idea of company culture, products, and where your skills may translate. A quick search of the company’s website and social media channels will prepare you.
  2. Being unprofessional. There are simple things you can do to solidify your impression as a professional. Arrive on time, say thank you, be respectful to all, and have a positive attitude. Dress professionally, and make eye contact. Turn off your phone and other notification so you can be present.
  3. Discussing salary. Don’t bring up salary in the first interview. Only discuss it if the interviewer asks you about it first.  Otherwise best to focus on the role and company culture and discuss salary in follow-up interviews. If you are working with a recruiter, they will have shared your parameters ahead of time, so leave the negotiation to your recruiter.
  4. Being distracted. Let your friends or roommates know you are in an interview! Don’t get distracted by the chatter in the room.  Pay close attention and listen! What is your interviewer asking you? If you’re not paying attention and either answer the wrong question or ask them to repeat it, you imply that your attention span or attention to detail is low. Show that you can follow directions and keep an open mind by simply listening.  Listen well.  Communicate even better by being concise, articulate, and to the point.
  5. Putting down a former boss or company. Even if your former employer was a nightmare to work with, nothing will make you look worse than speaking ill about them. You also never know who knows who! If a previous job situation was truly terrible, practice explaining what didn’t work for you in that position in a positive way.
  6. Being late. ABOT: Always Be On Time. If you don’t know where the company is, map it out before driving (or taking public transit or an Uber) so you know how long it’ll take to get there and can plan accordingly. Emergencies do happen, so if there is an outstanding situation for being late, like a car accident or a sick child, have `the hiring manager’s phone number so you can call and let them know what’s going on.

Good luck with your next interview.

 

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How to Market Your Freelancing Business 

Tuesday, September 14th, 2021|

When working as a freelancer, you are your business, your product, and your marketing team all in one. 

Having control of all of these aspects of your business is extremely exciting and motivating because it puts you in control of your success. 

Like any successful business, you need a solid marketing strategy that will help you gain visibility in your industry and draw in more clients!

In this article, we will be discussing the following ways in which you can increase your marketing for yourself and your business while freelancing: 

  • Become a Guest on a Podcast
  • Be a Subject Matter Expert (SME)
  • Write a Book, E-book, or Article 
  • Utilize SEO Strategy 
  • Network, Network, Network! 

Become a Guest on a Podcast

Podcasts have increased in popularity in recent years, with the number of listeners in the United States expected to grow by about 10% in 2021 to about 117.8 million listeners. 

With podcasts emerging from every industry and point-of-view, the medium has a dedicated base of listeners that are exploring different topics. 

There are several benefits to marketing your freelance business by becoming a guest on a podcast. With a podcast, the listeners are there to learn and will, therefore, are a captive and engaged audience.

Additionally, podcasts are a more personal medium. By sharing your ideas on a podcast, rather than approaching marketing with a sales mindset, you come across as more authentic. When you connect with an audience, you can develop greater loyalty! 

Next, one of the most important marketing principles is communicating directly to your target audience or market. Podcasts allow you to do that!

Each podcast has data outlining the type of people who listen to the podcast, such as demographic stratification and personal or professional interest. 

 Or, you can even start a podcast yourself! 

Become a Subject Matter Expert (SME)

A subject matter expert or SME is someone who is an authority in their industry or vertical because of their extensive knowledge. 

While one can be an SME in almost any field, it usually relates to knowledge in a technical or educational field. For example, if you are a freelance marketing consultant, you can become an SME in the field of marketing. 

Marketing is essentially persuasion. In other words, you want to persuade your audience to use your services as a freelancer. 

Across the disciplines of both psychology and communication, we know that one of the best ways to persuade someone is by having authority. People are more likely to trust you if you are educated on a topic. 

Therefore, becoming an SME will have a positive influence on your brand. Not many people can tout that they are experts in their field. Having this classification will encourage others to work with you.   

