BIT-101 looking for a full time position in Boston

[senocular]

Our good friend BIT-101 has recently become unemployed as is looking for work. He has contributed to six books on Flash ActionScript, with several more in the oven. BIT-101 recently won the Experimental category award at the Flashforward 2003 Flash Film Festival (congrats!).

If anyone knows of any work in Boston, or can put in a good word for him in someplace somewhere around there (or whatever), Im sure that would be appreciated.

If you have any suggestions for employment etc., you can always contact Bit through his profile here on kirupa:
http://www.kirupaforum.com/forums/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=1466

[SureShot]

Wow that sucks... I hope it was by his own accord.

I'm sure someon with that much talent won't have a tough time finding a place to work - good luck, I wish I could be of more help!

[Digitalosophy]

Originally posted by SureShot
I'm sure someon with that much talent won't have a tough time finding a place to work

unfortunatly our economy is in real bad shape. it's hard for anyone to find a job, even with that much skill. im in NYC and i can tell you that people are dying over here, it's actually very sad. there are tons of jobs, but the pay low, and they don't offer benefits, most of them are contracting jobs, like mine. i am working as a contracting web master. i just found out today my time is up August 1st. maybe me and Bit 101 should start a business :)

[bleutuna]

I wish him luck. I've been there myself, laid off in November from a company which I helped build from the ground up.

Right now, it seems most companies are requiring a Bachelors Degree in Graphics Design or similar. Gettin' harder and harder to compete without one, that's for sure.

That's why I decided to finally pursue my education, just too hard to find a job and I wasn't getting any younger ;(

:pope:

[Digitalosophy]

i evny you, i refuse to go back to school

[senocular]

I want to go back :(

[Digitalosophy]

Sen, I can't see going back because I truly feel that once you know the fundamentals of anything in web development, it's then up to you to take it as far as you can. I mean a teacher can only teach you so much

[fester8542]

Its a tough market out there.

Employees are no longer assets to companies....they are expenses.

[SureShot]

So true fester, so true. You have to make yourself non-expendable. In a small business like the one I am in right now, I can do that pretty easily - but in a larger corp, there is always someone breathing down your neck for your spot.

[Digitalosophy]

tell me about it, im getting bounced august 1st

[fester8542]

Thats tough digital. I am sorry to hear that man.

At least they had the descency to let you know when you were going to be let go.

At my company, they tap you on the shoulder, take you into a conference room, rip your job from you and literally give you 10 minutes to clean out your desk before you are escorted to you car.

Its friggin twisted. We have had hundreds of lay-offs over the past couple of years. I am suprised no-one has flipped out yet.

[Digitalosophy]

om man that's insane. well i knew when i started i would be leaving now, it was a contracting job. since i's my first "real job" after college i took it for experience. now the issue is finding another one

[senocular]

it has nothing to do with the teachers. I was teaching my teachers in college (even taking over classes for them). Its more of an internal pursuance of knowledge and creativity and just getting out there and learning things yourself; reading, studying the works of others, and having time to engage in your own work and pursuits. Theres a lot to absorb and experiment with but little time for it all when you're busy working and putting up with rediculously confused and deranged clients.

[SureShot]

I'm with you sen. I just graduated from college in August of last year from a 3 year graphic design program. I would love more than anything to go back as I had a great time and wish I could learn all there is to know about our craft. Going in, I had taken 2 years off and during that time I got pretty good with photoshop and building websites. After having attended classes for 3 years I realized something... I knew about 20% of these programs and their power and I thank god that I decided to get the diploma before I went job hunting.

I can see where you are coming from Digitalosophy in that teachers can really only teach you so much - but it's the experience and the people you meet and ability to push yourself further than you thought you could go - all the while having someone or some people to ask for help if you need it. I know that sounds like a crappy ad for a college or university somewhere but it's really how I felt. I loved it and would go back in a heart beat if it wasnt for this **** money thing....

[Digitalosophy]

Sureshot i hear you man, i mean come on college was the sh@t. But i'm going on 23 now, time to work ya know. Unfortunatly I was never the school type until a few years ago. Man do I regreat that. But in all honesty I signed up for a Database program about a half a year ago, and never went because I got this job. Now that is oiver not sure what I should do. I only have an Associates Degree in Digital Media Arts(mostly asp, and database , they didnt teach me much flash at all).

Does any one know of any schools offering advanced flash actionscripting? Thats why I dont wanna go back, because I don't need a teacher telling me how to make a ball move from side to side for $15 grand a year. Feel me?

