Z U L F E K A R S H U M O N

Mass Vs Weight

2011-08-26T06:11:00.001-07:00

Mass Vs Weight
The following table will cover a few mass and weight comparison points that will help you understand the mass and weight difference in a glance:

Mass and Weight Comparison

Mass	Weight
Mass is the quantity of matter in a body.	Weight is the force with which a body is attracted towards the center of the earth.
Mass is a scalar quantity.	Weight is a vector quantity.
The mass of an object is constant on Earth and even in space.	The weight of an object can vary from place to place and becomes zero at the center of the earth. It is also zero in places that are far away from earth.
m = F/a is the mass of a moving body.	W = mg, is the weight of a body.
An ordinary weighing balance can help you weigh mass.	Spring balance helps measure the weight of an object.
The unit of mass in the S.I system is Kilogram (kg).	The unit of weight in S.I system is Newton (N)
1. Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. 2. It is independent of any external factor.	1. Weight of an object depends on the mass of an object that is attracting it. 2. Weight is also dependent on the force with which it is attracted. It in turn depends on the distance between the two objects.

Circular Flow of Income Model of an Economy

2011-08-26T06:03:00.001-07:00

The circular flow of income model is a model used to show the flow of income through an economy. Through showing the leakages in the economy and the injections, the different factors affecting the economic activities are apparent. Just like a leakage in a fish tank a leakage in the economy leads to a decrease in economic activity.

And just like an injection into a fish tank where the water level rises, an injection in an economy leads to an increase in economic activity. To understand how the circular flow of income can be used to show disequilibrium in the economy you must first understand what disequilibrium is. Disequilibrium is the state where economic activity is not equal, that is where leakages > injections or when leakages

The basic circular flow of income model consists of six assumptions:

· he economy consists of two sectors: households and firms.

· Households spend all of their income (Y) on goods and services or consumption (C). There is no

saving (S).

· All output (O) produced by firms is purchased by households through their expenditure (E).

· There is no financial sector.

· There is no government sector.

· There is no overseas sector.

In the simple two sector circular flow of income model (Fig 1) the state of equilibrium is defined as a situation in which there is no tendency for the levels of income (Y), expenditure (E) and output (O) to change, that is: Y = E = O.

This means that all household income (Y) is spent (E) on the output (O) of firms, which is equal in value to the payments for productive resources purchased by firms from households. This can be shown in an example where John earns $100.00, he doesn’t save it and spends it all on the goods and services (O) provided by the firms.

Table all leakages and injections in five sector model:

LEAKAGES	INJECTION
Saving (S)	Investment (I)
Taxes (T)	Government Spending (G)
Imports (M)	Exports (X)

The five sector model of the circular flow of income is a more realistic representation of the economy. Unlike the two sector model where there are six assumptions the 5 sector circular flow runs on the basis that all the 6 assumptions are relaxed. Since the first assumption is relaxed there are 3 more sectors introduced. The first is the Financial Sector that consists of banks and non-bank intermediaries who engage in the borrowing (savings from households) and lending of money.

In terms of the circular flow of income model the leakage that financial institutions provide in the economy is the option for households to save there money. This is a leakage because the saved money can not be spent in the economy and thus is an idle asset that means not all output will be purchased. The injection that the financial sector provides into the economy is investment (I) into the business/firms sector.

An example of a group in the finance sector includes banks such as Westpac or financial institutions such as Suncorp.

The next sector introduced into the circular flow of income is the Government Sector that consists of the economic activities of local, state and federal governments in Australia. The leakage that the Government sector provides is through the collection of revenue through Taxes (T) that is provided by households and firms to the government. For this reason they are a leakage because it is a leakage out of the current income thus reducing the expenditure on current goods and services.

The injection provided by the government sector is Government spending (G) that provides collective services and welfare payments to the community. An example of a tax collected by the government as a leakage is income tax and an injection into the economy can be when the government redistributes this income in the form of welfare payments, that is a form of government spending back into the economy.

The final sector in the circular flow of income model is the overseas sector which transforms the model from a closed economy to an open economy. The main leakage from this sector are imports (M),in the context of Australia imports represents spending by Australian residents into the rest of the world. The main injection provided by this sector is the exports of goods and services where again in the context of Australia generates income for the exporters from overseas residents.

