Need to build a portfolio?
I do not often do this, but when Jors from Ruwer told me about their service, I immediately felt I wanted to share this. (They are not paying me.)
Have you ever felt, or been told, that your portfolio doesn’t show a certain type of work? Maybe you have done this work but (like me) can’t show it because of confidentiality agreements or simply because your contribution wasn’t something that shows itself well in visuals.
Maybe you haven’t and you are caught in the eternal catch-22 of creatives everywhere: to get the jobs you must have done the jobs.
Ruwer is the sort of company where creatives immediately feel at home. Their office is more like a studio than a recruiters’ and the first thing that strikes you talking to them is that they really understand our business.
This service shows that very well, in a nutshell; they act like a customer, and let you act as yourself, and give you an assignment in the field you feel is lacking on your portfolio.
I’ll let them tell you in their own words:
Ruwer offers anyone who feels like they are missing something in their resume or portfolio an opportunity to do something about it.
People who’ve been working for the last couple of years and have not been able to update their portfolio in an adequate manner, for whatever reason, can now address this specific issue.
Applying for jobs, you’ve realized that certain assignments are lacking in your portfolio, for instance branding, or magazine work. It’s also a possibility that you would like to emphasize your retail experience or book design, a couple of ads, or a yearly report. Other potential options are a focus on online work, a website, flash banners, or other multimedia expressions.
We’re concerned with whatever it is you feel is lacking in your job applications.
When you first come to us for an intake meeting, we go over your portfolio and ask you what your goals are in your career and applications. You point out what kind of assignments you do not have but which, in your opinion, would enhance your future prospects, and we add our views to yours. Together we pick one or more assignments, for which we will then hire professionals who will work with you individually to formulate a plan – starting with either a concept, a design, or a DTP elaboration – and work towards a final product.
In several sessions up to an hour each, spread out over a couple of weeks, you will be in contact with your professional guide. You get the assignment, you will work out sketches, you’ll receive pointers, you correct, you process, and finally present the results. A complete assignment (or several), ready to enhance your portfolio and career prospects.
Example:
- Intake and portfolio analysis – 1 hour
- Stating and provision of the assigment – 1 hour
- 2 to 3 follow-up meetings – 2 or 3 hours
- continuous e-mail and/or skype contact – 0.5 hours
- discussion and grading of final presentation – 1 hour
total 5.5 or 6 hours (spread out over 7-8 weeks)
In addition to these services, we provide you with the opportunity to go through your resume and adjust it to the needs of specific job openings. Many people underestimate the importance of these adjustments, but they form a very important part of your job application and increase your chances of an interview.
Applying for jobs and presenting yourself does not come naturally to everyone, and is also something you can be trained in – we offer both guidance and trainings.
Starting your own small business is another one of those daunting projects: where to start? The Chamber of Commerce offers excellent tools for starting up, but in our niche market you need a specific approach. We have inside knowledge into this market and know exactly what to look for, what the demands are, how to approach prospects, and how to work and deal with clients. What to put in your portfolio and how to present yourself when working on your own is another one of the issues that we can address.
Our expertise and training is of course not for free. Depending on the specific track you choose, it will cost you about €145 an hour. This might sound expensive, but we assure you that an individual training offers you the chance to put yourself in the market in a confident, strong, and better way – something that is absolutely worth our fees.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us via phone or e-mail, so we can address them.
Go here: http://ruwer.nl/info.html (Dutch)
Contact page: http://ruwer.nl/contact—tekst.html
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