Designers spend so much time creating beautiful work and preparing their portfolio very thoughtfully; they shouldn’t forget the importance of having prepared questions as well–related to our customers, products, team or anything else that shows considered thinking beyond their presentation,“ Chris Heimbuch, director for creative operations at Square, via Fast Company

On Wednesday afternoon, our Creative Worker Series tackled the ever exciting topic of career research.

Successful creatives are resourceful. They are curious. They know where they are headed, and how to get there.

Wednesday’s session addressed questions like:

  • What is your dream job called?
  • What experience do you need to get it?
  • What skills are important?
  • How does geography make a difference? Which cities are most robust for the work you want?
  • What type of companies could you work for?
  • What are 20 companies you would be interested in working for?
  • How do these companies recruit for entry-level employees?

Knowing the answers to these questions helps you walk into interviews and networking conversations with confidence, and they help make your job search efficient and effective.

Talking to people and attending events can be great ways to start learning more about where you are headed. Online tools are also a rich source of information. Here are a few to know about:

Portfolio Center Career Research Pages

Glassdoor: Interview Questions and Company Reviews

LinkedIn: Researching Careers and Contacts

Journey: Career Assessment and Research Tool

Library Research Tools and Databases

Join us on February 26th for our next Creative Worker Series session: The Check is in the Mail