The Virtue of Patience...

I think it is a common feeling for those of us who have recently graduated to have a sense of immediacy. We leave college expecting the world to welcome us with open arms. Maybe we think that we are going to land that once in a life time job because we have recently accomplished the seemingly impossible task of graduating college. But what people really never tell you as you are winding down your college experience and gearing up for the real world is that it takes time.

Your college life flies by you. Your life is moving at a million miles an hour. You're meeting new people every second, your changing classes every three months which means you have new projects and things to learn, your weekends are a blur. Everything moves so fast. When you enter the real world THINGS CHANGE! Yeah so the week still flies by but it feels different. You start to develop long term goals for you and your career. You start to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. I mean ten a.m. used to be early!

So as you sit in your cube in the middle of the building with not even an opportunity to glance out the window, realize that those people who have the corner office have been there a while. Patience, they have put in the time. You may be better at what you do but there is something to be said about experience. You can wait just as I will have to. A six figure income and your dream job just doesn't appear over night!

I May Have the Secret!...

Sorry it has been so long since my last entry. I know i said I was going to post more often but I'm finally experiencing a job I enjoy and fortunately or unfortunately, however you see it, I just haven't really had the time. Tonight however is different and I have a little time.

So I'm sitting here, watching Dancing with the Stars on ABC, and I have got to thinking; What is it that makes these celebrities so inspiring and entertaining? What is it that makes them work so hard? Why are these four left in the semi-finals? It should be obvious that they are all working harder than humanly possible. Also, there might be a little pressure hovering over their heads because of the millions of people watching on live television. But what I think is the reason why so many people enjoy this show is because you can actually see that they are enjoying what they are doing. I think this is the secret.

The secret to success is very simple. Honesty and truly enjoy what you are doing. Be it dancing, or accounting, drawing, painting, coding, or designing. In order to become the best, you must love what you are doing. I hope that you have found something you love to do and that you continue doing what ever it is for as long as you can.

Oh Sooooooo Bored! ...

The graphic design industry can be a fast paced and extremely stressful profession with ridiculously short deadlines or gigantic projects waiting for you at every turn. But just like every other job out there, there is bound to be a little down time. I myself have found this to be terribly true because at this current moment I am experiencing some down time. Maybe you already guessed that by the unusually high amounts of postings I have been making in the past few days. You caught me. That is why there have been more postings than normal but I want to try and make posting a relatively normal habit. So check back often.

(sorry got side tracked a little bit)

So your used to this crazy work pace that keeps you moving at a hundred miles an hour but when you screech to the pace of a salted snail you find yourself going insane. I have stumbled across a few ways to entertain yourself while your waiting for things to pick up again.

1. - Try reading the news. There are all kinds of news stations out there and each one has a little different twist on each story. I've been reading CNN.com and BBC.com, just to name a couple. It is interesting to see how different countries view the same stories. It is even more interesting to see how BBC (the English) view us. I try to compare similar stories from the two networks and gauge who is being biased. I is kind of nerdy but it gives me something to do when I am fighting of boredom.

2. - Watch TV! I am sure you are all aware of this but most major television networks are now running full episodes of prime time programming. ABC.com has some really good shows on the air right now so if you think you have about forty five to sixty minutes of free time, put on those headphones and relax.

3. - Learn something. It sounds dull and boring but it can be really beneficial. I was bored a couple weeks ago so I decided I was going to take the Google Adwords online lecture. It is free and you can go at your own pace. By the time you have finished you know everything you could ever possibly want to know about the Google advertising program. It is interesting but have some coffee with you because it is defiantly not a nail biter.

4. - You can BLOG! Yes, that is what I am doing right now. Another period of down time for me so I thought it would be a good idea to speak about something. It's a great way to get some of your ideas out there and start up conversations with people. I realize I'm preaching to the choir but I thought I might as well mention it.

So these are just a few ways that entertain me while I'm drifting a way to La-La land. A couple things you don't want to do (and these are pretty self-explanatory).

1. - Sleep! Very Very Very Bad to do at work!

2. - Leave! If you are trying to piss someone off I would recommend this but otherwise ... not so much.

