Advanced Professional Practice subject had given me opportunities to enhance myself and develop a more professional personality, I was chosen to be the leader of the entire class, it was time consuming and it was really difficult to be the leader nor the student president, but ultimately I am glad to take the chance to be a leader, I can't say that I'm a great leader, but I have practiced myself to be one. There are a lot of things that I expect myself to do better and I'm still working on to achieve and enhance.
During completing and working on different tasks, I have found my way of exploring myself in a way to understand myself better. I collected different feedbacks, advises and suggestions from different lecturers and classmates then to analyse them on purpose to find a way to develop a better and more efficient work, I critique what I do and what I work on based on the feedbacks I get from people and find a best solution with brain storm by combining different suggestions and advises from people.
Throughout the entire subject, I had created my work mostly in Adobe CS softwares and iWork apps of Apple. I had read and researched on many tips of editing and the basic design awareness such as the Bleeding lines, create outlines, margin line, the dpi matters and etc. I have also practiced myself on writing formal documents throughout the subject as well, mostly I work with iWork apps from Apple.
I have dealt with the manager of Publika shopping mall to confirm the exhibition space, it wasn't the first time for me to deal with people outside the college, so I had a confidence of doing so without problems of fears, and eventually I had gained the information what we needed to book the exhibition space with no problems. Curation of an exhibition is a lot of works to do, it needs the people who work for it with the most hardworking attitude, ultimately it will eventually end up to be a happy ending.
During the curation of the exhibition, we have designed flyers that informs the publics about our exhibition and we have also created a public Facebook event as the internet information stands a big part of our time, we spread ourselves though internet and the traditional way - the flyers.
We had a lot of meet ups in the studio and a lot of discussions about our exhibition to create the best exhibition curation within a team, the team work we had wasn't the best and most efficient, but we'd always end up solving the problems with our brain storms.
I gotta say, this graduate exhibition is the most challenging assignment of all these 3 years of study, the most challenging is always at the end. I am as the student president who's in charge of the entire work flow, and it wasn't easy to take such a huge responsibility, I often snapped at my classmates and lost control with the words I say to them.
There were tons of works to do and to be checked while working, we have made many gantt charts and schedule to follow up with the work flow. First of all we have divided ourselves into different working teams.
Hereby I would like to talk about each team's teamwork as a president. Mohsen is as the V.president and he has been a really supporting partner to work with, he's full of ideas to help and always willing to help, he's a great leader with a nice temper, he would never snap at the problems and he would always comfort the students and encourage us to do our best, and I'm really glad to lead the entire team with him. The event manager and assistant are really responsible as well.
The PR&Marketing team along with the Finance team had a great team work, as they helped us locating a sponsorship to lose a bit off our burden. We have gained 600 RM sponsor funds from Zhung Zhen ltd. and these funds helped us a lot during the planning and making of the exhibition. One thing that can be done better from this team is that they have forgotten to research on different agencies that could possibly explore our creativities and building a good career ahead our future.
The Exhibition team is a blast with the best leader Steve, Steve is a very responsible leader, he is always willing to help, always has this positive vibes while working. He had helped a lot and put a lot into this entire exhibition, and I'd say he could gain a lot of credit through this entire exhibition.
Creative team might be a bit draggy, but entirely they had produced design works but not as efficient. Mohsen gets the most credits in creative team as he's always producing beautiful designs full of ideas.
We have looked up to the last batches who have successfully graduated and curated their exhibition a year ago while working on our exhibition, we also have tried to find inspirations by looking at exhibitions that were done by others around the world.
We had been through a difficult time picking up a right theme and name for ourselves, and we had asked the individuals from the entire team to contribute their ideas and share what they think of. And we really had a bunch of funny and adorable names for ourselves.
Our thoughts were messy while choosing a name for ourselves, and eventually with Ms. Nadira's help we had finally decided to name ourselves "SOULS" as in "SOU15" which represents 15 of us. And our slogan is Visual Existence, as in the word "Souls" can be understood very abstractly and can't be visually seen, but through the artworks of our hardworking, our souls were reflected onto our artworks and they are visually existed.
