A Final Farewell

By: Samantha Werry

Being a senior in Visual Communication Design, I am sad, yet happy to say I AM GRADUATING! Due to that, this post is my final post EVER. I am sorry that none of you will get to hear the amazing advice from the wonderful Samantha Werry anymore, but there will be some new interns coming in next year who have some great advice and talent. Since this is my last post, I wanted to focus on how to wrap everything up.

Besides the whole, leaving Purdue thing, I know I will also be leaving an amazing team who has helped one another through thick and thin. Some of you will come to this point in your life and have to say goodbye to employers and team members. When this day comes, always try to do your best to leave on a good note. Make sure you get and save all of their information for you to contact them in the future. You will never know when you will run into them again or need anything from them in the future! Make sure you also actually stay in touch. Send them an email, Facebook message, LinkedIn post, Tweet or even call them every once in a while. It shows to them and to future employers that you will be loyal to where you work. You also never know if you will end up working with them again! I know I am going to be working with the wonderful Katy Claucherty again this summer!

Before you leave, obtain work you have done to help build your portfolio. Always leave with the original files because you will never know if you will need them again. It is always a good idea to have your boss or manager write you a letter of recommendation. It will help you stand out from the rest and help you realize what they thought your strengths were. A letter of recommendation will also be a great addition to your portfolio.

Overall, if you end everything on a good note, it will help you in the future. Networking and staying in touch with everyone will help you grow. I am sad to be leaving Purdue and the LACD team, but I am happy to be starting a new chapter in my life. My final piece of advice is to keep working hard. Never give up. You will end up right where you need to be in life. GOODBYE EVERYONE!!

5 Tips for Design Students

By: Samantha Werry

All students in or going into graphic design should know these simple tips. Some of these tips come from a recent graduate out in the work world who is now a reviewer. He gives us fellow designers some great tips and suggestions to keep our design ways fresh and new. Like myself, designers always need to stay on top of the design world and practices out there. These 5 tips are just a small way of improving our knowledge of the design world.

Tip 1: Do not be afraid of the web

Internet development is growing! From my experience, we have only had a little work with web development, but I loved it! I am one of the few who actually WANTS to code! The Internets will not bite, I swear! The majority of classes out there are for some sort of print, but not much web. I know Purdue has web classes, but you do not have to learn only in school. But a book and take a crack at it! It is really important to at least understand how to design for the web, even if you cannot code a web page. Also, you absolutely NEED an updated portfolio website to showcase your work.

Tip 2: Do not be afraid to experiment

Go crazy! Make crazy, out-there, weird, scribble type, violate hierarchy rules, break the grid, and include hand drawn elements with vector elements. In classes, you are learning design principals so why not break them to see what is really wrong? Learning how they are wrong is a great way to go about things as well to really see why the right way is the “right way.” Design school is when you get the most freedom. You are the client and have to please yourself with the help of your teachers. Experiment with different design styles. This will help you learn and grow as a designer.

Tip 3: Always have business cards, and always carry them with you

It is a missed opportunity if someone comes up to you at an art show and wants to learn more about your designs and you cannot give them something to help them find more of your work. Business cards are so cheap and easy to make! You can get 100-250 cards for about $20. Keep them in your purse, wallet, portfolio, car, or even your pocket! If someone comes to you and another designer and you do not have a card but she does, guess what? You will not get the job.

Tip 4: Take your class projects further

It cannot hurt! Doing this will only further your skills as a designer and at the same time make you stand out as an over achiever to further employees. Say you were assigned a magazine cover and spread, why not design the rest of the magazine and make it look as complete as possible? Take a logo design assignment and further the identity and design a website. A goal every designer should have is to take a project farther. Always have extra examples than not enough. It shows you are passionate about what you are doing and that you want to achieve something greater. Do not be afraid to mention that you went above and beyond and took something further in a job interview.

Tip 5: Make a habit of talking about your work

If you are a graduating senior like myself, you need to make a habit of talking about your portfolio. Go to your teachers and ask for a portfolio review. It is a great way to practice for job interviews as well as learn about what needs to be improved in your portfolio. Also, practice around non-designers. A lot of the times when you are looking for jobs, HR departments will interview you and they will not understand designer lingo. So it is always best to practice around multiple different types of people.

Overall, designers need to do their best to stay on top of current design trends. Look up new information, do not be afraid to learn, and further yourself anyway you can. The best designers take an extra step to make them stand out in any way. Do not be afraid to do what needs to be done.

Information from: http://www.nikibrown.com/designoblog/2009/04/23/5-tips-for-design-students/

Websites for Graphic Design Jobs

By: Samantha Werry

Like many, since I am graduating this spring, I am searching for jobs and oh how that’s been a good one… (not really) I have been searching through the typical career websites like Monster, LinkedIn, Indeed.com, and many more, but I have been having a hard time finding jobs I am interested in or even available for that matter. So one day, I decided to simply Google “websites to help find graphic design jobs,” and guess what came up. More information than I realized! Since I found this information, I thought it would be useful to share for my fellow graphic designers. These all can help you find that dream job you are searching for.