Write a Book, E-book, or Article 

Writing a book or article relating to your industry or work will help establish your authority in the field. Having published work means you are recognized as an expert in your industry!  The self-publishing industry has created affordable means of getting a book to market.  However if long-form content is not your expertise, try writing articles for the Medium, of Business Journal Trust or publish on Linkedin.

Additionally, writing a book or article can help establish greater recognition and top-of-mind awareness with your audience. People are more likely to choose someone whose name they recognize, and the expertise they seek.

Utilize SEO Strategy 

When marketing yourself as a freelancer in today’s highly saturated climate, it is crucial to have a  focus on search engine optimization (SEO). The goal of SEO is to increase a website’s ranking on Google search results. 

Why is this important? Because people will see your website first and be more likely to click on it when searching for the service you offer. The best part is that SEO is free. You need to learn the Google algorithm and how to work with it. 

For example, if you use the right density of industry keywords, your website will better fulfill the search queries of users, and therefore, be ranked higher. 

Or, if your website is user-friendly, well designed, and quick loading, users will stay on it longer, signaling to Google that it is a quality website. Google, in turn, will rank it higher in search results. 

Network, Network, Network! 

As a freelancer, you are your brand! Therefore, one of the best ways to get your name out there is to network. Networking can mean a lot of things, from adding other professionals in your industry on LinkedIn and social media platforms to directly contacting potential clients. 

By connecting with other freelancers in similar industries, you can find a community of like-minded people who will support you. You can learn from each other about new trends and share clients, especially if you have different expertise. 

There are also a number of portfolio-sharing websites specifically for freelancers so that you can share your work with others and give clients an overview of your past work.

The wider you grow your network, the more work opportunities will present themselves. Working with recruitment agencies such as Artisan Creative allows for your network to expand.

Conclusion 

Working as a freelancer has many benefits, from the flexibility of working when and where you want to work to having control over what work you do daily. So, if you are a freelancer looking to gain exposure, implement some of the marketing tips we presented above!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our 593rd a.blog.

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Social Networking While Social Distancing

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021|

Most businesses have had to adapt their processes to fit with the social distancing requirements made necessary by COVID-19. And while we have made immense progress in the last year with the development and distribution of vaccines, the battle against COVID-19 is not over. 

However, social distancing does not have to negatively impact social networking and the ability to grow and develop our connections.

In this article, we are going to discuss ways to social network while keeping our social distance by

  • Expanding Our Digital Network  
  • Recreate the In-Person Networking Environment, Digitally
  • Tailor Our Online Presence 
  • Get Creative! 

Expanding Our Digital Network  

Digital communication presents greater opportunities to expand our social network than in-person networking can. We are no longer limited by travel, commute, time, or cost.

Online networking has the ability to connect us with others across the country and around the globe. We can take advantage of this ability to transcend geographical boundaries and connect with people and opportunities not located in the same time zone. This not only helps create a diverse network it will also provide exposure to new ideas and new cultures that can positively impact our outlook.

Additionally, an online network can be infinitely large, and we can continuously expand our network without excessive maintenance. Joining an online group or forum can instantly connect us. Social media platforms, interest-based groups, and meet-ups enable us to stay connected and relevant in our field of interest.

Recreate the In-Person Networking Environment, Digitally

It is important to recreate the in-person environment as much as possible. So, hop on that video call to create a more personal, connected experience. Change your background to fit the theme of the meeting and dress up as if you were in person.  Turning off the “self-view” side of Zoom may make it easier on the eyes so you don’t have to look at yourself the entire time. Platforms such as Virbella or Hopin allow for some online networking fun and learning.

Approach networking with an altruistic and servant leadership mindset. Share, be open, be empathic and connect digitally.

Tailor Your Online Presence 

Optimizing and updating our online profile is key. Your social media platforms are often someone’s first glimpse of you and your expertise. Keep your LinkedIn profile up-to-date,  have accurate information about your current role, education, and employment status. Your profile should reflect openness to new work because this will alert recruiters and hiring managers that you are looking for new opportunities. Simply have the “open to new opportunities” feature turned on.  Additionally, have a detailed bio that states your strengths and what you are looking for in a future position or company. You also want to maximize the SEO of your profile by using industry keywords throughout your profile that match the words employers are searching for. 

