Archive for February, 2009

Where Does Creativity Come From?

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Walk around the offices (ok, cubicles) of a creative agency, and you’ll likely find that most of the people working there have extremely diverse personal backgrounds. I love it when we get new employees and everyone goes around to tell one thing about him or herself that we may not yet know (last time we discovered that we could practically start a circus with the various talents we had in one room—I have the unicycling and gymnastics covered).

My point is, dedicating time to activities outside of work (or school) is extremely important. I’ve often drawn creative ideas from my “outside” hobbies and experiences, and meeting new people with different perspectives helps to remind me that we all think differently.

So what are you doing outside of work or school? Where do you draw your creativity from?

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Chicago PR – A Day in the Life

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009


Chicago PR – A Day in the Life from Allie Osmar on Vimeo.

I’ve been meaning to do this for a long time—I gathered these clips back in August, 2008 and never got around to putting them together. This is the start of a few “day in the life” features I’ll be doing over the next few weeks. Although it’s rare that two days are alike in public relations, I’ve asked a number of young professionals I know to document a single day from their jobs. You’ll see those soon, but for now, here’s one day from me.

  • 6:35 AM Wake up
  • 6:37 AM Feed the cat
  • 6:45 AM Jump on the elevator to head downstairs to the gym
  • 8:00 AM After getting ready, prepare breakfast
  • 8:03 AM Eat breakfast while catching up on Google Reader
  • 8:26 AM Time to walk to work—it’s about 3 blocks from my apartment
  • 8:36 AM Arrive at the Aon Center and head upstairs
  • 8:40 AM Coffee from the Starbucks machine at work
  • 8:43 AM Settle into my desk and start in on conversation research and insights, preparing a brief survey for a new client
  • 10:30 AM Meet with Phil to discuss the online lessons we’re creating on digital insights and social media
  • 11:00 AM Work on the online lessons, my main project at Edelman
  • 12:30 PM Lunch time – Head across the street to grab lunch with my colleagues
  • 1:06 PM Head back to work
  • 1:15 PM Continue to work on research and insights
  • 2:45 PM Snack time – every Tuesday and Thursday Edelman has free fruit for all employees, along with snacks for 50 cents each.
  • 3:30 PM Head upstairs to meet with the PR team to brainstorm ideas for an upcoming project
  • 4:30 PM Back to working on the online lessons
  • 5:30 PM Head over to a Chicago networking event with colleagues, and head home by 8:30 or 9:00 PM.

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If Twenty-Somethings Could Design Their Own Office Spaces, What Would They Look Like?

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

I have often imagined what my ideal office space would look like. I went to college with a generation of students who experienced total freedom to explore and create wherever technology allowed—which was generally everywhere. In the corporate world, on the other hand, most young professionals find themselves tied to the same desk day after day.

I was reminded of this the other day when I went to the Twestival event at Catalyst Ranch here in Chicago, where I met up with a few other young professionals. The unique space was reminiscent of the offices I had seen in my daydreams:

  • – Open and creative
  • – Wifi throughout
  • – Tables and chairs for concentrated work
  • – Plenty of spaces for groups to sit around in cozy chairs to collaborate on ideas
  • – Various rooms and spaces to escape to for some quiet

I have to wonder if the corporate world will ever see a push toward more offices like this, equipping employees with laptops, wifi and plenty of inspiration. This is becoming a natural environment for many young professionals, especially as more grow up with the mobile freedom of wireless technology. Might it make them more comfortable and productive at work, or do you think it would be a distraction?

What does your ideal office look like?

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Enduring a Long Distance Relationship? Try This.

Sunday, February 15th, 2009

One of the hardest parts about relocating to start my career in Chicago was moving away from my boyfriend and starting a long distance relationship. I got through it by aligning myself with friends who were going through the same thing—that, a few choice songs on my iPod and a “survival guide” that I found at the library. For the year that we were apart, I was always looking for support, always wishing there was some way to ease my mind a bit.

Well, it looks like someone else was thinking the same thing. Waiit.com is a new community and guide to long distance relationships, including forums, articles, videos and more. If you’re going through an LDR right now, check it out. This may be just the support you need.

Of course, these days, the web offers support on this topic all over the place. With the communities and conversations forming online, there are plenty of places to find others who can relate.

My personal experience with a long distance relationship was difficult, but proved worth it in the end, and we were made stonger for it.

How did (or do) you deal?

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Ask Questions in Your Interview: Start With These

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

In my short career, I’ve had the opportunity to sit on the side of the interviewer a few times—and from these experiences, I’ve learned two important rules.