1. Coroflot 

Coroflot hosts over 80,000 graphic design portfolios and currently has over 700 job listings! I don’t know about you, but that sounds great to a designer! The jobs are even organized into a variety of design related categories! So if you want something in web development, all you have to do is search for it! One cool factor about this is that you can even sign up for job alerts when something is in your category!

2. Behance 

The Behance job board is growing fast! It is simple to navigate and has so many options. Make sure you check this one out soon before the competition gets even rougher! They have listings from everywhere and you can even search specific cities if you know where you want to go.

3. Authentic jobs

This lists all the new jobs, both full-time and part-time! So if you want to only work part-time due to an issue, here can help you find just what you are looking for.

4. AIGA Design Jobs

I know most graphic design students here at Purdue have heard of AIGA since we have a group apart of it here on campus. This company’s reputation is huge and has a great job selection to choose from. Many large and well-respected companies look for new and/or experienced designers here.

5. Krop

Krop is apparently one of the largest and most well known websites to find graphic design jobs. This is news to me! As soon as I found this out, I made sure to check it out! This has been around for a long time and new jobs are listed often by top agencies and design studios! So this is helpful for the designers that want to go anywhere their hearts desire and for the one’s who want to work for the “best.”

6. design:related

This is a great tool for all designers. They have a section for viewing portfolios if you need help or inspiration for your own! This showcases many great listings, including design management jobs, interactive jobs and many others requiring varying experiences. So this one can help the straight out of school designers.

7. Freelance Switch

Freelance Switch speaks for itself. Many students who don’t have a job yet want to stay fresh with their design. Freelance design is something people can do even if they want to do it on the side of their main job. This board is another job listing site that has a variety of design, development, illustration and flash jobs.

8. Smashing Magazine

This is a large design related blog that also has a job board with design and development jobs. The listings are organized into full-time and freelance positions for easier navigation. This tool is another helper for those freelance designers out there.

9. Fresh Web Jobs

Many designers love web design more than anything. This site helps those designers find a more specific job in the listings. But do not be discouraged! This site also has many graphic design jobs as well!

10. Simply Hired

Simply Hired is a great site to check out because it shows design job listings from many different websites! It also has filter options so you can easily weed out listings that do not appeal to you! You can search for all sorts of design jobs!

I hope my new-found knowledge helps all those designers out there! Keep reading my postings because I am going to continually write about graphic design ideas! The more you read, the better off you will be!

http://www.youthedesigner.com/2008/04/21/10-great-places-to-find-graphic-design-jobs/

Last 8 Myths of Design

By: Samantha Werry

As promised, I have returned with the four other graphic design myths! If you haven’t yet read the first four myths, scroll down to my blog post right before this one and you will find all the information you need. These final myths are just as important as the first four, so make sure you read both posts!

Myth #5: Clients Realize that the Designer Knows Best, and will Give them Freedom to Design

I know what your all thinking, people hire designers for a reason so they have to trust what you do. NOT true! Yea they will trust you to show them what they are wanting, but they will always think that they can do just as good as you can even though they are not trained to. They think they have the same amount of skill set as you and know what they want. They think it will turn out just perfect if they have their way. They will direct every detail and revise your designs into the ground. There is only so much advice you can give to someone who is stubborn with what they want.

Once you are working with a paying client, you need to do anything you can to make them happy in order to get paid. You need to figure out ways to make the impossible work and make them happy even if you hate the end product. It is not your job to create something you love; it’s your job to create something your client loves. The client will always have revisions, believe me. And when that happens, use it as a test to see how talented you really are. Make it work. Take it as learning how to further yourself based on testing what you can do for your client.

Myth #6: Designers Can Easily Start their own Company right out of School

From what I have seen, students in VCD tend to double major in VCD and entrepreneurship. Yes, this can help students start their own company, but not right away. I’m not saying it can happen, it is just highly unlikely. Most students haven’t taken any classes about finances, how to keep the company afloat, and more. They only have the design classes. People should have some experience dealing with companies.

We learn a lot in school, but not everything we need to understand that you learn on the job. You’re not going to learn how to deal with clients, how to handle contracts, estimates, and billing, or how to hire illustrators and printers at school. You are also not going to have a reliable network of people right out of school. You are not going to know how to run a meeting, how to set up a conference call, or how to keep track of hundreds of open jobs. It is important to build a foundation for yourself with professional experience before you venture off on your own. The best thing for someone who wants to own their own business is to start off somewhere small where you can get a lot of hands on experience in all the departments of the company. You will learn a lot that way.

Myth #7: Anyone Can Do It

As I have said it before, I will say it again; clients think they can do just as good of work as you can. As designers, we get a lot of “Oh, my cousin is a designer,” or “My friend is a designer,” just to find out that these people know a little Photoshop, or create invitations with Word. People think they are designers because they can remove red-eye or add a sepia-tone to photos. Let me tell you, design is a lot more than just that. These are the people who are on their way to a second career in Graphic Design with no degree. These are the people I am up against when a client says, “ I have a neighbor who will design my website for $50.00.”

