Jack of all trades ...

Out of context: Reply #13

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  • monNom0

    I think being a jack of all trades can be a benefit for smaller firms (< 30), or if you are engaging (smaller) clients yourself as a sole-proprietor. It might be seen as a drawback for larger organization that want cogs in the machine, and want the absolute shiniest cog they can get. I think that second sort of organization is rarer, and I suspect they are struggling these days too - IE not adding to headcount.

    The first sort of business has more churn. New firms open, new ones close. Not many last 5 years. Now seems like the time that new businesses will be forming, but their needs will be small, so you would need a lot of them --find them on Linkedin!

    Also note: you can be a jack of all trades, but look like a specialist if that's the only thing you show people. Your intended audience will determine whether that's a good idea. Pick the thing you are best at. How do you compare to the other specialists out there? Don't have enough work in that specific area? make shit up! Post it on social media with some commentary. I know many people who have a recognizable style (for like illustration/type) that have built their business that way.

    Last advice: depending on how much experience you have, now might just be the time to start your own business and serve small customers directly. There are not that many AD positions available, and there is a lot of competition for them. In addition, most small companies, if they have a designer they are happy with, don't change them. There are many people that just lost their jobs and now have a chance to work on their dream business. You can help them define it, and grow along with them. Find them through Linkedin!

    As for your portfolio: just make it so work shows up right away and you can scroll through it. Look at __hance for examples of how to present things in their best light. In fact, make your portfolio in that format then dump the whole thing on __hance too. Can't hurt.

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