  1. Enthusiasm is often the deciding factor.
  2. Asking questions shows enthusiasm.

So what questions should you be asking your potential employer in an interview? Here are a few thoughts:

  • – How does [company name] keep up with changing trends and technologies?
  • – Does [company name] offer any ongoing training for employees?
  • – What do you think sets [company name] apart from it’s competitors?
  • – Can you tell me a bit more about the company culture?
  • – When did you become interested in [said career]? How did you end up at [company name]?
  • – Are there any extracurricular activities at [company name] for employees to get to know each other outside of the office? (If you know about a specific activity the company takes part in, such as the office softball team, go ahead and ask about it).

And of course, research the company so that you’re prepared to ask specific questions during the interview.

What questions do you recommend asking?

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Marcia Wallis, Author of Girl Talk

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

 
icon for podpress  Marcia Wallis, Author of Girl Talk [9:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (2785)

Marcia Wallis, a 2003 Stanford graduate and 2008 graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law, has an unique mix of experiences. She has played on several U.S. gold medal teams, including the 1999 Pan-American Woman’s Soccer Team and the 2001 and 2002 Nordic Cup teams. Before law school, she played professional soccer in the WUSA and golf on the Futures Tour. Oh yeah, and she helped her cousin, gold medal winning beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh, launch an active-wear clothing line called K-Active.

If that’s not enough, Marcia recently co-authored a book called Girl Talk with law school buddy Jennifer Azadnia to help guide young girls.

Recommended Reading

  • – Marcia recommends reading the newspaper to stay in touch with current events.
  • – Spend some time relaxing with a work of fiction (Marcia recommends the Twilight series, which I have yet to read, but I’m starting to feel that I should…)

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One Page Resume – What to Cut to Keep it Short

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

As a new college grad seeking a creative career, you should absolutely keep your resume to one page. In public relations and advertising, for example, there is value in saying more with less. Don’t feel the need to fill two pages with every detail of your short professional life—your resume should be short and sweet with room to breathe (read: white space). If Barack Obama can convey his resume in a few succinct lines, so can you. If you’re wondering what to cut out, try starting here.

What to Cut

    1. That irrelevant job as a bagger at the grocery store—Sure, you put in your time, but in the grand scheme of things, you’re not telling me much. I want to know about relevant work experience.
    2. Your Dean’s list standing—If you’re hurting for space, leave this one on the cutting room floor. Your GPA will say enough.
    3. Every duty from the internship you had—I don’t necessarily need to know that you filed papers and stuffed envelopes when things were slow at your internship. I’m assuming you can do those things. Try to focus on your unique accomplishments and leave out the menial tasks.
    4. All of your hobbies—Unless you have a hobby that makes you uniquely qualified for the job at hand, leave it out.
    5. Bad design—Often, lengthy resumes are simply a matter of poor design. If you can get your hands on a computer with InDesign at your school or from a friend, I highly recommend it. It’s much more flexibly, and often looks significantly more professional than a resume developed in a typical text document.

      What to Keep

        1. A link to your LinkedIn profile—If there’s more information that just can’t be included in one page, use LinkedIn to complete the story.
        2. A link to your blog or portfolio—This may include writing samples, design and a bit more about your personality. Plus, it shows that you care enough to figure out how to establish a site for yourself.

          Photo Source: Patrick Beeson under Creative Commons

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          The Cheap Bastard Files: 5 (More) Ways to Spend Less Money

          Monday, February 2nd, 2009

          Lunch Money

          Way back in the early days of The Creative Career, I wrote about saving money in the expensive big city. While I still think that the old list is pretty spot-on, another year in the city has taught me new ways to enjoy the city life—cheap bastard style. If ever there was a time to start saving some money and bettering our finances, today is it.

          1. Opt for Student Services

          I’ve tried everything from $12 student haircuts to free student acupuncture in my day—and while I’ve admittedly moved away from some of these, there are a few student services that are still impossible to beat. For example, Chicago’s Soma Institute offers one hour clinical massages for only $25. Check out the options in your town—you never know what you might find.

          2. Milk That Old College ID For All It’s Worth

          My college student ID still has a special place in my wallet. Movies, for example, are expensive in Chicago. Might as well save a few bucks when you can.

          3. Be Smart About the Bar

          It’s hard to go through your twenties without going to the bar here and there, but there are definitely ways to spend less while you’re out. Besides finding specials, I try to limit how much I drink while I’m out (both for my wallet and for my well-being). My friends know me for ordering virgin tonics. If that doesn’t suit your tastes, just swap out a regular water between drinks to slow yourself down.

          4. Pack Your Lunch

          This one is embarrassingly obvious. I cringe when I track my budget in the months when I eat out too much, which leads me into my last point…

          5. Track Your Spending

          If you’re holding yourself accountable , you’re less likely to jump on the impulse buys, and you can re-balance yourself where the damage has already been done. I use expensr.com to track my spending—I’ve also heard a lot of good things about mint.com

          Photo Source: emdot under Creative Commons

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