An example of the use of the overseas sector is where Australia exports wool to China, China pays the exporter of the wool (the farmer) therefore more money enters the economy thus making it an injection. Another example is where China processes the wool into items such as coats and Australia imports the product by paying the Chinese exporter, since the money paying for the coat leaves the economy it is a leakage.

In terms of the 5 sector circular flow of income model (Fig 2) the state of equilibrium occurs when the total leakages are equal to the total injections that occur in the economy. This can be shown as:

>Savings + Taxes + Imports = Investment + Government Spending + Exports,or: S + T + M = I + G + X.

This can be further illustrated through the fictitious economy of Noka where:

· S + T + M =I + G + X

· $100 + $150 + $50 = $50 + $100 + $150

· $300 = $300

Figure 3: Equilibrium

Therefore since the leakages are equal to the injections the economy is in a stable state of equilibrium. This state can be contrasted to the state of disequilibrium where unlike that of equilibrium the sum of total leakages does not equal the sum of total injections. By giving values to the leakages and injections the circular flow of income can be use to show the state of disequilibrium. Since disequilibrium can be shown as:

>S + T + M I + G + X,

Therefore it can be shown as one of the below equations where:

· Total leakages > Total injections

· $150 (S) + $250 (T) + $150 (M) > $75 (I) + $200 (G) + 150 (X)

Or

· Total Leakages < Total injections

· $50 (S) + $200 (T) + $125 (M) < $75 (I) + $200 (G) + 150 (X)

The effects of disequilibrium vary according to which of the above equation they belong to.

If S + T + M > I + G + X the levels of income, output, expenditure and employment will fall causing a recession or contraction in the overall economic activity. But if S + T + M < I + G + X the levels of income, output, expenditure and employment will rise causing a boom or expansion in economic activity.

But to manage this problem if disequilibrium was to occur in the five sector circular flow of income model, changes in expenditure and output will lead to equilibrium being regained. An example of this is if:

S + T + M > I + G + X the levels of income, expenditure and output will fall causing a contraction or recession in the overall economic activity.

As the income falls (Figure 4) households will cut down on all leakages such as saving, they will also pay less in taxation and with a lower income they will spend less on imports. This will lead to a fall in the leakages until they equal the injections and a lower level of equilibrium will be the result.

The other equation of disequilibrium, if S + T + M < I + G + X in the five sector model the levels of income, expenditure and output will greatly rise causing a boom in economic activity. As the household’s income increases there will be a higher opportunity to save therefore saving in the financial sector will increase, taxation for the higher threshold will increase and they will be able to spend more on imports.

In this case when the leakages increase they will continue to rise until they are equal to the level injections. The end result of this disequilibrium situation will be a higher level of equilibrium.

This is how the circular flow of income model can be used to explain how disequilibrium in the economy occurs.

INFLUENCING FACTORS ON DESIGN

2011-08-22T09:57:00.001-07:00

1. The size and extent of the menu

Before a kitchen is planned, the management must know its goals and objectives in relationship to market strategy. In other words what markets are you aiming at and what style of operation are you going to operate? The menu will then determine the type of equipment you will require in order to produce the products that you know from the market research that the customer is going to buy. You also need to know target numbers that you intend to service.

2. Services

The designer must know where the services are located and how efficient use can be made of them. E.g. - Gas, Electricity and Water.

3. Labour and skill level

What kind of people does the company intend to employ? This will have an effect on the technology and equipment to be installed. The more prepared food used, the more this will affect the overall kitchen design.

4. Amount of capital expenditure

Most design has to work with a detailed capital budget. Often it is not always possible to design, then worry about the cost afterwards. Finance will very often determine the overall design and acceptability. Because space is at a premium, kitchens are generally smaller. Equipment is therefore being designed to cater for this trend, becoming more modular and streamlined and generally able to fit into less space. This is seen as a cost-reduction exercise. Labour is a significant cost factor so equipment is being designed for ease of operation, maintenance and cleaning.

5. Use of prepared convenience foods

A fast-food menu using prepared convenience food will influence the planning and equipping very differently from cook-chill kitchen. Certain factors will have to be determined:

§ Will sweets and pastries be made on the premises?

§ Will there be a need for larder or butcher?

§ Will fresh or frozen food or a combination of both be used?

