Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 19, 1995 TAG: 9511170113
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: G-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CAMILLE WRIGHT MILLER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: Use the guidelines that design firms use. Mary Hastings, of Mary Hastings Graphic Design in Danville, says that with new clients she first "learns about the company - what it does and who its market is - and how a brochure is to be used and distributed." Because the primary objective is to "sell your product, you have to know your market."
Hastings believes that "it's not just arranging shapes on a page. You're designing to get the attention of your market. Basics include elements of design, such as repetition of design and color. You need to draw a reader into the brochure."
Additional elements include "picking type face that conveys the feel you want." Type selection "differs significantly for an upscale boutique and for a hardware store." The results, though, are not lost on potential customers.
Identify your products, image and market. Evaluate exactly how much you can spend on supplies. Then choose colors, a theme, type face and a paper weight which supports your image.
If going it alone, you "need to have a concept. Lay it out on paper." Then simplify. She finds "people often put too much information on a page. They need to keep things clean and simple."
Self-created stationery and promotional materials can have high impact if you're skilled in marketing, writing copy, proofreading, and have a strong sense of design. If you're weak in any area, work with a professional. The initial expense can have an excellent return on investment if you connect with your targeted market.
Q: A co-worker and I were candidates for a promotion to supervisor. He got the job. I don't trust him to be fair in his treatment or evaluation of me. I'm thinking of quitting before problems begin.
A. Your new boss hasn't given you reason to distrust his fairness. Be as cooperative as possible, work to support him, and give him a chance. You may find he will work hard to be fair.
In the meantime, take a proactive approach and begin a job search. It generally takes six to nine months to find a job. If, during those months, you find your fears about your boss are unfounded you can halt the search.
On the other hand, if your fears are realized you'll be well into the job hunt and able to leave fairly quickly.
Working on both fronts - improved relations with your supervisor and hunting for a job in case the relationship doesn't work - will increase career success.
Spend time reflecting on whether you have solid evidence your boss won't be fair. We often project our own fears and motives on to someone else. Once we've projected our fears, interpreting events as evidence in support of our position is effortless. Guard against that and strive for objectivity.
Q: I have several interviews scheduled. One question I've been asked is, "Why do you want to leave your present job?" The truth is because my boss is a jerk, but that doesn't sound like a good answer.
A. It isn't. Not everything we think should be shared with prospective employers. Negative statements made in an interview suggest a negative job candidate. You, not your former boss, will be seen as the problem.
Additionally, it's possible the interviewer knows your boss. Your current employer would be more difficult if armed with the knowledge that you're bad mouthing him or her to professional or social acquaintances.
Better to leave your job with as much good will as possible - and to enter a new job with positive feelings all around.
Respond to the question with positive, confident answers. These should suggest you have a career plan and are following it. For example, "I've learned a great deal at X Corporation. I'm excited at the prospect of using that knowledge in a new field." Or, "I wasn't actively looking for a job, but the opportunities offered for growth with your company were so attractive that I made a decision to pursue this opening."
Stay especially on guard during an interview. After 20 minutes in an interview, job candidates often start talking freely and reveal information they don't intend to.
Camille Wright Miller, an organizational behavior sociologist who works in Lexington, answers questions from our readers about workplace issues. Please send them to her in care of The Roanoke Times, Business News Deparment, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.
by CNB