The Creative Career

Kathryn Marion has just published a new book filled with advice to help new grads venture into the next chapter of their lives. The book, Grads Take Charge, features advice from recent grads (including yours truly and other bloggers with great advice) on everything from finding the right job to handling money and life at home. The book is available at QwikSmarts.com, and The Creative Career readers can use the coupon code CC25 for 25% off. The Giveaway I have an extra copy of Grads Take Charge to give away to one lucky reader. To win, leave a comment with the phrase Take Charge, and if you want, tell me what you look forward to or fear about life beyond college (you don't have to be a senior to win#8212;this giveaway is available to anyone who can benefit from the advice in this book). I'll randomly select a winner next Monday, May 18.

Get advice and insights from successful professionals who have established themselves in marketing, advertising, public relations and interactive positions. Allie Osmar gets to the bottom of what it takes to succeed and how you can prepare yourself for a career in one of these ever-changing fields. Visit TheCreativeCareer.com to read the blog and show notes.

Get advice and insights from successful professionals who have established themselves in marketing, advertising, public relations and interactive positions. Allie Osmar gets to the bottom of what it takes to succeed and how you can prepare yourself for a career in one of these ever-changing fields. Visit TheCreativeCareer.com to read the blog and show notes.

Marcia Wallis, a 2003 Stanford graduate and 2008 graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law, has an unique mix of experiences. She has played on several U.S. gold medal teams, including the 1999 Pan-American Woman's Soccer Team and the 2001 and 2002 Nordic Cup teams. Before law school, she played professional soccer in the WUSA and golf on the Futures Tour. Oh yeah, and she helped her cousin, gold medal winning beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh, launch an active-wear clothing line called K-Active. If that's not enough, Marcia recently co-authored a book called Girl Talk with law school buddy Jennifer Azadnia to help guide young girls. Recommended Reading - Marcia recommends reading the newspaper to stay in touch with current events. - Spend some time relaxing with a work of fiction (Marcia recommends the Twilight series, which I have yet to read, but I'm starting to feel that I should...) ShareThis

Marcia Wallis, a 2003 Stanford graduate and 2008 graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law, has an unique mix of experiences. She has played on several U.S. gold medal teams, including the 1999 Pan-American Woman's Soccer Team and the 2001 and 2002 Nordic Cup teams. Before law school, she played professional soccer in the WUSA and golf on the Futures Tour. Oh yeah, and she helped her cousin, gold medal winning beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh, launch an active-wear clothing line called K-Active. If that's not enough, Marcia recently co-authored a book called Girl Talk with law school buddy Jennifer Azadnia to help guide young girls. Recommended Reading - Marcia recommends reading the newspaper to stay in touch with current events. - Spend some time relaxing with a work of fiction (Marcia recommends the Twilight series, which I have yet to read, but I'm starting to feel that I should...)

Roger Weller got into advertising by building his copywriting portfolio through freelance writing at small design shops. He moved to Chicago from the west coast and got a job at an agency called Bozell. From there, he moved to Cramer Krasselt, where he became a creative director. Listen to Roger Weller's beliefs on branding, core marketing skills and the difference between advertising and public relations. The interview runs just under a half an hour, but I think it's one of the most insightful interviews on the marketing and branding world that I've heard. Recommended Book The Deviant's Advantage: How to Use Fringe Ideas to Create Mass Markets Photo Source: Pink Ponk under Creative Commons ShareThis

Roger Weller got into advertising by building his copywriting portfolio through freelance writing at small design shops. He moved to Chicago from the west coast and got a job at an agency called Bozell. From there, he moved to Cramer Krasselt, where he became a creative director. Listen to Roger Weller's beliefs on branding, core marketing skills and the difference between advertising and public relations. The interview runs just under a half an hour, but I think it's one of the most insightful interviews on the marketing and branding world that I've heard. Recommended Book The Deviant's Advantage: How to Use Fringe Ideas to Create Mass Markets Photo Source: Pink Ponk under Creative Commons

Get advice and insights from successful professionals who have established themselves in marketing, advertising, public relations and interactive positions. Allie Osmar gets to the bottom of what it takes to succeed and how you can prepare yourself for a career in one of these ever-changing fields. Visit TheCreativeCareer.com to read the blog and show notes.