6. Types of equipment available

The type, amount and size of the equipment will depend on the type of menu being provided. The equipment must be suitably sited. When planning a kitchen, standard symbols are used which can be produced on squared paper to provide a scale design. Computer-aided design (CAD) is now often used.

7. Hygiene and the Food Safety Act 1990/91/95

Design and construction of the kitchen must comply with the Hygiene and Food Safety Act 1990/91/95. The basic layout and construction should enable adequate space to be provided in all food handling and associated areas for equipment as well as working practices and frequent cleaning to be carried out.

8. Design and decor

The trend towards provision of more attractive eating places, carried to its utmost perhaps by the chain and franchise operators, has not been without its effect on kitchen planning and design. One trend has been that of bringing the kitchen area tota1l or partially into view, with the development of back bar type of equipment; for example. Where grills or griddles are in full public view and food is prepared on them to order.

While there will be a continuing demand for the traditional heavy duty type of equipment found in larger hotels and restaurant kitchens, the constant need to change and update the design and decor of modern restaurants means that the equipment life is generally shorter, reduced perhaps from ten years to seven or five or even less, to cope with the demand for change and redevelopment.

This has resulted in the generally improved design of catering equipment with the introduction of modular units.

9. Multi-usage requirements

Round the clock requirements such as in hospitals, factories doing shift work, the police and armed forces, have also forced kitchen planners to consider design of kitchens with a view to their partial use outside peak times. To this end kitchen equipment is being made more adaptable and flexible, so that whole sections can be closed down when not in use, in order to maximize savings on heating, lighting and maintenance.

HAND TOOL AND SMALL EQUIPMENT

2011-08-22T09:56:00.001-07:00

1. Ball Cutter, Melon Ball Scoop, or Parisienne Knife - Blade is a small, cup shaped half sphere. Used for cutting fruits and vegetables into small balls.

2. Cook’s Fork - Heavy, two-pronged fork with a long handle, some for lifting and turning meats and other items. Must be strong enough to hold heavy loads.

3. Straight Spatula or Palette Knife - A long flexible blade with a rounded end. Used mostly for spreading icing on cakes and for mixing and bowl scraping.

4. Sandwich Spreader - A short, stubby spatula. Used for spreading fillings and spreads on sandwiches.

5. Offset Spatula - Broad blade, bent to keep hand off hot surfaces. Used for turning arid lifting eggs, pancakes, and meats on griddles, grills, sheet pans, and so on. Also used as scraper to clean bench or griddle.

6. Rubber Spatula or Scraper - Broad, flexible rubber or plastic tips on long handle. Used to scrape bowls and pans. Also used for folding in egg foams or whipped cream.

7. Pie Server - A wedge shaped offset spatula. Used for lifting pie wedges from pan.

8. Bench Scraper or Dough Knife - A broad, stiff piece of metal with a wooden handle on one edge. Used to cut pieces of dough and to scrape workbenches.

9. Pastry Wheels or Wheel Knife - A round, rotating blade on a handle. Used for cutting rolled out dough and. pastry and baked pizza.

10. Spoons: Solid, Slotted and Perforated - Large stainless steel spoons, holding about 3 ounces. Used for stirring, mixing, and serving. Slotted and perforated spoons are used when liquid must be drained from solids.

11. Skimmer - Perforated disc, slightly supped, on along handle. Used for skimming forth from liquids and for removing soled pieces from soups, stocks and other liquid.

12. Tongs - Spring type or scissors type tools used to pick up and handle foods.

13. Wire whip - Loops of stainless steel wire fastened to a handle. There are two kinds of whips:

a) Heavy whips are straight, stiff, and have relatively few wires. Used for general mixing, stirring, and beating, especially heavy liquids.

b) Balloon whips or piano wire whips have mainly flexible wire. Used for whipping eggs, cream, and hollandaise, and for mixing thinner liquid.

14. China Cap - Cone shaped strainer. Used for straining stock, soups, sauces and other liquids. Pointed shaped allows the cook to drain liquids thorough a relatively small opening. Fine china cap or chinois (shee-nwah) China cap with very fine mesh. Used when great clarity or smoothness is required in a liquid.

15. Strainer Round - Bottomed, cup-shaped strainer made of screen-type mesh or of perforated metal. Used for straining pasta, vegetables, and so on.