Our schedule constantly changed and was constantly updated as the schedule was intense with tons of works to do on our plates, but we still eventually managed to finish up everything before the deadline which I am very proud of.
The process of designing the logo was various and alternative, all of us liked different types of designs and agreed with different things, eventually we have decided with the logo by voting at the logos we all like and prefer from the ones that were designed by the student presidents. And ultimately we had decided to go with the design above this paragraph that was done by V. president Mohsen.
The banner design was a head scratch, we seemed like to squeeze out all of our brain juice to come out with a great idea to design our banner/poster, we have tried capturing motions of our bodies with dslr cameras set up on a slow shutter speed mode, and we also have tried scanning our hand motions on a scanner, but the outcomes didn't seem to be good looking at all. Eventually, I had spent a little time experimenting in the photo studio by myself, I set up the studio tungsten light to let the light shoot from the behind of the subject to have a silhouette effect, and I found it very eye-pleasing when it's black and white. And eventually we decided to go with my idea of this banner design.
The most important part of this exhibition is the layout of how I would like to showcase my artworks in the exhibition, in the beginning, I had a layout sketched down:
In this layout sketch, I had planned for an M sized panel with the top and bottom panels, but some changes had occurred while setting up the panels, the mall didn't have enough panel boards to be installed, so we had finally decided to leave the bottom panel boards empty and only display the artworks on the top panel boards, so I had changed the layout, I moved the bottom 3 horizontal landscape A3 sized artworks onto the top panel boards along with the 4 A3 sized portrait/vertical artworks and hung the experimented artworks that I had made in the darkroom - the black and white photographic papers contains the exposed objects. And on the side of the panels, I had displayed the back up book cover pages that I had printed as an extra and didn't apply them into making the book on the top panel boards, and the empty bottom, I had displayed the small black and white photographic papers that contain exposed subject matters.
My conclusion of this exhibition: I had a great time curating this exhibition, we had been through happy moments, sad moments, angry moment as well as emotional moments and tiring moments, but we all gained a lot through all these treasurable and memorable moments. It was a real challenge to me and real experience of my life time!
Company The company that I'm researching is Google. Google is a worldwide known search engine that everybody is aware of these days. Larry Page, the co-founder and CEO, once described the “perfect search engine” as something that “understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want.” Google’s mission is to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Today Google has more than 70 offices in more than 40 countries around the globe.
Google believes in 10 things that we know to be true:
1. Focus on the user and all else will follow.
2. It’s best to do one thing really, really well.3. Fast is better than slow.4. Democracy on the web works.5. You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer.6. You can make money without doing evil.7. There’s always more information out there.8. The need for information crosses all borders.9. You can be serious without a suit.10. Great just isn’t good enough.
The job role that I want to identify in Google company is User Experience & Design, as this job is to create intuitive, simple, and beautiful designs that delight Google users. At the top of Google's core principles is: "Focus on the user and all else will follow." So, it’s no surprise that they share the same passion for innovation and excellence in design as they do in engineering. They believe each Google product should have an intuitive, simple and beautiful design that delights users each time they visit—regardless of whether they use a desktop computer, mobile device, Google Glass or other hardware. Our team of User Experience (UX) Designers, Interaction Designers, Visual Designers, Motion Designers, Production Designers and Producers work in a fun, collaborative and fast-paced environment. They constantly refine Google’s visual design language, tackle complex user interactions and highlight each product’s brand and unique personality.
One of the reasons that I want to work for Google because of this movie that I have watched called "The Internship" I was really impressed of Google's working environment and the spirits that they follow and believe.
Here's a video about this job role and what they do for this position. After just three months at Google, Interaction Designer Noah Levin helped change the way Google's users interact with Google Search on the iPhone and iPad. Learn how he takes a complex system and makes it a simple user experience for our most well-known product: Search.