When Christine Hutchison was traveling in Bali on her honeymoon, she fell in love with the local individuals and their crafts. She was so inspired by the stories and products that she went on to start an accessory company that would give back to those communities. The company, Five Accessories, now gives five dollars of each handbag sale and 15 percent of all other sales to support causes within the communities where the accessories were created. Read more about the company at fiveaccessories.com. Recommended Book Launch It!: How to Turn Good Ideas Into Great Products That Sell ShareThis

When Christine Hutchison was traveling in Bali on her honeymoon, she fell in love with the local individuals and their crafts. She was so inspired by the stories and products that she went on to start an accessory company that would give back to those communities. The company, Five Accessories, now gives five dollars of each handbag sale and 15 percent of all other sales to support causes within the communities where the accessories were created. Read more about the company at fiveaccessories.com. Recommended Book Launch It!: How to Turn Good Ideas Into Great Products That Sell

Jeff Siarto, the new co-author of Head First Web Design (and my boyfriend), shares the best resources for creating or improving your blog, online portfolio or personal website. Listen to the podcast and check out the links below. Start a Basic Blog Although there are many blogging options, we recommend Wordpress.com. It's free to start a blog using yourblogname.wordpress.com. Create a Custom URL To create a custom URL, such as yourblogname.com, you must buy a domain name. These typically run from $10 to $40 per year, although you should generally pay no more than $15 per year for a .com, .net or .org domain. Check out Namecheap or GoDaddy to get started, or look at ICANN's complete list of accredited registrars. You can map the domain name to your Wordpress blog for $10 per year. For more on this, read Domain Registration and Mapping on Wordpress.com We also recommend using a WHOIS Guard-type service to protect your privacy. Namecheap offers a free year with new domain name registrations. Host Your Own Site Although free hosting may be a good place to start for those on a budget, there are some limitations. For more control and features, higher bandwidth, no ads and more storage space, you might opt to host your own site for. Expect to pay around $100-$200 per year for good hosting (we recommend Dreamhost). Create an Online Portfolio If you're looking to go into a creative field, an online portfolio is a must. If you don't have any experience with web design and don't have the budget to hire someone to do it for you, check out Squarespace. This service lets users create custom websites without any programming knowledge. Consider your blog or online portfolio an investment in yourself. Ultimately, the more professional your web presence, the more impressed your potential employer will be. This could make all the difference when it comes time to look for a job.ShareThis

Jeff Siarto, the new co-author of Head First Web Design (and my boyfriend), shares the best resources for creating or improving your blog, online portfolio or personal website. Listen to the podcast and check out the links below. Start a Basic Blog Although there are many blogging options, we recommend Wordpress.com. It's free to start a blog using yourblogname.wordpress.com. Create a Custom URL To create a custom URL, such as yourblogname.com, you must buy a domain name. These typically run from $10 to $40 per year, although you should generally pay no more than $15 per year for a .com, .net or .org domain. Check out Namecheap or GoDaddy to get started, or look at ICANN's complete list of accredited registrars. You can map the domain name to your Wordpress blog for $10 per year. For more on this, read Domain Registration and Mapping on Wordpress.com We also recommend using a WHOIS Guard-type service to protect your privacy. Namecheap offers a free year with new domain name registrations. Host Your Own Site Although free hosting may be a good place to start for those on a budget, there are some limitations. For more control and features, higher bandwidth, no ads and more storage space, you might opt to host your own site for. Expect to pay around $100-$200 per year for good hosting (we recommend Dreamhost). Create an Online Portfolio If you're looking to go into a creative field, an online portfolio is a must. If you don't have any experience with web design and don't have the budget to hire someone to do it for you, check out Squarespace. This service lets users create custom websites without any programming knowledge. Consider your blog or online portfolio an investment in yourself. Ultimately, the more professional your web presence, the more impressed your potential employer will be. This could make all the difference when it comes time to look for a job.

After Rebecca Stees' job as a social recreation manager at an art center for teens and young adults with disabilities was eliminated due to funding issues, she went on to found ART YOWZA, where she runs art camps and classes for kids and adults. Hear about her journey to entrepreneurship and her advice for students and young professionals today. Recommended Book Get Clients Now!: A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals, Consultants, and Coaches by C.J. Hayden See more from Rebecca Stees and ART YOWZA Photos Twitter Blog Contact Information ShareThis