16. Sieve Screen - type mesh supported in a round metal frame. Used for sifting flour and other dry ingredients.

17. Colander - Large perforated bowl made of stainless steel or aluminum. Used to drain washed or cooked vegetables, salad greens, pasta, and other foods.

18. Food Mill - A tool with a hand-turned blade that forces foods through a perforated disk. Interchangeable disks have different coarseness or fineness. Used for pureeing foods.

19. Grater - a four-sided metal box with different sized grids. Used for shredding and grating vegetables, cheese, citrus rinds, and other foods.

20. Zester - Small hand tool used for removing the colored part of citrus peels in thin strips.

21. Channel Knife - Small hand tool used mostly in decorative work.

22. Pastry Bag and Tubes Cone - Shaped cloth or plastic bag with open end that can be fitted with metal tubes or tips of various shapes and sizes. Used for shaping and decorating with items such as cake icing, whipped cream, duchesse potatoes, and soft dough.

23. Pastry Brush - Used to brush items with egg wash, glaze, etc.

24. Can Opener Heavy - duty food service type can openers are mounted on the edge of the workbench. They must be carefully cleaned and sanitized every day to prevent contamination of foods. Replace worn blades, which can leave metal shavings in food.

Characteristics of Business Markets

2011-08-22T09:55:00.002-07:00

• Fewer, larger buyers: The number of the buyers is less but the volume of individual buyer’s purchase is very high. So the ultimate sales volume of seller is very high.

Example: B2B Marketing – Dunlop Tires to Automobile manufacturers, Aircraft Engines to BOEING, or other etc.

• Close supplier-customer relationships: Because of smaller customer base, continuous communication and the importance of the customers; suppliers maintain very close relationship with them. And business buyers often select suppliers who also buy product from them.

Example: Paper manufacturer buys chemicals from a chemical company that buys a considerable amount of its paper (win win situation).

• Professional purchasing: Business goods are often purchased some trained purchasing agents and they must follow purchasing policies and procedures of their principal company.

Example: Like Buying Houses for the Garments Sector. They follow the sequence;

- Request for quotation

- Receive proposals

- Evaluate offerings

- Issue purchase orders

- Receive products

• Several buying influences: Buying committees consists of different functional managers, technical experts and even senior management in purchase of major goods. So they try to influence the purchase.

Example: People from different departments try to influence the buying process to serve their interest. And some special interest groups outside the company can also interfere in business buying.

• Multiple sales calls: Several sales calls (offer, communication & influence) and time is needed to satisfy all the possible queries of the business customers from bottom to top level of buyer.

• Derived demand: The demand for business goods is ultimately resulted from the demand of consumer goods. So economic condition, consumer spending, interest rate are important.

Example: TOYOTA buys steel because consumers buy cars.

If consumer demand for cars drops, so will the demand for steel and all other products used to make cars.

• Inelastic demand: Sometimes demand of some business goods & services are not highly affected by price changes. Consumer will show similar type of demand all most all the time.

Example: Demand for Raw materials of salt and medicine manufacturers. No matter how the final price (Increase/decrease) of products is; Consumer will use these products according to their regular need. So the manufacturers need a consistent level supply all the time.

• Fluctuating demand: Though business buyers demand products according to consumer’s need; but sometimes the demand for business goods and services tends to become unstable than the demand of consumer goods & services.

Example: A given percentage increase in consumer demand can lead to a much larger percentage increase in the demand for plant and equipment necessary to produce the additional output.

• Geographically concentrated buyers: Sometimes business buyers are located in some selective areas. So it is effective to target those selected areas to sell business products.

Example: Motijheel is prominent for corporate offices; again Dhanmondi & Banani areas are for private universities. So it is profitable for marketers to send their sales representatives to the respective areas.

• Direct purchasing: Usually business customers purchase products directly from manufacturers without using the intermediaries.

Example: Developer Company (Asset, Domino) purchase building materials like steel, cement and others directly from the manufacturer (Basundhara, Abul Khair Co).

Effective Graphic Design Resumes - How to Write a CV and Increase Your Chances of Graphic Design Employment

2011-08-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Introduction

When writing graphic design resumes over the years, I've read a number of "How to Write a CV" books, and one thing above all has struck me in the introductory pages. More often than not, the author begins by explaining what a minefield it can be to write your own CV, and goes on to say how much of a shame it is that there are so many so-called experts out there giving bad advice about writing CVs. Then they produce their own book full of their own opinions on the subject.