Cover Letter
A cover letter typically accompanies each resume you send out. Your cover letter may make the difference between obtaining a job interview and having your resume ignored, so it makes good sense to devote the necessary time and effort to writing effective cover letters. A cover letter should complement, not duplicate, your resume. Its purpose is to interpret the data-oriented, factual resume and add a personal touch.
A cover letter, covering letter, motivation letter, motivational letter or a letter of motivation is a letter of introduction attached to, or accompanying another document such as a résumé or curriculum vitae. Job seekers frequently send a cover letter along with their curriculum vitae or application for employment as a way of introducing themselves to potential employers and explaining their suitability for the desired position. Employers may look for individualized and thoughtfully written cover letters as one method of screening out applicants who are not sufficiently interested in their position or who lack necessary basic skills. Cover letters are typically divided into three categories:
The application letter or invited cover letter which responds to a known job opening
The prospecting letter or uninvited cover letter which inquires about possible positions
The networking letter which requests information and assistance in the sender's job search.
Cover letters. As much as we despise them, they are the chance to make a case, to cover everything we can’t express in our resumes – which is a lot – and come across as real people to potential employers.
Email Cover Letter
Include a salutation. There are a number of different kinds to choose from, and the greeting you choose will depend on how much information you have about the company: - If you know the name of the hiring manager, your salutation should be something like "Dear [insert name]" followed by either a comma or a colon. Make sure to address the manager formally using their proper title (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc.). - If you don't know the name of the hiring manager, consider addressing your letter "Dear Hiring Manager," "Dear Recruiting Team," or "Dear [insert company name] Team."
Write the first paragraph of your letter. This is where you will mention the job for which you're applying and how you found the job listing. It only needs to be 1 to 2 sentences in length.
Write the body paragraphs of your letter. Most cover letters will only have 1 or 2 body paragraphs. You don't want to overwhelm the hiring manager or use up a great deal of his or her time. Try to answer the following questions in your body paragraphs:
- Why am I a qualified candidate for this position?
- What work experience do I have that fits the job requirements in the company's listing?
- Why do I want to work for this company specifically?
Write the final paragraph of your letter. This will be where you wrap up and discuss how you will proceed with the application. Consider including the following:
- Reiterate in one sentence why you feel you're a perfect fit for the position.
- Discuss what you'll do next. If you plan on following up with the hiring manager in a week or two, include a specific date. Otherwise, just say that you look forward to interviewing for the position and discussing your qualifications further.
- Provide your contact information. Include your email address and your phone number so the hiring manager can get in touch with you.
- Mention that your resume or references are attached (if applicable). - Thank the person for their time.
End your cover letter with a respectful closing statement. "Best" or "Sincerely" are both classic options. Also, since you won't be able to sign your email, finish the letter by typing your full name.
Paper Cover Letter
Add a letterhead at the top of the letter. Your letterhead should include your full name, address, telephone number, and email address. Some guidelines to follow when creating your letterhead:
- Your name should be in bold 14- or 16-point font.
- Your address and other contact information should be in normal 12-point font.
- The font of your letterhead does not need to be Arial or Times New Roman, like the rest of your letter, but it should be professional looking and easy to read. The most important thing to remember is to include up-to-date information so that you make it easy for the employer to contact you.
- You may want to include an extra line under the letterhead in order to create visual appeal and to separate the letterhead from the rest of the letter.
Write the recipient’s name and address and the date below the letterhead.
Address the recipient. Be sure to refer to the recipient by his or her proper title (Mrs., Mr., Dr., etc.). If you’re not sure who the recipient is, write, “To Whom It May Concern:” or “Dear Sir or Madam”; however, it is always best to address a cover letter to a real person to make it look like you’re not sending form letters.
State your purpose in the first paragraph.Tell the employer why you are writing to them in two or three sentences. State the position for which you are applying (or the one you would like to have should it become available).
Outline your qualifications in the middle paragraph(s).Make sure to match them to the requirements of the position. If you are writing to inquire about open positions, tell the employer how you can contribute to their bottom line, not what you want to get out of the deal. To do this, use what you have researched about the employer's background and history.