3. - Flirt with the Secretary! Yeah she may be hott but that doesn't mean it is ok. Save it for your lunch break.

I'm sure there are more do's and don'ts to fighting the long hours of nothingness. Just be smart about things and you should be just fine.

A Tale of a Not So Good Idea (sort-of)...

Graduation can be a daunting time for many graduates. It is a time when we enter the great wide open world and we think we know what to expect. We have been taught the ways of the world through our classes, our life experiences, and through our temporary jobs (serving, bartending, retail ... the list is endless). I, like many of you out there, was feeling rather confident about the coming future but I still thought it a good idea to read up on what other people are doing (one of my steps to better myself). A book I picked up while on vacation, entitled "Breaking into Graphic Design", by Micheal Jefferson, gave me a few ideas that I wanted to employ in hopes of landing that elusive first job.

A quick side note - If you are gearing up for graduation with a degree in Graphic Design. I would highly recommend this book. It has great interviews with professionals in our field that provides extremely useful insight to the wants and needs of those in charge of hiring. It also helps with preparing you for interviews in all manner of speaking. Barnes and Noble carries it and so does the Tattered Book Cover.

Ok, back to the story. So one of the ideas that I stole from this book was to create an introduction package. Not really a new concept but one that I had not thought about. I had also heard about such an idea from a returning graduate that came and spoke in my portfolio prep. class so I was pretty sure this was a worthy use of my time. I spent about a week dreaming up and designing this package that had multiple elements to it. I remember thinking to myself that this is going to kill everyone and I'm sure to get the job I want. Now you might be wondering to yourself, what exactly did I dream up to make myself and many others think that I should have no problem landing that perfect job? Well that’s a secret but I will tell you it involves a CD, a pair of socks, and UPS.

I sent my package out and waited for the responses to come flooding in. It turns out that they didn't. I sent out about twenty-five or so to places all over the country and got nothing back. I got a couple responses back saying that they loved the package but that they weren't hiring any entry-level positions right now. They would keep my resume on file and get back to me if they had a position that suited me. The little bit of wisdom that I am trying to impart to you is take every piece of advice with a grain of salt. Sometimes that advice will work but other times it will fail and fail miserably.

I still think that an introduction package is essential to getting a great job but what I think is even more important and much harder to come by is experience. So my advice to all you out there getting ready to grab that diploma and run. Take every design job you get no matter the pay or the hours. As you grow in experience so will you opportunities and your paycheck. Like I said, take all advice with a grain of salt!

Your Mentors and What They Mean...

This past weekend I went back to Moorhead, MN. (the town where I spent four years of college) to visit friends and family. I got to thinking over a cup of coffee that I'm not sure I would be in the positions I am today without having a couple very solid mentors to guide me along the way. It was then that I realized how much they have influenced my post college pursuits and that I should recognize them for all they have done for me.

I would like to outline a few of the characteristics that I think make up a great mentor and how my mentors have helped me and how yours might be able to help you. First and foremost, a mentor must be someone you are comfortable with. You need to be able to sit back and talk plainly with them. You know, bullshit a little. Talk about the weekend, complain about your job but also ask them serious questions that will help you make some big decisions. Secondly, they have to have your respect. This just makes sense. A mentor is only a mentor if it is someone you look up to or idolize in some fashion. Third, they need to be honest. This is a very important aspect of a good mentor. Some of the best advice that I have received from my mentors has not been what I wanted to hear but in the long run it worked out for the better. Lastly, you have to want to trust them. This notion ties in with the prior three. Trust makes the whole mentor relationship work and can make it terribly rewarding for both members involved.

Now that I have outlined a few characteristics of what a good mentor is all about, let me tell you what they might be able to do for you. Most professional mentors have been in the industry for a while and know people scattered throughout the country. So talk to your mentor, ask them if there is someone they know that they might be willing to introduce you to. This can be extremely helpful if you are moving to a new city and don't know anyone there (this also goes back to the whole idea of networking. You professors, colleges, and friends are a great place to start getting your foot in the door). Also, ask them what steps they or their colleagues have taken to get where they are. They must be doing something right if it has worked out for them. It would be important to ask what not to do as well. You don't need to make the same mistakes that they did. You can make your own and learn from them. Bouncing ideas off of your mentors is another great way to get the ball rolling in your favor. I personally had some really crazy ideas that I thought would benefit me but after talking with my mentors I decided to go approach things differently. Finally, your mentors can be a sort of living Facebook if you will. More than likely your mentor is not solely yours. Other people look up to and talk with them. Through them, you can keep a pretty good beat on what your colleagues are doing and maybe even stay connected with old friends.