I'm not going to begin by rubbishing other authors. I am grateful for the proliferation of differing opinions on the subject. It's enabled me to come to balanced conclusions about how to write an effective CV. My opinions are based on what I've read about CV creation, graphic design resumes I have written and graphic design CVs that have been sent to me as a potential employer.

Instead of my asking you to trawl through many diverse methods of graphic design resume writing, it's my intention to give you an idea of what I believe to be a good format. It's highly flexible and can be customised to suit the position you want to win.

Graphic Design Resumes

Take a Step Back

The Latin "Curriculum Vitae" means: "The way your life has run". The French "Resume" means "Summary". Start with this in mind. The CV is a summary of YOUR working life, no one else's. Consider carefully what you'll include in a CV and how it'll look. Most people know roughly what a CV should contain, and that's enough for them. They throw everything they think might be vaguely relevant into it, often using other people's CVs (not just graphic design resumes) as a guide to graphic design resume writing. Your CV is your first impression. Make it a good one. The person charged with the task of selecting a short list of possible candidates has probably seen every line in the book. "I work well individually and as part of a team" is a very popular line. It has become almost as predictably present on the average CV as the dark lines left by a poor quality photocopy on cheap paper.

If you're responding to a recruitment ad, read it very carefully. Has it been thrown together in a hurry, or is it professionally designed? You can learn a lot about the advertiser by studying their adverts. Make sure you make careful note of exactly how to respond. Some specifically say "no resumes" and instead require an application form to be filled out. Others want your covering letter to be hand written. This will be time well spent, as it's often the case that a candidate is so pleased to find a recruitment advert that suits them that they forget to read the details and rush off a hastily prepared letter and CV, no matter what's required of them.

Find out as much about the company you are applying to as possible. Is this job really for you? The purpose of your CV is primarily to highlight your potential value to the company. It could also be used to provide material for an interview. If you are not confident that the job is right for you, it'll be picked up very quickly.

Consider what experience you have that will help you do the job well. I have found that a good and fast way to find out about a company is to visit their web site (if it exists). There's often a wealth of information available, and possibly details about the person you're writing to. It's always helpful to be in possession of more information than you might need, particularly at the interview stage.

When writing, try to think of what the reader's reaction will be. Try to sell them what you think they want to buy. This doesn't mean to say that you should be untruthful; it means that you should tailor your CV to your audience. Make the most of the information relevant to them, but don't over-egg the pudding. If you give yourself more credit than you deserve, it'll bite back if you get an interview when you are asked you to elaborate.

Graphic Design Resumes

Structure and Presentation

The layout of your CV should be concise, informative, easy-to-read and printed on good quality paper. If the reader has a pile of graphic design resumes to read, they don't want to spend more time than necessary plodding through your reams of beautifully written prose. Use short sentences and don't go off at a tangent. Left justify your type, and whichever font you use, decide on a style and stick with it throughout. There's nothing more off-putting than a document filled with different fonts, text sizes, colours and alignments. And if the job you want is as a graphic designer, there's more pressure to make your presentation appealing.

Avoid gimmicks like brightly coloured paper, or a CV folded into the shape of an aeroplane. They may provide a few moments of light relief for the reader, but it is generally accepted that it's the content that gets you the job, not your ability to be different. Recruitment is a serious business and should be treated as such. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, and the employer might specifically request an "off the wall" resume if it's relevant to a creative job. However, I can't remember the last time I saw such a request!

As a graphic design employer, I want to be confident that any prospective graphic designer knows what looks good on a page. I also want to know that they have a good feeling for presentation. I've seen it all - illegible graphic design resumes accompanied by hastily written scraps of notepaper covered in coffee, CDs full of Quicktime movies of off-the-wall college projects, traced pictures of Goofy (yes, Goofy)... none of these work for me.

Personally, I want to see clean, correctly spelled, easy-to-read graphic design resumes, and if there are any good quality, appropriate pieces of artwork from a portfolio, they can be a clincher. As for a covering letter, please avoid letting on that your intention is to learn as much as possible from your new employer before leaving and setting up your own studio in direct competition! It happens time and time again, and it's a bit of a turn-off!