- Make your qualifications jump out at the reader by researching the company to which you are applying for a job and tailoring your letter accordingly. This will also be useful if you get an interview. Some questions to keep in mind as you write are
- What is the employer's mission? What do they promote as the one thing that sets them apart from their competitors?
- What kind of customer base does the employer have? Who is their target audience?
- What is the company's history? Who founded it? How has the business evolved? What are the main highlights of the company's performance over the past few years?
Include a positive statement or question in the final paragraph that will motivate the employer to contact you. Make this closing paragraph between two to four sentences. Direct the employer to your enclosed resume and make sure you specify that you're available for an interview. Finish off by thanking the recruiter for their time and consideration, and welcome them to get in touch with you to continue the conversation.
Write an appropriate closing. It’s a good idea to thank the reader for his or her time. After that, write “Sincerely,” “Respectfully,” or “Regards,” leave several spaces, and print your name.
Add your signature. If you will be submitting your cover letter digitally, it’s a good idea to scan and add your signature, write it in with a digital writing pad, or make a digital signature stamp with appropriate software.
Make a notation of the enclosures. If you enclose something, such as a resume, with a letter, you should indicate that the letter contains enclosures by making the notation “Enclosure” or “Enclosures” at the bottom of the letter. Afterwards Spell-check and proofread. If you have a spell-check feature, use it. Some programs, such as Microsoft Word, also include a grammar check that you should use. Proofread your letter yourself. Some things to avoid are - Common misspellings. - Writing in the passive voice. Own your accomplishments. Stay away from phrases like "This experience gave me the opportunity to...," or worse, "these goals were met by me." You don't want to sound like everything happened to you or that it was done by some other entity. Make yourself the active subject of every sentence (e.g., "In this role, I developed/reinforced/learned/etc."). However, this does not imply that every sentence should start with "I..." so vary your syntax accordingly. - Colloquial (informal) writing. You want to sound professional and educated. Avoid all forms of slang, unnecessary abbreviations, and texting lingo. - Incorrect punctuation. Read your letter aloud to hear how it reads. Do not rely on the spelling and grammar checks to catch mistakes. Consider asking a friend, or even two, to proofread your letter as well. If no one is available to help, another good strategy is to spend some time away from your final draft (a few hours or even a whole day) so that you can return to it with a fresh perspective. Double-check some of the most-overlooked basics before you do anything. While misspelling or misidentifying the name of the company you're applying to isn't the end of the world, it's not exactly starting off on the right foot. Double-check the following: - The complete name of the company to which you are applying for a job - The name of the person to whom you are addressing the cover letter - The address of the person to whom you are sending the letter - The title of the job for which you are applying and/or its reference number, if it exists My Cover Letter to Google Company
I am writing to inquire about the possible openings at Google Company for a user experience & design job role. I am interested in your visual designer’s position as I am a fresh media art and design graduated student looking for working opportunity and experience.
As a fresh graduated student, I am eager to contribute my abilities and experience to Google company. I would like to follow Google's core principle: “focus on the user and all else will follow” to be given extensive training and practice.
I would appreciate the opportunity of working in Google to gain experience and learn. And I look forward to discussing what my certain skills are in graphic design field that may fit this job position.
Please find enclosed my resume and a list of my references. Feel free to contact me at (+6) 018 774 8 663, to arrange a time to meet. I look forward to hearing from you.
provides an overview of a person's experience and other qualifications. In some countries, a CV is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, employment.
A résumé or less frequently, also spelled 'resumé' or 'resume', is a document used by persons to present their backgrounds and skills. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons, but most often they are used to secure new employment. A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant jobexperience and education. The résumé is usually one of the first items, along with a cover letter and sometimes an application for employment, which a potential employer sees regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screenapplicants, often followed by an interview. The résumé is comparable to acurriculum vitae (CV) in many countries. However, it is substantially shorter than a CV in English Canada, the U.S. and Australia. In French, résumé means summary.