Do not let these individuals affect you. Do not drop your prices to meet theirs or become overly competitive with them. People can enjoy design as a hobby, but they will have to go through all the work you have to be able to obtain a full time career. Do not let it frustrate you. You will hear it all the time. Just let your client know that your work comes with a degree and the skills of someone who knows what they are doing. Stay professional and offer them a quality job.

Myth #8: There are Plenty of Dream Jobs to Go Around

I know in my classes, a lot of us share the same dreams. We want to work at a design company doing print design anywhere in the world. Your dreams may be different, and that’s probably good. The problem is, some of us are so set on these dream jobs that they forget to make themselves marketable just in case they cannot land their dream jobs. Try to be realistic and expand your skill set just in case. Do not close your mind to other possibilities. Who knows, maybe your will end up loving doing something totally different like Website coding or package design. Try everything out at least once so you know what you want to do for sure.

information from http://www.creativeopera.com/2009/8-common-graphic-design-myths/

8 Common Graphic Design Myths Revealed

By: Samantha Werry

Ever since I decided to go into the wonderful field of Graphic Design, I have heard so many people say things like “Oh anyone can do that” or “People don’t really need to go to school for that. They can just learn it on their own.” Well I am here to set the story straight from all the myths out their about Graphic Design careers. I am not sure where the rumors started, or how they continue to grow, but now it is time to set the record straight.

Myth #1: All Graphic Designers are Rich

All designers have the dream of being an amazingly rich, wonderfully famous designer who everyone in the world knows with the work of a genius. But this is typically just a dream, a wonderful, never-want-to-wake-up dream. Design is an extremely competitive field, and therefore, companies don’t need to go broke to keep their design departments staffed. There is always someone out there willing to work for less, and unfortunately, that keeps our salary rate pretty low right out of school. But that does not mean that if you are talented, put the time and effort in, you won’t make a lot of money. You just have to be realistic about it.

Myth #2: It’s an Easy Job

Like many of my friends who are Graphic Designers, we have all ran into people who tend to think our major is a “fun” major and that we get to do all the “easy” classes. Well I am here to tell you that is not true. Most people do around 15 to 18 credits a semester to graduate on time. I know I cannot stand it when people in other majors complain about have ONE, 3 hr long class a week and think that our classes are so much easier than theirs. Well, I have 2, 3-hour classes twice a week. So put that together, that’s 12 hours of class per week. Technically, that should be enough credit hours to be a full time student, but it is only 6 credits. Just like the actual job, people tend to think it is easy and fun. Well here it is. It is NOT easy. Designers can’t simply design anything they want for “fun,” they have to listen to their clients, respect restrictions and much more. For freelance designers, they have to work during the day to meet with the clients, see what they want, make sure they have everything right, and then at night actually sit down and design something, then redesign something because it was not up to par according to the client. That’s more like a 50+ workweek. People design because they love what they do. It is hard work, but it makes them feel good about designing wonderful pieces.

Myth #3: The Studying Ends After College

Graphic design is constantly changing from the programs being used to the style of design being desired. Designers need to keep up with the new times of the day by buying new books, learning from new designers, and realize that our world is constantly changing medias. Designers need to stay on top of the latest programs, the newest trends, and to continually expand your skill set. If your not constantly learning, you are going to get passed up by the next big thing that is constantly learning.

Myth #4: Designers Don’t Have to Deal with People

I know I would love to just sit at my desk with a dual wide-screen Apple display, play my favorite music designing what I want to design in peace, but this just isn’t always true. There are some jobs out there like this, but typically we will have to deal with clients on a daily basis. You need to be ready for anything. There will be constant interruptions, changing from one project to the next. There will be meetings, phone calls, phone conferences, and a hundred emails a day. You will be busy doing other designs while dealing with new clients each day. People want to communicate with their designer. And, in order to create a successful end product, it is your best interest to form a relationship with your clients.

Now most of you are thinking, my title says “8 Common Graphic Design Myths Revealed,” but there are only 4 myths. Where are the rest? If you become a loyal reader to my wonderful blog posts, you will get to see the rest of my blog! Please keep reading my posts for more information! I will be posting the rest again soon so stay in touch!

information from http://www.creativeopera.com/2009/8-common-graphic-design-myths/

Graphic Design Job Tips

By: Samantha Werry

Now that my winter break is over, it is time to get back to work. For my blogs last semester, I focused on general career tips and topics. This semester, I wanted to have more of a focus on a specific job and since my major is Visual Communication Design, or Graphic Design, I wanted to focus more of this degree. I wanted to help myself as well as other people in my major who is nervous to graduate.

How do you find your first job? How can you reduce the stress associated with every part of finding the job? These are some typical questions that arise in my mine. Luckily I have had a few internships, so I understand how to do this to some extent, but I have never had to search for a real job before. Below are some tips by providing an overview of the whole process.

Before you can begin.