Check out our blog post on updating your LinkedIn to learn more about 7 ways for curating the perfect online profile.

Get Creative! 

Go beyond social media to socialize. Explore online courses, meet-ups, and industry groups to connect with groups and like-minded people.

The key is to be open to growth, learning, and sharing your ideas. Networking, like any relationship building, is a two-way street. If you connect with someone, do so to add value to their life and work as well as your own. Share posts, write articles, join groups and showcase your expertise.

From staying active on networking sites and job boards to creating personal online spaces for communication, there are myriad of o[portunities to continue our connections and social networks while social distancing. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed our 592nd a.blog.

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4 Tips for Resignation Best Practices

Tuesday, August 17th, 2021|

Handing in your resignation may feel like a daunting task, regardless of the reason you’ve decided to leave your current position. Whether you are taking on new endeavors, your current position is no longer the right fit, or you are embarking on a sabbatical, it is important to leave respectfully and professionally, allowing your team to transition smoothly.  

No matter your reason for resigning, let’s review 4 tips of resignation best practices.

  • Speak to Your Manager 
  • Write a Two-Week Notice 
  • Answer Exit Interview Questions 
  • Maintain Professionalism 

Speak to Your Manager 

First and foremost, be sure to speak to your manager or supervisor in person vs. resigning via email or text. In this day and age of WFH, in-person may mean a Zoom or Teams meeting, so be sure to schedule a video meeting to discuss before handing in your written notice of resignation letter. 

Since you have built a relationship with your manager, you owe them more than a quick email if you decide to resign from your job and share gratitude for the opportunity they have given you. 

Additionally, be sure to tell your supervisor before you tell other members at the company or on your team. You do not want your boss finding out from someone else that you are quitting. 

It is good professional conduct to speak to your manager to ensure that you leave on good terms and share feedback necessary for uninterrupted workflow.

Write a Two-Week Notice 

As you may already know, giving your company a two-week notice before leaving your position is common courtesy and standard best practice. 

By giving a two-week notice, you allow your manager to find a suitable replacement. Don’t leave your team hanging, and provide a well-thought-out notice of your resignation, with recommendations on who on the team can take over some of your tasks.  This will give everyone some time to take over your deliverables without falling behind. 

So, you might be asking, “What is the proper way to write a two-week notice?” 

The following outlines the elements to include when writing a professional two-week notice. 

First, begin by stating that you are resigning from your position. This statement should include the name of your position and the company you work for. 

For example, “I would like to inform you that I am resigning from my position as XYZ Associate at Company X.” 

Next, please state the date of your last day of work, whether it is two weeks from when you are writing the letter or list a specific date.

Although you do not have to explain why you are leaving your position, you should provide a statement of gratitude. This could be a sentence or two explaining what you learned in the position, how working at the company has provided you with an opportunity to grow, or gratitude for the personal connections you have made. 

End your letter by offering any help while your company transitions. This may include recommending other employees for your position or offering to train whoever takes on the position next.

You should format your resignation letter in business letter format, with your name and contact information at the top, and maintain a positive tone overall. 

Answer Exit Interview Questions 

Your exit interview allows the company to understand why you are leaving your position and, if needed, improve other employees’ experiences in the future. Be honest and offer constructive feedback that the company can implement and grow. 

Respond to exit interview questions respectfully and objectively. Think about how your answers can improve the culture or processes rather than focusing on personal experiences that may not be relevant. 

Maintain Professionalism

Maintaining professionalism throughout your resignation process is key. It allows you to preserve the professional and personal relationships you cultivated and upholds your reputation, especially if you choose to remain in the same industry or seek references in the future.  

Keep your high work ethic until your very last day of work. In other words, work as hard as you always have and do not use your resignation as an excuse to ease off. Your team is counting on you.

