Should I be worried?

[wienerdog]

I've been at thisagency-placed temp job for a couple months and have found I don't have lots to do. I'll ask the manager of the dept for work and she gives me very lousy administrative busy work. The sr. designer said she hasn't seen it this slow. I think I was brought in to help cover forthe 3rd designer that'sgoing on maternity leave next month and will be gone until August. The weird thing is this position was held as a full time job for 1 1/2 years, so I was hoping I would be hired eventually. It seems like maybe I'll be temp until the pregnant designer returns, then it's real iffy on me being around. I'm not informed on what the plan is, and am a little afraid to ask. I don't want to come off presumptuous, but it seems things unsaid bite me in the butt pretty often.

Should I be worried I don't havemuch to do at this place? I thought it was a temp-to-hire, but it doesn't appear so. ShouldI talk to my agnecy about it? I'm afraid to bring itup with them, since it seems like a conflict of interest if they would look for other work for me and hurt their own client. I doubt they'd look that hard, which sucks, they are a good agency.Looks like it's time to crank out more resumes tosomeeventual recycle bins.

wiEnerDog
Weinerdog Graphics - My portfolio site! (http://www.wienerdoggraphics.com)

[Bear]

Agencies are good for the short term, but as you've expressed in your other posts, it's not a means to an end and by no means offers you the support you desire. I don't mean this in a harsh way, but have you considered not using weinerdog as your approaching introduction (on your website, resume etc.) ?

C*** Designer

[GrfxGawd]

Temp agencies aren't best for long term, though, it can happen. Happened to me a couple times.

I think you have expectations that aren't completely realistic for the setting. You 'expect' this to become full time. That very well might not be the case. If you don't have a contingency set up you're planning to fail, from a lack of failing to plan.

Should you be concerned? Yes. Because you've set yourself in a situation where you may not achieve your goal. Should you be concerned because of the slow down? Some, but no more than if you were already full time (given the added possibility of being let go because of being a temp). The possibility is that we'll all loose jobs. You have to be prepared for when it happens, not IF it happens.

Good luck with the position. :)

ALL generalizations are BAD.

[wienerdog]

It's funny about my marketing and portfolio site. I've been told conflicting things about my approach. Most find it a fun, unique, and creative way to market yourself in an over-saturated, bland market. A couple people, not career pros or agencies, but fellow designers, questioned if it wasn't professional enough, maybe too much cartoony/illustrator style.

I've been told that if you get at least 8/10 people to agree with your concepts/design, go with it. So I went with it. I've questioned the design a few times when job searching, but I question myself all the time to the point of paralysis, so I take other's opinions into consideration a lot.

wiEnerDog
Weinerdog Graphics - My portfolio site! (http://www.wienerdoggraphics.com)

[Bear]

/DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/lol.gif as we all do fella

sorry, my first post may have come across really rude, but as i was always told and eventually learnt, styling your work too much one way or the other, you're gonna have difficulty appealing to a wide variety, but then it's just as tough to hit that happy medium.

good luck and don't let the suckers get you down

[edit] :: /DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/oops.gif when i say work, i mean your resume, not your actual work, that's your own style and major selling point /DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/ibf-iamstupid.gif

C*** Designer

Post Edited (Bear) : 4/7/2005 4:22:04 PM GMT

[wienerdog]

I wish I could take a financial risk and go full time freelancing on my own, but my wife and I are so far in debt, I can't take a big risk now. While working for idiot clients is probably not much better than working for corporations, you are at home and save time/money on commuting costs. I'd need a steady 40 hours/week at a $20/hr rate to make ends meet. So I have been trying to do it on the side, but I've gotten lazy these last couple months, assuming this was temp-to-perm. I guess I'll redouble my efforts in designing post cards and send them to magazines, agencies, and companies I can find mailing contact info from Artist and Designers Market books.

That should only cost a few hundred $, which is a relatively inexpensive way to market yourself. If anyone else has better recommendations, feel free to post!

wiEnerDog
Weinerdog Graphics - My portfolio site! (http://www.wienerdoggraphics.com)

[GrfxGawd]

Head for a bigger company. More stability, less likely to work for crack monekys, and better pay, and benefits. Thinking small will keep you small.

One thing I saw on an infomercial once (of all the stupid places) - You limit your income. You set in your head what you are worth. You create the limits. Decide you are worth more.

Just some thoughts.

ALL generalizations are BAD.

[wienerdog]

Thanks, Bear! What's funny is never knowing who to listen to. If i could poll potential employers/clients on it, maybe that would work. Agency reps usually are a reliable opinion since they want to market you and make money off you, so they want you to get a job through them as much as you want a real one. However, they're not designers.

I actually was going to use a daschund as an icon, but my wife's cousin, who has been an art director and runs his own animation firm, said the hot dog idea may work even better. It sparked the whole site design for me, mustard as the mouse-over, condiments as web page sections, the works.

Thanks for the advice, though. I'm very strange, I don't take rejection well at ALL, but I really listen to critique with an open mind and humble ego, thinking of myself as a 'designer sponge.' I soak up all the experience and knowledge I can from everyone I meet.

I've just had to learn what parts to squeeze out, usually the ones that say maybe design isn't a good field. Yeah, I love that. What field is it that leads to jobs of low stress and high reward again? Ah, the Money Tree business. Or welathy heir, I'll have to look into that field. :o)

wiEnerDog
Weinerdog Graphics - My portfolio site! (http://www.wienerdoggraphics.com)