Graphic Design Resumes

Content for Your Graphic Design CV

There are two basic resume layouts I'll mention here - it's up to you to make them your own. In my opinion the traditional "Tombstone" format of CV is out of date and should be avoided - the references to religion and national insurance numbers suggest that it might be more suitable for someone who wants to apply for a job sometime in the 1960s! Its order of contents goes something like this:

Name
Occupation
Address
Telephone Number
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Nationality
Marital Status
Next of Kin
Health
Driving License
Religion
National Insurance Number
Secondary Education
Higher Education
Professional Qualifications
Employment History (chronological)
Other (interests, achievements)

This format follows a more concise structure, and is what we'll focus on:

Name
Address
Telephone
Date of Birth
Career profile
Career and achievements to date
Professional qualifications and training
Tertiary education
Secondary education
Personal information

The main difference between the two approaches is that in the second example, relevant work experience is brought to the fore. The reader will be presented with the information of interest straight off the bat. Education is, of course, very important, but actual work experience is always given more weight. If your employment history is left to the end, the reader has to crunch through everything else before they find the information that is instrumental in getting you to the next stage.

Graphic Design Resumes

Make a Start

Name, Address, Telephone, (e-mail address)

To begin with, your name and contact details should be laid out in a balanced block, either ranged left or centred. Avoid putting this information in more than one column unless you're confident that you can make it appear ordered and easy to read - and if it's a graphic design job you're after, this should pose no problem!

Graphic Design Resumes

Career Profile

Spend some time preparing a brief career summary using 20 to 30 words. This should encapsulate your key skills, your attitude to work, your career aspirations and the experience you have gained thus far - a mission statement.

Use short sentences. Be brief, concise and avoid clichés. Although this synopsis will be short, you should spend some time getting it just right. It'll also help with the rest of the resume's content. All the information in your CV should reinforce and complement your career summary. Avoid the use of the first person. Use the past tense, not the present.

Graphic Design Resumes

Career and Achievements to Date

Your jobs should be listed (with dates of employment) in reverse chronological order. This ensures the reader is presented with the most relevant information first. Use short sentences and avoid the use of the first person. If possible, show your career path advancing towards a peak. For example, if you are applying for a graphic design position the reader would be impressed to see previous jobs showing your advance from Junior Designer to Project Manager to Creative Director. This shows that you're committed to your profession - you're progressing towards a clear goal.

If your career path shows that you have taken career breaks' and jumped from one type of job to another, it could paint an unreliable picture. Always accentuate the positive in any situation. If you've taken a career break, highlight what you have learned and show that you're ready to return to work. Only mention salary if asked and don't mention reasons for leaving your job; leave those details for later.

Only include McDonalds-type-jobs if they are all the experience you've had. If they are, you'll have some convincing to do with your portfolio. Build it up with case-study projects (they don't have to be real) that are marketable, like stationery and advert designs. Don't fill your portfolio with vast amounts of contemporary, free-form college work - it doesn't sell!

Focus on your achievements more than responsibilities. What have your successes been? How did you succeed, and in what way did they benefit your employer? If you have had little or no job experience of relevance to the position for which you are applying, emphasise the experience you've gained from any relevant education you've received.

Graphic Design Resumes

Education and Graphic Design Training

Professional training such as graphic design degrees or qualifications should be listed at the top of this section, because it's likely to be more relevant to the reader. Include dates and brief details of what was covered in the courses you took. Next, list any higher education you received followed by secondary education, including the names of the school, college or university. Include no more than two secondary schools, and don't go into endless detail about your exam results - just list them in a well-formatted way, showing the most relevant passes first.

Graphic Design Resumes

Personal information

In this brief section, create the impression of diversity. Balance your indoor interests with outdoor activities, and if they relate in some way to your work, so much the better. Don't over exaggerate! If you have a full driving license, mention it if you think it'll be relevant.

Graphic Design Resumes

Important Points

Don't mention your health unless necessary; the employer will assume you are in good shape! As for referees, add them if you feel they will be able to give relevant, positive information to any prospective boss. The more relevant the better.

Don't mention your current salary on your CV unless specifically asked. At this stage you're in a very weak bargaining position - the time to discuss salary is after you have been through the interview and you're offered a job, when your position is stronger. After making an offer your new employers will know that they will have to go through the entire selection process from scratch if they don't hold on to you!