Conclusion

It is up to you to take charge of your career, growth, and success. This sometimes means resigning from your current position to pursue other opportunities.

Resigning from a position that no longer serves you should not be scary. It should be empowering. Follow the tips we presented in this article to ensure that you resign in a stress-free and professional manner!

If you are looking for new opportunities, check out our open jobs page.  Wishing you the best in your next career move.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our 591st a.blog.

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Become Your Own Influencer

Wednesday, September 25th, 2019|

Social media influencers are changing the way we think about marketing. You don’t need fancy vacations or five-course meals to make use of the concepts behind influencer marketing. As a creative professional, the success of influencers can inspire you to build your personal brand, increase your network and reach, and find better professional opportunities.

Know Your Niche

As a creative professional, the more specifically you define yourself, the more you will stand out. This means honing a concrete elevator pitch and choosing a niche within your industry. “An easy way to select your niche is to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses,” says digital marketing consultant Shane Barker. “Choose a niche that allows you to showcase your strengths and hone your skills further. Deciding on a particular niche will help you streamline your audience and tailor your content to suit their preferences.”

Develop a Content Strategy

Once you’re clear on who you are, you can create content that reflects your skills and values and establishes your presence and authority in your industry and community. Your content strategy can encompass your design portfolio, your social media activity, blogging, video, or anything else that gets your message out and makes others aware of what you do. To become more influential, treat yourself like a small media company, and be thoughtful and deliberate about what sort of content you put out and how it aligns with your brand.

Choose Your Channels

There are many digital channels available, with more emerging all the time. Rather than trying to use them all, it’s better to choose a few you enjoy the most and are best for transmitting your work. If you’re a visual designer, you’ll want to use video or image-based channels to showcase your aesthetic sensibilities. If you’re a copywriter, you can publish articles on LinkedIn or use Twitter to test your concepts, slogans, and taglines. Newer channels can present unusual opportunities for those on the cutting edge.

Keep It Consistent

Your choice of channels is less important than your commitment to show up and stick with them. To build influence, you should be willing to put out a steady stream of content, provide value for your audience, and pursue continuous growth and improvement. With social media, being “always-on” can be a challenge; automation software can help, allowing you to create lots of posts in one sitting and parcel them out over time.

Engage and Grow

If you persist, iterate, and keep putting your best self forward, don’t be surprised to see your influence grow over time. As your work touches people’s lives and new opportunities present themselves, be sure to engage with those who support you. The ability to develop a worldwide professional network and work out your ideas with a supportive audience in real-time is perhaps the most rewarding perk of being an influencer, even if it’s just in your small corner of the world.

At Artisan Creative, we help creative professionals find new ways to enrich their portfolios, networks, and careers. Contact Artisan today to learn more.

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Job Hunting Best Practices

Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019|

When attempting to move up in creative careers, especially when switching fields, job seekers are haunted by one perennial frustration: it can be hard to get experience when you don’t already have experience.

Hiring managers and creative recruiters gravitate toward candidates who already have proven track records and know how to navigate the responsibilities that come with new opportunities. If you’re angling for a job or a career in an area in which your prior work history is not applicable or sufficient there are steps you can take to compensate for a lack of relevant professional experience. Career coach Martin McGovern suggests three moves that can open new opportunities that you may not be able to get with your CV alone.

Side Hustles

“Let’s say you want to be a copywriter at a food publication,” says McGovern. “Don’t wait for them to hire you before you start writing about food. Create your own food blog and get to work. I have a close friend who was able to break into the highest reaches of the culinary world through strategic use of Instagram, blogging, email marketing, and outreach. Give yourself permission to do the work and others will be clamoring to work with you.”

Developing a side hustle in your field of choice is a great way to choose yourself, explore your passions, and show potential future employers and colleagues what you can do. If you properly manage your schedule, you can usually pursue some freelance work without sacrificing your day job.