Everyone needs to understand certain aspects of yourself and the environment to be able to work to you full potential. Some of these are

1. Yourself: your motivations, strengths, and weaknesses;

2. Your work: its nature, style, and variety; and

3. The job market: corporations, design offices, and the wide variety of other businesses that employ graphic designers. Then you can get ready to present yourself and your work in a portfolio.

Overall, make sure you do your research. Do it on yourself, what you can provide, and if the market is good where you are willing to work.

Create a portfolio.

To create a portfolio, only select your best work! The work you chose represents yourself. Since we are in school, everyone has projects they loved and some that they hated. Do not put the bad ones in there if you do not even like it. The people seeing your portfolio might think the same thing and not hire you. It is also a great idea to take advantage of your school when they are holding portfolio review sessions. Go to them! It can never hurt to get fresh eyes on your work.

Resume.

Everyone looking for any job should have a resume, but designers have more creative freedom than others. Now I am not saying to make your resume look like a poster or a part of your work, that is horrible design. You want to keep it simple, with a little something to reflect yourself. Do not make it all graphical. No one can read the resume and employers will throw it out because it has too much going on. Your portfolio is where you should display designs, not your resume. Also, give the facts an employer wants to know and needs to know. It is also another good idea to have a business card ready. There you can show your design style.

In the interview.

The first interview is always the most stressful, so arrange mock interviews with friends to get practice and feedback. Your friends can help you prepare. At the real interview, try to relax and remember to breathe. Once there, interview them as well! Find out if you would fit the company. Be interested in what they are doing. Then tell them how you would benefit their company and what you can do for them. Remember, you are the product. They need you to work there. Not you to work for them. Show them you are the best for them to get.

You got offered a job!

If you get offered the job, do not blurt out “yes” right away. Take your time deciding if this is the job you really want. Do more research on the company to make sure this is what you really want. Also see if you can afford to live where the company is with what they are offering to pay you. Overall, make sure everything can work for you.

Reference: http://justcreative.com/2007/12/30/how-to-get-your-first-job/

13 ways your resume can say you're unprofessional

By: Samantha Werry

"No offense, thebigcheese@domain.com, but if nobody has told you yet, we're telling you now: That e-mail address is not making you look particularly professional." 

Everyone wants to be as professional as possible when creating your email, right? Well there are some items on your resume that make you seem unprofessional even though your writing is to the T. Some people do not even think of these sort of topics being unprofessional. Below are 13 things you need to watch out for to make sure you do not sound unprofessional.

1. Random/cute/shared e-mail accounts
Unprofessional e-mail addresses are just one way of sending hiring managers the wrong message. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to have everything be serious and understandable to the person reading it. The quote above tells the hiring manager that the person does not take himself professionally enough, but instead, tries to be funny or cute. E-mail accounts are free and can be what ever you want them to be, but make sure you keep it consistent to your name as to make it easier for them to remember you.

2. Failure to proofread
"Deidre Pannazzo, executive director at Inspired Resumes, said it's 'amazing' how many people submit resumes that contain 'numerous typos and misspellings.'" Yes spell check is there to help you, but it cannot get ever piece of information you misspell. Say you are trying to type 'of' but type 'in' instead. The best thing you can do is to have someone proofread it for you. They are not used to what you are trying to say and will actually read it. Also, our Peer Partners here in Liberal Arts are here and more than willing to help you with your resumes. So use them for help!

3. Bikini pictures
If you attach an image along with your resume, HR can even discard the resume all together. When people do this, it sets themselves up for having a reason to be prejudged. HR tries to solve this problem by simply discarding the resume to avoid this.

4. Unprofessional voicemail
If your resume is strong enough to get a callback from an employer, you better have a good voicemail set up incase you cannot reach your phone at the time they call. This will solidify their judgement on you and make them feel even better if you are consistent. If you have a crazy voicemail that you are singing your information, you make yourself unprofessional. It can be fun for some occasions, but if your trying to get a job, it will look bad and actually hurt your chances.

5. Lazy words, 'ect.'
Do NOT use ect on a resume. It shows you are too lazy to actually take the time to fill out the qualifications. It makes it seem like you are lazy and just do not have the time.

6. Cookie-cutter resumes
I know it seems easier to have one resume and cover letter for all the jobs you are applying for because, lets face it, finding a job is hard and takes a lot of time. But trust me, it is important to take your time to make sure you are being specific to the company and job description.

7. Everything but the kitchen sink
Basically, if you have information that takes up over 2 pages, they will not read it. The hiring managers do not have time to sit their and read all applications if they are that long. Keep it short and to the point as much as possible.

8. Listing a spouse as a reference
9. Not spelling out the name of an employer or school
10. Not providing a city or state for an employer or school
11. Omitting the area code from a phone number for a reference or employer
12. Providing only a first name for a supervisor or reference
13. Including phone numbers that are no longer in service for references or employers

Source: http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/13-ways-your-resume-can-say-im-unprofessional

Professional Job Seekers

By: Samantha Werry

What does it really take to get a job? According to J.T. O’Donnell, he states that 58% of job seekers are taking advice from the wrong person.

