Promoting yourself and job hunting nationwide

[strypguy]

For Personal and financial reasons I may be looking to relocate in the next year or so. This will mean closing up my shop I've had for over 15 years.
I've been out of the job market for along time and I'm just curious as to how some of you would pursue this situation if it were you.
I would probably not be looking to re-open my business anywhere but find a good stable job if that's possible.
You don't see very many jobs like ours in the local papers so what avenues would you use to find employment? How about contacting sign companies direct?
Are their any networks or sign specific networks that one could join to reach the right market?
I know a year is a long time but it goes fast and I'm just looking for some opinions at this point.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

John

 

[Locals Find!]

You are on probably one of the best Sign Specific Networks available. I would start right here.

 

[Bigdawg]

When I came down to Florida after owning my own business I had the same dilemma. 8 years of no employment history other than my own. The job I have now is a result of calling around to sign companies and finding someone that would talk to me. I knew if I talked to someone in a position to hire me - they would.

Took a month - longer than it had ever taken me before. So yes - looking a year ahead is just good planning.

 

[Gino]

You might want to play down the part about having your own business for 15 years.

It can go either way for you, but I had a guy come in one time and he claimed he had all these customers he would bring along and to tell you the truth, I wasn't interested in his customers. If they led him to going out of business, I don't know why I'd want them. I just wanted to hire him. It worked for about two weeks, then he started telling me I was doing this wrong and that wrong and I can't possibly grow if I don't do this or that and he just started getting on my nerves, not to mention, everything was such a bore to him, since he didn't do things the way I did. Well, we discussed it and I told him he'd have a great future if he moved to Florida and open a fishing or charter business, because he was always talking about that. That was about 20 years ago or so. I know he moved down there, but I think he's come back since.

Had another ex-shop owner.... samating.... he was going to show me how to run my business and make millions for me. He lasted about two months, until he decided to quit and left me with about 10 deadbeat customers. Now I know why he came over.

Had still another ex- shop owner that couldn't make it on his own and was working for my competition, but he came to me and said he was unhappy and we struck up a deal. He lasted the longest at about five months, until I had to ask him to go back to the other company. They took him and then they fired him about 9 months later.

I told you of these because there is something inside a business-owner, that doesn't always turn off when the other guy is footing all the bills including your salary. It can get kinda sickening if you don't know when to shut up. It's better if you just work, do what you're asked to do and only offer suggestions if or when asked..... not before. Not until you get a common ground where each of you trust the other.

Now....I do have an employee for about three years now that has owned his own business for about 30 years. Before that he worked for his father and his grandfather. He started in the business at 12 years old. He only opens his mouth about methods and getting jobs done in a better or more cost effective way. He never tells me how to do things in the business end of things. However, I know him for 37 years and we've always been good friends and worked along side of each other in another shop some 30 odd years ago.

A year should be enough time to evaluate where you're going to re-locate and if you'll get along. That's the key... getting along and not just collecting a paycheck.

Good Luck................

 

[wetgravy]

I guess I'm sort of an oddity, even though I've worked for myself for almost 10 years now, I go through spurts of working for others (mainly at a loss of pay) just to be around someone other than myself and working. I still work for myself on the side, but like others have alluded. It's not about what you can do to be boss in the shop and make it better (nothing will change except you will put a bad taste in the owners mouth), but how well you work, what you bring to the table and in the end ... how well you can adapt to the methods of the shop. As with any area I've moved to, it only takes a few weeks to get a job in a sign shop just because I flat out tell them what I can do, what I like to do above all else when it comes to sign fabrication (to me it's all about the weeding ... it's lethargic) and lastly I tell them that I do work for myself and that if I do work for them 1. it's all about my work in the shop while i'm in the shop. 2. i will try my best to adapt to the way the shop works and 3. I don't smoke, like to work and I always try to make the customers happy (even when they are dinks). Also have realistic expectations for working for someone else as well, don't expect $28 an hour because of your experience ... your experience demands more pay, but the fact you don't have an employment history for a boss to compare will not make them consider you over some shop grunt that has been working for people for 15 years and stays in a shop for 3-5 years at a time.

Oh, and expect to get the look of "Ummmm ... I have no idea what I can do with this person if I hire them since they know more than me and/or they can do more than the shop has the capabilities of providing" and/or "Yeeaahhh ... I'm not going to hire this person because they will want too much money after a time OR want my job shortly after hiring them." ... I realized I got those looks when I showed my portfolio of previous work or if I talked about what I have at home in my studio set up for doing prints and illustration work (a large format ink jet printer, and plotter is more than a LOT of shops have by far ... most just have a plotter and a small work table to weed on ... sadly)

 

[wetgravy]

Oh, and if you really want to promote yourself to sign shops in the area, make a "brochure" for a resume with some decent business cards. I made one side of a tri-fold my resume, the other was just like any other brochure, had examples, contact information and both sides were well designed with a coherent layout between business card and brochure. After I'm done with my (in person) talk with the manager/owner/etc telling them I'm in town, what I can do and the whole micro interview ... I don't ask if they are hiring ever, just that I'm "Job hunting" from moving ... I give them the brochures and tell them that if they do need someone to let me know and I will be more than happy to apply for the job. I ussually get a call back from one shop out of every 3 shops that visit the "resume" website I set up so they can see what else is in my portfolio. might be a week or two later ... but it's a good turn over for interest ... oh and google analytics are the best for knowing who visits the site, how long they linger and where they linger the most ... it can atleast let you tweak your site for better browsing later)

Your portfolio is needed to be awesome, a small mix of bread and butter jobs are always good (as long as they are well designed), some process shots (beginning to end process) some "WOW" jobs are always good, and of course ... things that show your technical skill ... anyone can apply vinyl to the side of a van ... but if you have a digital print with 2 metallic vinyl overlays on it with rivets underneath that you designed completely with illustration aspects to it ... better. I normally have a printed portfolio of about 10-30 pages (8x10) all with multiple images in them and designed out to look cohesive and not a bunch of images thrown together in a portfolio book like a scrap book from a kinder garden art class. Online, try to make it all WOW images and things you are proud of.