Meetups

“Recently, I had a student who really wanted to work in sports-tech as a web developer,” McGovern says. “So he started a sports tech meetup. Instantly, 35 people joined the group. He was able to leverage this to reach out to CEOs from his favorite companies and ask them to speak at the first event. After the event, they came up to him and asked if he was looking for an internship, which allowed him to completely circumvent the whole job search process.”

Meetup groups are an excellent way to engage with your professional community, broaden your own horizons, and unearth the sorts of opportunities that may not readily present themselves through Google searches. Spending time with successful peers can also help you become fluent in the language of your chosen industry, which can be an enormous help in tailoring your resume and maximizing your social media presence.

You can look for interesting communities in your area on Meetup.com, or attend a lecture from Creative Mornings. If you can’t find the right group, start your own. You may be surprised at how many like minds you find.

Professional Organizations

“Most cities have professional organizations for your line of work and they are always in need of help,” McGovern says. “Sign up, go to their events, volunteer, and join the board! This will show you are ambitious, forward-thinking, part of the community, and knowledgeable in your desired field.”

Local creative communities tend to be particularly well-served by professional organizations. For designers, there’s AIGA. Marketing professionals have the AMA with many other local alternatives. For those on the creative side of the technology world, exciting organizations such as World IA Day can always use volunteer help, providing ample opportunities in return to tap into your skills and make life-changing professional connections.

Whatever your current level of experience, you can always find creative ways to improve yourself and build a career you love. At Artisan Creative, we help creative professionals make the most of their many opportunities. Contact Artisan today to get started.

For more related articles on this topic check out:

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 537th issue of the a.blog

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Emphasize Responsibilities vs. Job Titles

Wednesday, June 12th, 2019|

A job title is a noun. In terms of your professional life, it is what you are. If you want to unlock more opportunities, level up in your creative career, and maybe even feel better about yourself, we suggest thinking in verbs and focusing less on what you are and more on what you do.

When you’re reworking your creative resume or embarking on a new creative job search, it may benefit you to place less emphasis on the job titles you’ve held and more on the responsibilities you upheld. Go beyond the title and get to the real story.

Let’s Be Clear

Silicon Valley startup culture – with all its innovations, disruptions, and eccentricities – has been a big influence on the culture of work for over a decade. As part of its subversion of old corporate power structures, it created enormous fiscal wealth, along with a wealth of strange and often blatantly inflated new job titles, as many Senior Road Warrior Marketing Interns and Wizards of Lightbulb Moments might attest.

The most extreme (lampooned well on HBO) are now running their course, leaving a lot of these Chief Thought Providers and Digital Overlords struggling to explain what it was they actually did.

Specificity kills ambiguity. Even if you’ve had some odd job titles in the past, you can strengthen your resume by emphasizing your day-to-day activities, larger objectives, and concrete contributions. Show your solid skills and concentrated work ethic. Eliminate jargon and explain your work in the most literal terms you can think of.

If you’re having trouble with this, work with an experienced creative recruiter to rephrase your resume and highlight real accomplishments that hiring managers will understand.

Quantify Accomplishments

When you write about your responsibilities, show that you took them seriously by connecting to the results you generated.

If you were in charge of a campaign or a project, be sure to mention its goals and how you achieved them. Especially if you delivered it in three days ahead of time or 25% below the requested budget, or with results that exceeded expectations by a factor of four. (Specific numbers and metrics, if applicable, are always good.)

Share Your Journey

Since our early days, humans have made sense of reality through storytelling and the metaphor of travel. Your resume should suggest a narrative arc, a journey from there, to here, to the next opportunity you’re angling for.

You can use classic story structures to show how you overcame adversity, built on your past experiences and achievements, and evolved. This will make it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to picture you in a new position that represents a logical progression.

When your terminology is clear and purposeful, your career can be grand and glorious, and you can conjure many more lightbulb moments into watershed moments.

At Artisan Creative, we help creative professionals surpass their own expectations. Contact us today to learn more.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 535th issue of our a.blog.

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