It may sound obvious, but check your spelling and grammar! Bad spelling usually indicates one of the following: the author can't spell, is too lazy to spell correctly, is inattentive to detail or simply doesn't care. Any one of these spells "rejection". I work in a business that demands good grammar and spelling from its graphic designers. Our job involves not only graphic design skills, but also a working knowledge of proofreading and copy editing. Nevertheless, I estimate that only one in ten graphic design resumes sent to my studio is free of spelling and grammatical errors. Even when the graphic designer's resume is fine, if the covering letter contains even the slightest mistake it ruins the effect! It's a waste of time to send a poorly prepared CV and covering letter.

So you got yourself an interview! How best to get through it?

Now you've written the perfect graphic design CV and got an interview for a graphic design job, what's the best way to convince the prospective boss to hire you? See the article about graphic design interviews.

The Graphic Design Interview - How Best to handle It?

So you've got yourself a graphic design interview! You sent in the perfect graphic design resume, some relevant, competent samples of work, and got the interview! How best to handle it?

Every employer has their own technique of determining what will make a good graphic designer - and who will make a good employee. I can only speak from my own experience - both of applying for jobs, and later of conducting interviews for my own studio. please note that every employer has their own method of conducting a graphic design interview - everyone has different priorities and looks for different kinds of people.

Prepare Well For Your Graphic Design Interview

The best thing you can do is prepare. Even if you don't get the job after doing well in your graphic design interview, if you used your common sense and went in with high confidence because you'd prepared well, you'll have nothing to worry about. Be proud that you did your best, and don't lose any sleep over it. On to the next graphic design interview.

Good graphic design jobs don't grow on trees. In fact, even bad graphic design jobs don't grow on trees! In my opinion a graphic design firm tends to work better as a small studio - lean and mean, so there are not many jobs available. The studio has to have the right people, so it needs to be selective - this means there will be many disappointed candidates...

This in turn means there are a vast number of graphic design freelancers out there. Now that desktop publishing software and equipment is relatively cheap, the promise of low start-up costs and the freedom to work from home is appealing to many. These freelance designers become competition to a small studio - as well as potential suppliers.

So without wishing to labour the point, jobs in the industry are in short supply - so you need to give yourself the best chance of landing one. If you get a graphic design interview, don't waste the opportunity.

I remember being terribly nervous before a graphic design interview. Why was I nervous? Well, obviously I was eager to get the job, and I didn't know what graphic design interview questions I was going to be asked. Mainly though, it was because I felt under-informed - I (correctly) feared that I didn't know enough about the various day-to-day processes and procedures to be able to do the job. Like most things you learn best by doing - but what if you don't know enough to get the job? It's a classic Catch 22 situation - you can't get a job because you don't have enough experience - but you can't get experience until you get the job.

The best thing you can do if you're in a situation like this is do your utmost to learn as much as possible beforehand and build up a good portfolio. In a creative business like this, if you can show a prospective employer that you're capable of producing good work, and you know exactly how to take a project from initial sketch to printed product, they are much more disposed towards giving you a chance. Remember, it's just as hard for the interviewer to determine who is worthwhile, and who is not. If you're enthusiastic and can prove that you've put effort into producing examples of work to demonstrate your ability, you'll be on the right track - no doubt about it.

Knowledge isn't everything though - confidence in your own ability to learn is vital. If you're confident in yourself, you'll make others confident in you. So what are the best pointers I can give you for succeding in a graphic design interview?

What to Do in a Graphic Design Interview

Do your best to fill any gaps in your knowledge. You might not be aware that there are any gaps - after all, if you just finished a graphic design degree, surely you know everything you need to know to get started? Right? Wrong. You never stop learning. Years after starting my graphic design career, rarely a day goes by when I don't learn or teach myself something new. Diversification is key in graphic design.

Hopefully this site will have given you a good knowledge of what you need to know from a technical point of view before landing your first job. The information here is not advanced for today's graphic designer - it's essential basic training. If you know and understand everything here you should be able go into an interview confident, knowing that you are armed with everything you are likely to need to know to do a print-oriented graphic design job.

Do take examples of relevant work along to the graphic design interview. If you have something that's been produced in the commercial arena, great. An interviewer is going to be interested in what sells, not what looks good on a wall. If you haven't got any work that you've produced as professional graphic designer, try to put together a portfolio of projects which you've given yourself to do. For example, design some new stationery for a fake company along with a brochure, advert and anything else you can think of. This shows that you're interested enough in getting a job that you're willing to put effort into provingwhy you should get it.