O’Donnell states “58% of job seekers said they are using their own experience to map out and execute their job search. Meaning, they aren’t getting help from proven experts on the subject because they feel they are skilled enough to find work on their own.” Throughout his article, he has made it recognized that people are tying to find jobs on their own instead of using professional help. The professional help he is talking about isn’t just getting a resume edited, but hiring certain skilled people to look for relatable jobs for the person in need of help. He makes it known that people don’t pull their own teeth or cast their own arm, so why not get help finding a job when it’s not your area of expertise?

I would be one of the 58% who have been searching for a job all by myself. I never really thought about getting an expert to help me find what I am looking for. After reading his article, it opened my eyes to the possibilities out there. I also have learned quite a deal about what these professionals would do for me from understanding what it takes to build and execute a proper job search strategy. I was unaware of such professional help for this type of ordeal. I have only thought about Careerbuilder, InDeed, Monster and other job posting websites available to everyone for help. I have realized the benefits and drawbacks of using those websites. Those sites go through thousands upon thousands of resumes just to find the right person for the job. That gives my chances of actually getting an interview to be even smaller.

O’Donnell also mentioned the poor hiring practices are a problem. He believes it is not just the employers looking for a new worker being the problem, but you are the problem. Be believes that people tend to think that the employers could do a better job of seeing a candidate’s potential, but in fact, people need to do a better job at proving themselves to the people in need of help. Recruiters are the ones in need of a person to work there, but they are also going to be looking through multiple candidates, they have the money to spend on you, and they are the consumers to buy your services. They deserve to be a little bit picky because they know what they want. He and I believe that people need to learn how to prove to them we are what they need for their company to work better.

The message from this post is to get out there and get help from professionals who know exactly what to do. Lets face it, it is hard and scary looking to find a job that will fit you and you fit them. I know I have been nervous looking for certain jobs, but now realize there is help out their for me So for me, I am defiantly going to keep my options open to using someone of expertise to help me with finding a job.



Source: http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20121102124443-7668018-58-job-seekers-shooting-themselves-in-the-foot

Think before you Post

By: Samantha Werry

If you are like every typical college student, you know what to think when I say social media. From what I have seen, everyone either has a Facebook, twitter or some other form of communication via the Internet. When people say they do not have Facebook or twitter, you look at them like they are a little green person from Mars because it is against our age’s social norm. But for the people who do have those social media sites, they are constantly reading, posting updates and posting photos. One thing people tend to forget about posting on social media sites is those posts can last forever, even if you try to delete it. The Internet will never fully delete anything. This is true because some people like to re-activate certain cites after a period of time.

I bet everyone here has a friend that always posts something depressing or something crazy that has happened in their life. I know when I see these things, I get tired of looking at their crazy, sloppy, drunken nights. If I am noticing these things and typically do not even care about seeing them, don’t you think people who want to look at your page like business recruiters will see them and think the same thing as myself? Think before you post. It will stay their forever. It is the absolute worst if those people leave their sites public for everyone to see.

For me, I am graduating at the end of the year and realize people will start to go to my Facebook for information. I do not want embarrassing pictures of myself posted all over my wall. It looks tacky and who would really want to hire me if I was the crazy girl. Overall, think before you post. I am not saying to not have a life and have fun, but I am saying to just stop, analyze if the situation is appropriate, and then post if everything seems ok. Just think if your little old grandma looks at your page and you have profanity everywhere. Do you think she would feel like you are a grown person or a child still? Overall, you can still have a great time, but realize if it is really that important to your life.

Time to Vote

By: Samantha Werry

Every four years, the presidential voting polls are open. The last time the country held the presidential elections, I was just 1 month shy of being 18, meaning, I was obviously too young to have the opportunity to vote. So if you are like me, this is your first time voting! I will admit, I was nervous to go out and vote since I had never done it before. I did not know the process as well as the older, more experienced voters. The one thing I did know is how long it would take for me to stand in line and wait to vote. I planned accordingly and made sure I had time in my day to vote without having to miss any classes.

One of my friends posted online that their classes were all canceled today in order to let them go out and vote! At first, I believed this was a great idea, but then again, it doesn't prepare us for the “real world.” Once you graduate and get a job, you have to priorities what needs to be done in the day and how. I know we are all in college, but sometimes, you need to get up early and do something important to not only yourself, but also the entire country.

Voting is incredibly important because we have the privilege of taking part in deciding the direction in which we want our country to go. People might think they would do more harm than good by voting since they do not pay attention to the polls. I believe it is always important to take this seriously and do your research. I understand that everyone is tired of the political ads and just want to ignore this, but this is your life we are talking about. If you want change, if you believe something is going right or wrong, or if you simply want to make a difference, take your time and realize what you really want for your life. I really encourage all of you to educate yourselves as much as possible and get to the polls and vote!

