Sunday, February 6, 2011

Preparing before the big layoff

It seems that everyone knows somebody (or IS that somebody) who has been laid off.

Rumor has it that when a company starts losing money, the first thing to get cut is advertising. Is that a scary wives tale to keep the designers in line? I dunno, but it's worth being prepared for the worst.

As a graphic designer, are you ready to simply pick up and go at the first sign of the pink slip? My guess is that most of us are not. We get comfortable in our positions and we slack when it comes to our portfolio. I know I do.

When I give semi-careful thought to my work and my personal standing as a pro designer, I realize that:

- My raw files are not only disorganized, they are scattered. Yes, I have the finished product, but what if I need to clean it up, add to, or make it better? What about the work process? I must organize my files and name my freaking Illustrator and Photoshop layers...for God's sake, name the layers!!

- My resume has not been updated in five and a half years. That sucks, especially when...

- ...my professional identity system has not even been looked at for the same amount of time. Can I still sell myself on what I slopped together a half decade ago? Eh. Probably not.

I've progressed, changed, grew, learned, and worked hard as a designer and it should show to potential employers. However, do I even have a concept for my identity piece? Do I have one of those clever "leave behinds" so the interviewer at my next sure-to-get job will put it on his desk and marvel (with a smile) at my brilliance?

Nope.

So I am behind in my responsibilities as both a pro designer and a family man. If I get tossed out on my ear tomorrow, I'll have to spend many hours of unemployed time working on my identity system, organizing files, and updating the portfolio and resume instead of looking for a job. If my portfolio is all ready to go, any extra time I have off the job hunting trail could be better spent doing freelance work or watching cartoons. With my kid, I mean.

Crap. I guess I'll get started naming my layers.