So, this morning, I would like to raise my cup of Caribou Coffee to my professors David Boggs and Greg Ness. Both of you were my guide in an uncertain time. You both pushed me to refine who I am, gave me the support I needed to carry through, and taught me invaluable lessons that I will not soon forget. I am sure I am not the only person to be blessed with great mentors so let us toast with our Caribou, Starbucks, or whatever your drinking (it's early otherwise I'm sure it would be some variety of an alcohol infused drink) to our mentors. CHEERS!!

A World Without Google...

Come with me on a mystical ride to a place where Google doesn't exist. A land where search engines are still spitting out random results, offering only one service, and where online advertising is still in the dark ages. It's almost a scary thought for some. I would have to be included in the many that are frightened by the idea of an Internet age without Google. I use Google for Internet searching, email, RSS service, news, advertising, weather, driving directions, phone numbers, ski reports, and even this very blog. The list doesn't end there either! Many of us don't realize that there are other sites that Google owns or controls that we also use on a daily basis. Example: Okurt (Google's social network platform that is laying low for now). And now Google is going after Myspace!

So what is the next step for Google? I couldn't even venture a guess. They are already venturing away from the Internet in the advertising world. A couple new features in the Google Adwords program are RADIO & PRINT advertising. Yes you can run your radio and newspaper advertisements through your Google Adwords account. The one arena left for them to conquer is television advertising and to be honest with you. I bet they are working hard at getting that one figured out too.

With so much of our daily life revolving around technology, especially the Internet, it is hard to think of a world where Google didn't exist. So join me in this technological age. A proud participant in the positive progress of our information/communication based world.

I for one am proud to say that I am "Googlependant".

New Steps for Yours Truely ...

It has been a while since I have written a post for "Shades of Gray" and I am truly sorry about that. I've been terribly busy with the hustle and bustle of a workingman's life. That doesn't mean that I haven't had time to think about the events and happenings that have taken place in our surrounding world. Big news like, Apple just released a new operating system (it looks amazing!), California is on fire, the Red Sox won the World Series (Booo!! - I live in Denver now), and my roommate has finally found a job (not really, she is going to serve food for a while. A righteous job but one not worth spending four years at a private college for)! But during all of this I had a thought enter my head. A thought that I am sure has entered you minds and caused a little bit of concern. What am I doing to better myself?

I thought long and hard about this question and came up with a few questions that helped me arrive at an answer and solution.

1. What are my goals?
- A pretty broad question but I think you need to know where you are going before you can decide what you need to do to better yourself.

2. What are other people doing that have the same goals?
- Monkey see, Monkey do is not usually the best approach but if you take time to observe what other people are doing around you and then learn from them, you might avoid making a few their mistakes. Also, different people think differently. It never hurt to have a couple options open or ideas running. You never know which one will work the best.

3. What are my options?
- Keep yourself within range of what you are capable of accomplishing. You don't want to over extend yourself, wasting time and money. If you have some free time, tackle larger projects but if you are finding yourself to be busy all the time, take care of the little things first.

4. Who do I know?
- Friends and Family are the most important thing. They can open doors, teach you things, give you support, and can be there to help you celebrate when you accomplish what you set out to do!

5. What is best for me?
- This one might be the most important. After all, you are trying to better YOURSELF! You are going to want to see an outcome to all of your hard work and it is just that much sweeter when the outcome positively affects you.

These are just a few questions that I started with and helped me find avenues towards bettering myself. If you take time to reflect on what you are all about, the answers just seem to appear. If you want to know what I am currently doing to improve my professional life, feel free to email me at cjnuernb@gmail.com.