Alternatively you could practice recreating well-designed magazine spreads and show them at interview. This will demonstrate that you understand how all the elements of a project go together. Don't try to pass designs like this off as your own - tell the interviewer what you have done and why. You'll also show that you have an eye for good design (assuming you chose a good design to recreate!).

Do look the interviewer in the eye, listen to their questions and answer them succinctly, speaking clearly and confidently. Only expand on your answer if it is relevant. Talk about other jobs you have had if you are asked directly about them, or if they are relevant.
Do be enthusiastic, express a willingness to learn (after all, no one knowseverything) and be passionate about your vocation - because that's what this job is - a vocation. Anyone who is half-hearted about doing something creative isn't going to produce anything very good. You must project the impression that you know that this is the route your career path will follow. If you give the impression that you're just dipping your toe in the water, why would anyone want to pay you for the privilege? Which leads me to...

What Not to Do in a Graphic Design Interview

I've interviewed lots of prospective graphic designers - and I've learned a great deal about what to expect and what to look for in a graphic design interview. Here are some of the things which I find to be a complete turn off - some may seem obvious 'no-nos', but they happen again and again.

Don't say that your grand plan is to learn as much as possible from your first job and then strike out on your own as a freelancer or to set up your own studio. Your ambition to steal your prospective boss's secrets and then set up in direct competition won't make you any friends.
Don't appear desperate for the job - if you say that you've been to loads of interviews with no luck (and now you have to get a job or you don't know what you'll do) you won't get the job.
Don't whisper - speak clearly. Don't fidget or look away while the interviewer is talking.
Don't moan about how badly you were treated in your last job, or how much you hated your boss. If you do, your prospective employer may think you'll talk the same way about him or her behind their back!
Don't produce vast amounts of irrelevant work from your college portfolio - just produce designs which would be at home in a commercial arena (adverts, stationery, brochures etc). My experience of college work has been mixed. Usually it comes over as somewhat (and I certainly don't mean to cause offence by saying this)... self-indulgent... and decidedly uncommercial. Many's the time that I would have got more out of seeing a couple of logo and stationery designs than I did out of looking through three years of abstract batik and photos of bicycles made of cheese.
Don't give the impression that you're just there for the money. The employer won't care nearly as much about what you can get from the job as they will be concerned about what you can give. Employing a new graphic designer has to be a profitable decision. If your contribution is unprofitable, your job won't last long.

The more you know before you start your graphic design employment, the less training you'll need to receive - and the faster you'll be up to speed and productive! And that's what this website's all about. If there's anything which is unclear, or missing altogether - just ask. Send me your queries and I'll do my best to answer them. Good luck!

Four Steps to Becoming a Social Business

2011-08-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

Edelman's David Armano, an expert in idea conceptualization, has put together a chart that lets you graph your progress as a social media high-flyer in four steps: crawling, walking, running and flying. At which point might you find yourself? If you feel you're still in the crawling stage, never fear: We all know learning to fly doesn't happen overnight!

Let's break Armano's themes down, and consider some hints for moving up to the next stage:

Crawling: People, Process, Procedure. The first stage of evolution is admitting you have a problem, and acknowledging that it can't be solved by plugging "social media" into one function (marketing). Crawling involves producing infrastructure in preparation for an organizational redesign. Educating your teams, standardizing procedures and active listening are crucial at this stage.

Walking: Managing Your Properties. Define your engagement strategy across multiple departments, from customer care to outbound marketing. Assets such as meaningful content become especially important because they're less risky than over-engaging too quickly.

Running: Ecosystem Engagement at Scale. By now you should have external and internal designs in place, with multiple social initiatives running (fairly smoothly). "At the running stage, multiple ecosystems are also connected," Armano writes—"for example, the process and tools for managing scores of social networks have been formalized."

Flying: Social Innovation and Organizational Integration. Although many companies want to get to this stage, few actually do. Here, "social" is integrated in everything the organization does: Intelligence gathered through social media is improving business, resulting in new products and services, and improving the company's ability to predict potential outcomes in the market. "Flying" organizations have a social mindset reflected at all touchpoints and business functions.

The Po!nt: Going social doesn't happen overnight, so don't expect it to. Gauge where you are and take the necessary steps to solidify your current position—or advance it.