Playing well with Others

By: Samantha Werry

Ever since I was a little kid, people always pushed playing with other people and making friends. When I was growing up, I was highly into playing sports and all sports for that matter. My coaches for soccer, basketball, volleyball, softball and every other sport I played pushed for people to play with others. When you have a good team and work well with each other, you can understand how they play, pass the ball when and where needed, and accomplish the goal of winning. My coaches always said, “There is no I in team.” Well in today’s workforce, you will be working with teams. Teamwork is the highest tool companies love to utilize and it drives the company to success. So take what you have learned from playing sports or being a team player in grade school and further that into the workforce.

In order to have an effective team, everyone must become a team player or a true teammate. People need to understand everyone’s skills and assets each one can hold inside the team. Everyone inside that team needs to realize why they are there, what they can do for the team, and how they can make those skills work well with the other teammates. Lisa was giving a lesson to us the other day in our meeting and made us as the question, “Why do you exist on this team?” You need to be able to answer that question with confidence in order for yourself and your team to be able to exercise your unique skills with the team.

When people talk about what they can do and how they can help the team, it creates communication, something every team needs. A team needs to be able to communicate freely with one another in order for them to maximize their products. Lets go back to the sports playing for a moment. If you are playing basketball and you are wide open for a shot, you would not stay quiet and let your teammate get the ball stolen from them. You should speak up and say you are open! Let your team members know your thoughts. Let them know the negatives and the positives. Remember, communication needs to flow and be helpful. If it becomes negative feedback, your team can start to fall apart. Team members need to learn to work well with one another to maximize everything from talking, to sending papers to one another. Make sure everyone is on the same page and things will flow easier. Remember, there is no I in team, so work as a team together.

Google Yourself

By: Samantha Werry

We all have realized employers are looking to the Internet more and more for information. Once people turn in job applications, they will try to find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google and everything in-between. What shows up with they Google you? Things you do not want them to find or exactly what you want them to find? For me, there are a few other Samantha Werry’s our there, but thankfully they are keeping all online lives private. As for myself, I keep everything private as well so Google will not post every little detail of my life up there. But what if something bad does pop up? How do you fix it? Personal Branding is key. By creating a unique personal brand you use on your resume, portfolio, cover letter, business cards, etc., you can control what everyone else sees of yourself.

When I Googled myself, I luckily found my personal online portfolio, which is exactly what I want them to find. It is my personal site holding all my information and design works. When I am looking for a job, I want them to be able to see my work without having to struggle to find it. I also want them to see where I go to school, my email and phone number, and all my pieces. For me, Purdue is proudly displayed on my site as well as my information. I want to represent myself in a proud, beautiful way.

All in all, when you Google yourself, you want everything to pop up of your personal branding. Start posting professional information about yourself by using LinkedIn or go the route I did and get a personal site for yourself. Control your information by making certain, helpful items findable. You want it to be easy for employers to find yourself, but you want it to be in a control way by using your personal brand. So go ahead! Google yourself! See what pops up.

Making a change

By: Samantha Werry

After talking to my fellow intern Corinne, she informed me about the first day of career week. She told me the theme and most of the details in order for me to help her find more discussion topics. We started to talk about career shifts and changes and the topic got me thinking. Career shifts happen all the time. Even a few of my teachers have had career shifts in their lifetime. But since we are all college students here, I wanted to focus more on shifts in majors from shifts inside the schools or outside.

Now a days, students change their majors all the time. Here at Purdue, it is not uncommon for students to stay an extra semester or even a year. It happens and I believe if people are not happy with what their major is, they should not feel ashamed to change majors. It is just like a person outside of college shifting careers. Yes it will be different and can make your plans not go “according to plan,” but if you believe you will be happier and perform better elsewhere, do not feel pressured to stay where you are. Change is good since we are from the generation of change. I have even changed majors and I am going to graduate on time. My last semester will only need minimal credits to graduate as well. So it goes to show, even if you change majors, you can put your heart to it and get it done all in time. You can even feel great about where you end up. All in all, it is your life. You can do whatever makes you happy. Major changes happen and are quite normal. So once you are out of college, do not feel like you are stuck with one career. Try everything you want until you find something that fits you perfectly.

Thank you letters

It is about that time of the year where students will start to get interviews for jobs or internships for the summer. Once you apply for a job, people will contact you about having an interview. Based on my experiences, I am always nervous and excited to actually talk to the people I could possibly be working for. One thing people should never forget is to send a thank you letter to the person who interviewed you to show respect. It is a lot for them to take the time out of their day and meet with someone who wants to work for them.

Thank you letters can be sent in a few ways: paper mail or email. I believe paper mail is the route to go. It gives the letter you personal touch and it goes to show you will go the long, harder way for them and their company. You want people to feel appreciated for taking the time to get to know you. You also want to show interest in the company and what you know you can offer to the company if they chose you. It is just another way of putting yourself out there and making sure they will remember you and your special qualities. In an etiquette class I have taken, the speaker told us to never buy a card that says thank you on the front. It defeats the purpose of saying thank you for you time in the inside. Have something unique and eye catching on the front and express what you want said in the inside. Overall, a hand written thank you card sent to the person interviewing you at their company will help you stand out and show your interest. So be the best you can be even until the end.