[senocular]

I think your best bet is taking MM classes or maybe something offered by someplace like figleaf - that professional training kind of deal. Ive also tutored which is an option if you can find anyone smart enough (and willing or offering) ... which may not be as easy come to think of it :beam: Otherwise, at a college of uni level, they are broader and less focused on specific or advanced AS. Other languages, yeah, but Flash, less so much. Atleast thats how it is around here.:-\

[Digitalosophy]

hmm well thanks for your info Sen. In all seriousness, have you ever thought of instructing an online AS class?

[senocular]

Heh, well I do go back to the college to teach Flash workshops there... not during the summer though. Otherwise I don't really have time. I guess I could, but between work and kirupa here sucking the life out of me (not as much as before ;)) there doesnt seem to be the time.

[Digitalosophy]

well if anything changes, i would be happy to sign up for Senocular 101 :)

[SureShot]

that makes 2 of us ;)

[bleutuna]

Perhaps I wasn't clear
:crazy:

It doesn't matter if you learn how to tie your shoes or you learn every single thing there is to know about Graphics Design while in school. What you learn makes no difference.

In the current market, to get a good paying job and be able to get another job if that one ends for whatever reason, more and more companies are requiring:

- 3+ years of experience
- BA in Graphics Design or Similar

It's not a matter of knowing how to do it, the companies don't want to hire people that don't have the degree. Why? I don't know, I think it's bullcrap, because it required me to go to school after working in the Industry for 7 years, having a strong portfolio and significant savoir faire.

When I was laid off, I was a Lead Designer for a mulit-million dollar software company, making $65,000 a year. I was lucky to get 3 interviews out of at least 200 I sent out.

Arriving at the interviews, I found out that I was competing with 13+ other candidates, many of them with more experience, and nearly all of them with some sort of BA - be it in marketing or art. I just couldn't compete. When given two equal quality portfolios and similar experience, employers go with the guy with the degree, because it shows that you are willing to "stick to it" in college and blah blah blah.

Here's a test: Go to http://www.monster.com and do a search for Graphic Design. Read the criteria they require now. Unlike just 3 years ago, nearly everyone wants a huge amount of experience (which most of us have), but also that BA. That piece of paper.

So, I'm going to try and and get a double major in Graphics Design and Broadcast Design. I won't learn much in Graphics Design, I'm sure, but I'm hoping to pick up more about print. Broadcast Design, however will be something new and exciting, and could be quite lucrative.

At least then, I have two industries that have to reject me, instead of just one :D

As for the whole become indispensable, be careful with that, because no matter how indispensable you think you are - you really aren't. At WhisperWire, I was the 10th person hired. I was the man who built all of their marketing, their collateral, their brand and identity, who built the interface for their software, and who did whatever it took to make the company look good.

I was one of two designers, one who was focused solely on HCI and developing the inricate layout of pages based on my visual design. He knew nothing of print, nothing of collateral, and had never branded a company in his life. He worked for Development, I for marketing. Our workload was insane, always busy, always with tons of projects that had to be finished.

Yet, on November 17th, I was called into the Board Room as my CEO and my VP of Marketing informed me that I, in fact, wasn't indispensable to the company, and that they would be handing me my walking papers.

What you think companies have to have, as far as Graphics and Design go, is a far cry from what the CEO and managers think they have to have. WhisperWire's website has outdated information now, poor, pixelized graphics on the main page, and their software's interface is becoming stale and unnattractive. They haven't released sent out a direct mail campaign or done any sort of collateral since I left. All the things they *had* to have when I was there are now deemed unnecessary, just as I was.

So, with this line of reasoning, watch out, because there's always someone who doesn't think you're necessary for the company, and there's always someone cheaper who can take your place :(

:pope:

[reverendflash]

Originally posted by fester8542
Thats tough digital. I am sorry to hear that man.

At least they had the descency to let you know when you were going to be let go.

At my company, they tap you on the shoulder, take you into a conference room, rip your job from you and literally give you 10 minutes to clean out your desk before you are escorted to you car.

Its friggin twisted. We have had hundreds of lay-offs over the past couple of years. I am suprised no-one has flipped out yet.

I got a message on my cel phone's answering service, after I got back from New Orleans on vacation. It said my contract had not been renewed, so don't show up for work tomorrow. No explaination, just don't show up... on the plus side, they never replaced me...

The first time I get fired, it is a message waiting for me when I return from a week's vacation...

I hope the decision maker had bad rectal pain for a while...

;)

Revhttp://www.aulman.com/rev.gif