Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Aother option is to seek out professional networks that were created specifical-
ly for you and others like you. One of the very best for creatives is The Behance
Network (
www.behance.net).
It's an all-purpose destination for anyone in the creative
industries, complete with job listings, a gallery of portfolios, and its own e-zine.
Forums and directories
You can also learn a tremendous amount by visiting online forums (see Appen-
dix A). People are there to discuss professional practice and are willing to offer advice
and a reality check. One excellent source for lists of forums and discussion groups is
Yahoo (groups.yahoo.com). It is intelligently organized, and topics are easy to find.
General career websites like The Vault (
www.vault.com)
can be helpful as well if you
are hoping to work for a large company with a creative services or marketing commu-
nications department. The message boards on these sites are full of people who are
already working at or are former employees of the company.
Most professional organizations have statistics and surveys about your profes-
sion, from pricing structures to presentation standards, often broken down by geogra-
phy or industry. While some of this material is published for general use, other parts
of it might be for members only. Contact information for a selection of relevant orga-
nizations can be found in Appendix A.
The best online forums are a one-stop resource
for everything from technical questions to
portfolio critiques.
