I may have mentioned this before. I am doing a complete overhaul on my website. Beginning with a design change and hopefully making it easier to navigate, as well as doing a better job of branding myself and promoting my services.Instead of 8 menu bar items there will now be 14. I've got 7 items for "My Services," 3 for "My Store" and 4 for "My Other Stuff." And under those 14 items there are other pages you can go to and then more pages under those, etc, etc etc. Even though the content of a lot of the pages (such as the EISID prints pages) is the same I am changing the overall design and it is requiring to relink all the pictures. A lot of work because I have hundreds and hundreds of images on my site and I'm also adding tons more.
The services I'm promoting include graphic design, printing (did you even know I handle printing of all kinds of stuff?), retouching (did you know you could engage my services to retouch your photographs?), photography, writing, film and teaching/speaking. Basically, I'm putting it all out there. All my talents pimped in one place for all to see and contract.
In the past I've been told that I should keep all my talents in separate boxes, where the graphics doesn't mix with the writing or photography or books etc. And lately I've been told that if you are submitting yourself for work you should only put what's relevant to that particular job on your resume. So, maybe I'm supposed to have separate websites for all the different jobs I am capable of performing. To that I ask, Whatever happened to the idea of being a renaissance man/woman? Does that not count for anything anymore?
What do you think? Am I shooting myself in the foot by branding myself as a person with abilities in several creative areas? Am I wrong to think potential clients will perceive the creative connection between all the areas I work in? Will all my endeavors cancel each other out and leave me with an empty bank account?
I'm not talking about multitasking here. I believe multitasking is an oxymoron. I don't think you should focus on more than one task at a time. When a person does that I think the tasks end up taking longer and are performed at a lower standard. I don't mind having multiple tasks on my 'to do' list, but I think it's better time management to start and finish each task one at a time whenever possible. For one thing, starting and stopping a task requires review time to catch up to where you left off.
I really hope this post will garner comments and readers (if I have any left) will share their thoughts and experiences. I'm sure we can all benefit, especially the many of us who are trying to navigate the constantly changing career landscape in these crazy economic times.
6 comments:
Hi Debbie!
These are certainly crazy times, and making a career change it´s a very important decision.
I think we have to read many articles, find resources, and ask the correct people for their oppinions.
Cheers!
I don't see any problem putting all your eggs in one basket, so to say. I mean I would think that this person must be multitalented and really gifted, and if anything, I'd probably be little envious :) Didn't know you could do all those things.
That's just my humble opinion...
Anyways, looking forward to see the new website, and I believe everything goes well and you'll get more and more customers in the future.
Thanks, Timo...sorry I didn't answer your other comment yet but I have been giving it some thought.
When are you thinking of coming to the US?
No problem Deborah, I know it's really off the topic and you shouldn't waste time on it... I'd like to leave at end of march/ beginning of april. I am checking different alternatives, right now looking if I could go to Canada, maybe Toronto, and work there for a while. It seems to be nearly impossible to work & travel in US which is really a shame. Should get a working Visa before I arrive to US, which means I should have a job before I arrive, which is pretty much impossible... Maybe I could come to US when I leave from Canada.
Anyways I need something new in my life, and now is the best chance because I am about to graduate and I got nothing to keep me here, it's just whether I have the cohones to leave :D
About the website, as long as you got something to show there, what you've done, I think everything's gonna be fine :)
Thanks for everything anyways :)
I don't see anything wrong, either, in stating all your different services on one website, as long as the different types are on seperate pages - still photography related together, film related together, writing, etc. Alot of it is inter-related, so why not have it all on one site? Any yes, one task at a time. Every day at work we make out a schedule of what we expect will be done that day, although there are always variables when you're relying on someone or something that's beyond your control. Good luck to ya!
These are crazy times. I say put it all out there -- you never know what the universe will bring back. You have many talents and people need to know them all even if it means we drink a bottle of vodka and scream your credentials from the rooftop. You are not alone -- my friend just went to her first pink party (for those who've been pink slipped) and met so many incredible unemployed people. Something has to change soon. We'll get there, it just sucks right now.
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