The use of LinkedIn

As we are starting our 6^th week of school here at Purdue, classes have begun to pick up for everyone. Before we know it, midterms will be rolling around the corner making things even tougher. Lets face it; we wouldn’t be college students if we were not procrastinating. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and more all can distract you from accomplishing your tasks. And we all know people have at least one or all of the social media. One social media people forget about is LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a mix of social and professional media people use to stay connected- especially to old coworkers, bosses, and much more. It is a tool people can use to find job information, stay in touch with people to get a different job and much more. It is basically the Facebook of professional connections. Here are a few tips on getting the most out of your LinkedIn account.

 Personalize your connections. If you are going to add someone you found that you worked for 2 years ago, always add a personal tag to show interest in the person. It will always make them feel great you remembered the person. They are more likely to remember you as well.

Complete your profile. Remember, LinkedIn is a professional site where one can get jobs! So always, always, always have an updated resume and profile. It if is unfinished, people will assume you are lazy and “don’t have the time to put the effort in.”

Professional Photo. Facebook is for the fun, laid back photos. Stay professional by using a nice, clean photo of yourself where you are not with your friends, drinking and partying. It looks really bad to employers looking at your site. It screams unprofessional.

Re-post or post professional thoughts. The more active you use your profile, the better and more professional it looks. Follow some of your favorite professional people and see what they have to say. It can never hurt to know more about the professional world since we are all going to graduate one day!

Following your Dreams

Parents always tell children they can do what ever they want if they follow their dreams. Yes, it can be hard and there can be struggle, but in the end, I believe you will end up with what you really wanted. Life is too short, do what you really want to do, what you have a passion for, what really makes you, you. Do you really want to look back one day at your life and say, “if only” or “what if?” That question can really hurt someone. Think they didn’t do what they were meant to do. It might be hard or hard for someone else to accept that you want to do something totally different with your life than the social norm, parent’s norm, or even your sibling’s norm. Break free and do what you love. You could regret it one day. No one wants to be in a job where you hate what you are doing.

If it comes to you hating what you are doing, take a second and evaluate your life. Realize it is not the end of the world if you are doing something you personally think is not right for you. It could be what you parents want, but is it really what you want? Since being in college, I know I wanted to pick something that interests me, that I know I can do it, and that I understand that choice. Before choosing a career path, look farther down the road, see what kind of jobs are out there with that major. See if you are really up to doing those hours, the type of work, where it can take you and more. Once you have decided, it can never ever hurt if you get an internship around that major. The internship can help you realize if the job is really what you want. It can also help you decide if you want to go a certain way with a major or another way. For me, I am a graphic designer. I have had an internship over the summer where I was originally worried I would not like the work I was doing. It turned out, I loved what I was doing and want to stay with that certain path of poster design. I also love website coding, but realized with my internship I am more versatile than I originally thought. So over all, always do what YOU want, not what others expect you to want, take a rise and don’t ask “what if”, and do research on what really excites you.

Applying Everywhere

Now that I am a senior here at Purdue, it is time for me and every other senior to start applying for jobs. The Industrial Round Table is here this week and I encourage EVERYONE to go, even if you think there is nothing there for you or your major, it turns out there are. All one needs to do is look up the company online, see what they are hiring for, dress nice, and check the company out! It can never hurt. It is weird to think that people get their jobs by standing in some grass taking to some people. It cannot hurt to start marketing yourself in the “real world.”

When it comes to the decision of where I want to work, the question is easy for me: Indianapolis. Even though I said Indianapolis is where I really want to work, I am going to apply for jobs EVERYWHERE. I am not going to put resumes in only in places in Indianapolis. That makes myself seem so much less marketable to those companies. It seems like she is very stiff and will not ‘go with the flow.’  Why I said Indianapolis, it is because that is where I want to end up. I do not necessarily need to start there, but I would love to end up working there near my family and friends. I know that once I start a job in one place, it might not be permanent. People in that company might need me to transfer somewhere else, even across the world. I believe if you get the opportunity to work someplace across the world for a few years, you should take it. It will open your eyes to what else is out in the world besides the town you are from or the town you really want to live in. You never know if you end up falling in love with Spain or Australia and the job you work for. After a few years, if you believe you are ready to settle down and go back to the original place you love, you can start applying there. Since you have a job and experience, you can continue looking for the right job for you and not take the first job you find in that original place. You can take your time finding the perfect job in the perfect place. Once you have the experience, you are so much more marketable. 

Call Outs

Here at Purdue, I see call out dates everywhere: on flyers, through email, school paper, websites, and even chalking. When I stared school here at Purdue, I did not think twice about call outs. My only thoughts were on my classes, grades, friends, and what kind of life I wanted to live here. I was a younger person who did not realize call outs could actually be helpful.

