Some random thoughts on interviews and designers

Last week proved to be an exceptionally busy one here, not least due to an emergency appeal for Christian Aid and street activity for British Red Cross in response to the Pakistan floods. As well these though, we were interviewing designers and design interns. A strange situation for me to be in, as not so long ago ago it was me being interviewed.

Anyway, having met 6 potential co-workers and sifting through 188 (yes, I did just count them) emails full of CVs and portfolios here are some random observations:

1. There are a LOT of designers looking for work – some very good, a lot not.

2. If you want to work for a company, please spell their name correctly.

3. In fact, spell check your whole email. And do write an email. 'Hi, here's some work' doesn't really convey your enthusiasm.

4. As much as I would have liked to, it's impossible to reply to everyone individually. There are just not enough hours in the day.

5. NOBODY has any direct mail in their portfolios. (This wasn't a surprise.)

6. Do make sure your work is in some way relevant to what we do though. I saw a lot of VERY nice illustrations, but we're all about raising money here!

Hm, that all sounds a little negative... it wasn't meant to!

I know nobody ever leaves comments on here, but if anyone has anything interesting to share/add/argue about interviews or whatever, do feel free to post them (not you mum)!

Richard

iStock Cares...

...so much so in fact, that for my $300 of new credit I got to give $3 to Medecins Sans Frontiers. Huzzah. Pub time - have excellent weekends if anyone is reading...

Richard

Charity Gets Daring

Grown-up and sophisticated it ain't. But make it past the ugliness of the website, and there's a nifty idea in MyDunkTank.

It works like this. Some wacky type wants to raise money for charity. They post a shortlist of dares on the DunkTank site. And their friends donate to the dare they'd most like to see done - doubtless with sniggers aplenty.

Of course, people have always loved doing silly things for charity. It's just that in the 21st century, DunkTank is the perfect place to publicise them - in all their head-shaving, fancy-dressing, baked-bean-bathing glory.

Hannah

It's nice to be asked

Greenpeace have invited me to a party in Sipson at the end of August. That’s the place where the third runway for Heathrow Airport was to have been built if it weren’t for our successful campaigning (and the coalition Government).

Inviting supporters to do stuff and be involved is great. Asking them to actually come to a party or meet a beneficiary is normally a privilege reserved for people with 'major donor' status. I’ve always thought that this is nuts.

There’s always the irrational fear that if you invite thousands of 'regular givers' to visit your centre or project, all of them will say yes and swamp you. Some will, but most won’t. So I don’t understand why we don't ask donors to participate more.

I can't make the party in Sipson, and I bet most recipients won't either. But it made me, and I imagine many other supporters, happy to be invited.

And the people that do go to the party? Donors for life, I guess.

Mark

Fridge Poverty

Now, there's nothing wrong with mission statements and manifestos. It's just that they don't exactly ooze warmth. And as a new donor to any charity, that's what I'd be looking for - the welcome pack equivalent of a big grateful hug and an invitation to make myself at home.

So for Christian Aid's new donors, we've developed the most touchy-feely of welcomes - a manifesto in magnet form that they can get their hands on, mess around with and make their own. It's the warmest glow they'll get by the refrigerator - guaranteed.

Hannah

Think it, but don't say it out loud!

Facebook has just reported its 500 millionth user, it knows more about me than my mother does (or apparently the government) and its privacy terms haven’t been very popular.

The other ‘big news’ about Facebook is targeted advertising. It’s undoubtedly very clever and will work with the right selections and creative.

I saw the above ad for Shelter the other day. It stood out because of the way it boldly states that they know I support Oxfam. The selection is spot on - I support one charity and therefore may well support others.

But it doesn’t tell me how my support of Oxfam is relevant. Given the amazing targeting Facebook offers, wouldn’t it have been more relevant to reference that I live in London and therefore see first hand the issues that Shelter deal with day in and day out.

I'm sure it will work out just fine - but I do wonder if it would be better if it wasn't quite so obviously 'big brother'.

Hurrah!

We won Best DM Campaign at the IOF for WWF. We are all very excited by this acronym pile-up. More self-aggrandizement and better photos will doubtless follow.

James