BusinessWeek Special Report: Best Places to Launch a Career

Filed Under Business Life, Great Finds, Marketing, Successful Blog, Survival Kit, Trends | 2 Comments

Special Edition for Job Seekers

Know a college grad, a job seeker, just want to know what’s happening — it’s all here. This isn’t an article. It’s a whole magazine!

Great Find: BusinessWeek Special Report on Best Places to Launch a Career

Permalink: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/toc/06_38/B40010638bplc.htm?campaign_id=nws_insdr_sep8&link_position=link1

Audience/Topic: Anyone who is or knows anyone interested in the world of work

Content: BusinessWeekonline has put together an amazing resource of 15 articles for job seekers. The topics are timely, relevant, and varied. The writing is crisp and compelling. I’ll save you a second or two by putting the entire link list here, rather than just the title.

BusinessWeek Special Report on Best Places to Launch a Career

Two slide shows are only available at the site:

  • Online Extra: Slide Show: Today’s CEOs: Then and Now
  • Online Extra: Slide Show: Launch Pads

Enjoy the resource and pass it on to all who need it.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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7.5 Cat’s BIG IDEA

Filed Under Business Life, Community, Design, Interviews, Successful Blog | 2 Comments

Where to from Here?

Cat Morley

And now that I’m getting to the point of retirement, I’m getting away from the actual work of design and am now spending most of my time on pro bono work. Hence NO!SPEC, Creative Latitude and Proscodi. And one more on the way … Cat Morely said.

But her life hardly seems to be slowing, in fact it seems to be gearing up. Before we left her or looked too far down the road, I wanted to know what Cat sees now.

Cat, what do you think most designers get wrong?

Depends what you are talking about. Wrong about choosing freelance over
inhouse before they have enough skills? Not enough education and experience before striking out on their own? Working on spec? Being gullible? Not being professional? I guess I answered your question …

What could Successful Blog do to support designers more?

Successful Blog has its own style. It caters to a range of professions
with diverse interests. If you were to attract designers, in my opinion
you’d have to teach them something they do not know. Something they
need to know. Something you know. Writing. A large number of designers
are crap at grammar and sentence structure. I’m one.

In order for this to work, you’ll need to first get their attention,
then get them to understand that they need to keep paying attention.

Cat, What is your BIG IDEA? When people think of Cat Morley, what’s the first thing you want them to think of?

First thing I WANT them to think?

Hmmm…. tall, slim, young, brilliant?

[deep sigh] not the truth, just wishful thinking.

The truth is I’m passionate about the industry of design. I’m demanding of myself much more than I am of others. I am very good at organising but I’m not perfect. I have a quick, fiery hot temper. I no longer shy from it as I’ve lived with it for way too long and know it’s not going away. No more than I am. I’m loyal to my friends and not adverse to attempting to see the point of view of those who I’ve disagreed with hotly. I’m not one to say I have “no time for fools” as I’ve been a fool myself once too often. Live and learn, then live some more.

I tried to talk Cat into convincing one of her clients that she needed to call me in on one of her jobs. But once she explained the economics, we both decided it was wishful thinking.

Wishes are good things and one day I will meet her.

That Cat Morley is just too interesting to time run out without finding an afternoon to spend together talking about life and other stuff.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related Articles
Interview 7.1: Meet Cat Morley, World Designer
7.2 Interview: Cat Morley Becomes a Blogger
7.3: Cat, the Toothpaste, the Queen and Everyone

7.4: Cat’s Advice and Her Favs

Filed Under Business Life, Community, Design, Interviews, Successful Blog | 24 Comments

Whew! Cat’s a Busy Designer!

Cat Morley

I’m not going to list all of the places we’ve been with Cat. From OZ to design for the Queen is enough said. Tonight questions are a little closer to home.

Cat, What do you do when you’re not sharing your great links and ideas at Successful Blog?

I still have clients in the wings (the last ones before taking off into
unemployment), I keep Designers who Blog running. I’m project manager for NO!SPEC which means I deal with design orgs when spec competitions come up, I send out letters of protest and galvanize people to send out letters, etc. As project manager for Creative Latitude I confer with my team before we update, deal with new authors, come up with angles, etc. As the president of Proscodi I put together committees to deal with each element of setting up a design org, I meet other heads of design orgs, go to meetings, etc.

What advice do you have for new bloggers and young designers?

Bloggers - it always takes more time than you planned so be sure to write about something you love. And be prepared to walk away if it’s taking up too much of your life.

Designers - there is not enough room here for all the advice I’d give to a young designer, so the top priority would have to be:

    - Get a degree. The best one you can afford. And then some.
    - Learn about business, accounting, dealing with clients,
    communicating, public speaking, hiring, etc.
    - Learn to write. The majority of the designers I know have appalling
    grammar. Myself included.
    - Latch onto a mentor.
    - Never stop learning.
    - Get a life. Preferably your own.

What design work online do you point to as well done?

Illustrator: (Von created the icons for Creative Latitude) -
http://www.vonglitschka.com/
Web designer: (Nigel designed the Creative Latitude website) -
http://www.commonsensedesign.net/
Blog designer: http://www.pearsonified.com/

One more part to go. Cat tells her BIG IDEA.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
Interview 7.1: Meet Cat Morley, World Designer
7.2 Interview: Cat Morley Becomes a Blogger
7.3: Cat, the Toothpaste, the Queen and Everyone

7.3: Cat, the Toothpaste, the Queen and Everyone

Filed Under Business Life, Community, Design, Interviews, Successful Blog | 6 Comments

How Does One Person Do All This?

So far we’ve met Cat as world traveler and designer, a child star in the Wizard of OZ, and a crusader in the logo wars which got her into blogging. Now as promised . . . Cat meets the Queen and takes over the world (so to speak.). Read more

Interview 7.2: Cat Morley Becomes a Blogger

Filed Under Business Life, Community, Interviews, Successful Blog | 1 Comment

Crusader Cat

Cat Morley

If you read the beginning (7.1) of this interview you know that Cat Morley has been a few places and done a few things in her career as a World Designer. If you came to this week’s open comment night, you also know that Cat had a major role in Wizard of OZ written just for her.

Tonight a little more about the many things Cat has had going on in her life.

Cat, how did you end up as a blogger?

I’m a crusader with a hot spirit. When LogoWorks started showcasing logos that were remarkably similar to many, many other designers’ logos, I was swept into blogging along with others. Of course there were some bits that had to be in place first. I just happened to be test driving blogger for a client when it all came about.

Cat tells the story of how she started to blog on Creative Latitude. It’s called Blogs, Podcasts and all that stuff.

Here’s how the story starts . . .

If you asked me a month ago about spending my precious time updating an industry or personal blog, I’d say, “Never!” Sure, I have a business blog (now sadly ignored) which I’ve spent time on, but I’ve always pooh-pooed jumping in and keeping a blog just for the love of it.

Many times on “The About,” (About.com’s graphic design forum) I’ve passed a verbal grin in Chris Gee’s direction when he went on and on about the wonders and power of blogging on his blog thepreparedmind.com. Not for me. I felt I had better things to do with my spare time.

I’m really glad she changed her mind.

Next: wait until you hear about Cat and the Queen of England!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
Interview 7.1: Meet Cat Morley, World Designer

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