Inspirations
Here's a type of CV that I would like to go for, it is a CV that includes an easy reap-off name card:
Here's also another one that's quite interesting, instead of ordinary method of computer texts, this one tried a different method to express words by handwriting on hand instead of computer typing to express the words:
Here's another very interesting resume that uses the most poplar method nowadays by applying QR code into his resume:
Last year I had designed a logo and a name card that contains my logo, also I had printed them out, but I find them not professional enough anymore and thought to develop my personal logo and business card better.
The images above are the logos I designed last year, the camera shaped logo was originally designed as a personal tattoo during the first year of college study, and this tattoo places above my chest and below my neck, thought it would be good to use this designed tattoo as a personal logo, because of the tattoo position where it's right in front of me and obvious for others to see, so when others see this logo, they might flashback and remember me, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to use it as a personal identity. Now I'm the last year and about-to-graduated student, I started considering professional outlook and identity of my self, and I decided to create a new logo that will brand and identify my self in a better visual appearance.
logo 1 logo 2 logo 3 logo 4 logo 5 logo 6
The concept of the logos I'm designing for is that my middle name is "Snow" and so is the meaning of my Chinese name, and plus I'm personally a winter person who's in love with snow. So I'm designing my logo into a snowflake shape. Logo 1,2,3, were the try-out in the beginning, as you can see, I had applied quite many shapes into these logos, there are triangle, hexagon and a circle. And in logo 4, 5, 6, I had deleted the triangle shape. The reason I did so is because the triangle somehow indicates and represents a pyramid, and as where my name is in the bottom of the pyramid, and indicates a meaning of "slavery". To avoid visual confusion with too many shapes in one image group and the confusion of the meaning that involves the "pyramid", I deleted the shape of triangle, and made the circle smaller than logo 1, 2, 3. I have also tried out different kinds of fonts to apply in my logo, such as Hero, Cicle, Code, Dekar, and etc. Eventually I decided to use Caviar Dreams. All the fonts that I had applied and especially Caviar Dreams are license free, good to be used personally and commercially, so I had avoided that copyright suit. Comparing the two kinds of logos that I had designed a year ago and now, I can clearly see that I'm going for a minimalist style to design my logo instead of lots of elements involved in the logo that I designed a year ago. Name/Business Card As I had mentioned above, I had also designed a name card and printed out last year and I have been using them since then.
I designed my card in black and white last year, and now I want to try to add colors into my card. And also I want to follow up the trend nowadays.
As you can see, I added QR codes into my card where people can easily scan them by their smart phones to find my social networking pages and browse my works. And the job title in the card that I designed last year were 3 titles on one card which were: Photographer, Graphic designer and Filmmaker, and also repeated the content of the front side of the card "photography & graphic design". Therefore I decided to have a simple title this time in the new card that I'm designing: "Media Artist" as I involve myself to try lots of different things to create my artworks such as photography, videography, graphic design and sometimes manual analogue mediums; and on the back side of the card I also mentioned what main business service that I can offer such as "videography, photography and graphic design" the purpose is not to confuse the people what I actually do when my job title is "media artist".
CV & Resume
As I mentioned above that I'm willing to design a CV that involved my business card that can be an easy-reap-off from my CV. I'm designing my CV based on A4 paper size, so I started making "a mock" up on a general A4 printing paper.
The standard business card size is 3.5"*2", by this size, while I layout the two name cards at the end of an A4 paper, there'd be a note-sized piece of paper remaining, and I want to utilise this small part of paper as another name card but called "Vcard" or "Mecard" which can be encoded into a QR code and, the contact information will pop out when scanning it by smartphones.
As one side of the small note paper will contain the QR code that links to my Vcard, on the other side of the note will contain my personal logo that I designed as a self promotional item, as you can see from the mock-up I made by A4printing paper, one side of the note will cover the cover page of my CV where the logo appears on the cover as well. The note will be easy reap-off as well which can be used as a "mini & portable" name card.
Images above is CV I had designed in Adobe InDesign, On Tuesday, I will consult lecturers and test print them to see if anything needs to be improved.
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