Since those younger days, I have been to many call outs. Surprisingly, the chalking were the most beneficial to me. They were always easy to read, always in eyesight and some are done very a pealing to my eye. I did find a lot of other call outs by other means, but for me personally, I always enjoyed chalking. They never caused trouble for janitors because there was nothing to be cleaned at the end. No papers to throw away or anything. Rain simply washed them away.

But to get to the main point, call outs are very beneficial for people. They get you involved in the Purdue live, become apart of something and help you learn more about ideas that interest you. Call outs can help you in many ways. They can go into detail about what the club, event, or contest is all about. If you ask me, it can never hurt to go to a call out. If you think you are 100% into the club or whatever it is, you could be wrong when you learn more at the call out. It could even have the opposite effect! If you are not 100% sure about doing the event, the call out could be the push you need to get you interested.

From a person who has been a major part of some call outs we have had here for LACD, I know people find out more information about what they are getting themselves into. You can even meet people who can help you further yourself in your career. They could even be the people who remember you down the road and help you get a job. All in all, branch out and try something new; it cannot hurt.

Never in an Interview...

By Samantha Werry

Based of a career article I found by Caroline Dowd-Higgins, these are the top things to never do in an interview. I found these top 6 to be very inspiring and now I know I will never forget these little pieces of information when I am interviewing for any job. For many people, the most stressful part is the interview process, so if you remember these little tips, it can help you out a whole bunch.

The first one she mentioned was Carrying too much stuff into the interview. For me, I bring a portfolio of my past work with my resume as well, and a pen or pencil and nothing more. You want to appear as a professional, not a harried student with a backpack and folders at hand trying to get to class on time. I know many of us are students who have interviews here on campus. If you do, always ask if you can store your backpack or jacket somewhere while you are interviewing. When it comes to drinks, do not bring any. Have water stored in your backpack just in case. If they offer you water, always take it. You never know when you will get thirsty or a coughing fit will happen.

The next tip she mentioned was Bragging that you're a 'perfectionist.' Many interviewers will see this as a red flag. It can mean you are difficult to work with and always want things to go your way. You want to tell the truth, but do it in a flattering way by saying you are detail-oriented. This way you are still telling the truth, but in a calmer way that will not freak out the interviewer.

Confessing to multiple weaknesses was the next talked about. Typically, interviewers ask you to describe your biggest weakness to see if you are self-aware enough to identify something you can improve upon. But that doesn't mean you should rattle off a full, big list. Name at least one weakness that is relevant to the job and yourself, and explain how you are working to improve that skill.

When she mentioned Giving obviously rehearsed answers, it made me think, I want to be prepared don’t I? Well after I thought about it, yes you do want to be prepared, but not set on answering a set way. It's important that you seem relatable, natural and likable, as well as smart. You do not want to seem like a drone doing only what you have to. Let your personality shine and if you do not fit, then the job was not right for you in the first place.

This one is my favorite and is so the truth. Having no clue about the company you're interviewing with. You should always be able to answer questions about the company. If not, you seem unprepared and not even interested in working there at all. It seems like you are not wanting to be there and they know that. Before the interview, you need to check out the company's website and speak with people who might also know the organization. This is they determines if you are just trying to get any job or you are genuinely interested in their company and this particular opportunity. An interviewer wants to know that you took the time to get to know them since competition is fierce and not preparing points out a lack of seriousness. Always go to their website for more information.

NEVER  Answer your phone or fumble with it. Sure, it's rude if the interviewer is constantly checking his phone, but if your phone goes off during the interview, you just look unprofessional. You better say sorry about 50 times and turn if off and store it away from you. Good rule of thumb, turn if off or don’t bring it inside with you.

After all of her topics, I believe these are a great rule of thumb to always consider. My number one thing is to let your personality shine, because if you are being what they want you to be, you might end up hating the job you get. You should always get a job you really are interested about because in the end if you hate it, you will quite shortly after and then you have to go through this process all over again.

Be Friends with Everyone

By Samantha Werry

In the summer right before my senior year, I had the most amazing internship at a company called RCI. Besides furthering myself with my design work, the fabulous people there told me a few important ideas to remember, one being to get to know everyone you can.

Whether you need someone’s help finding a job, someone to put in a good word for you, help with resume building, someone to write a recommendation letter, someone you made a difference with by a good first impression, or someone to even get a job from and work for, those people you remember can help you get THE job you want. You never know when you will run into that person again, so it can never hurt to always put your best foot forward when meetings someone. Always let your personality shine and never hold back on what you know you can do and what you believe in. Do not be afraid to start a conversation, ask for help, or anything especially in an internship. They are here to help you learn as well.

I know there are a lot of social medias out there to help with staying connected. My big advice is to use LinkedIn. If you haven’t heard of it, it is basically a professional Facebook in my opinion. You can stay connected with everyone you meet, and always see if they want to catch up. It can never hurt to put your self out there. Who knows, maybe the person in a call center will remember you and hire you at a big new company? So all in all, be yourself, use LinkedIn, ask questions, catch up with people, and let yourself shine.