Investors Group

This week our guest speakers were Rachelle Allen, Financial Consultant, and Adam Plaxton, Consultant, of the Investors Group. They did an informative presentation about personal financial planning.

We learned about new realities, which include how we are living longer and need to save money for retirement since we will most likely out live our money.

People tend to fail with their retirement money because:

• Lack of a plan
• Taxes
• Procrastination
• Investor behaviour

We learned how to build a portfolio, dollar cost averaging (investing on a regular basis and how when it's cheaper you buy more), and how to stop tipping the tax man.

We also learned about RSP loans and RRSP (which grows tax sheltered and subtracts from annual income. For example, if you earn 50,000 and contribute 10,000 then you only claim 40,000 on your tax refund (save 31%). We also learned how TFSA are not saving accounts and how there is no tax reduction, but when you take money out it is tax free.

We also talked about Insurance:

1.) Life Altering Illness

• Critical Illness Insurance covers 22 illnesses
• One time tax free lump sum of $50,000
• Premiums are paid back to you if you don't get an illness ($40-50 a month)
• Highest claims are from 20-30 year old women with breast cancer

2.) Mortgage Insurance

• If something happens to you
• Protection from them

3.) Term Life Insurance

• Protection for you
• Cheaper, same premium, coverage stays the same
• Beneficiary will receive money too
• Explore your options

Contact

Adam Plaxton 
416-695-8600
295 The West Mall Suite 700, Etobicoke, ON M9C 4Z4
adam.plaxton@investorsgroup.com

Rachelle Allen
416-860-1668 ext. 227
145 King Street West, Suite 2800, Toronto, ON M5H 1J8
rachelle.allen@investorsgroup.com

Presentation by Dashboard

Our guest speaker this week was Catherine Baird, Associate Creative Director from Dashboard. She is a Sheridan Web Design graduate and has currently worked with a graduate from the program every year since graduating here from 2001.



Her work history includes:

• ecentricarts,  Senior Designer
• Henderson Bas, Senior Designer
• Henderson Bas, Associate Creative Director
• 5emegauche, Paris France, Senior Art Director
• Draft FCB, Senior Art Director
• Dashboard, Associate Creative Director
   

Some of her advice includes:

• Be prepared to change consistently throughout the business.
• Micro sites are becoming less of a demand, instead the industry is moving towards Facebook, YouTube and other social media.
• Bring your portfolio to the graduate show and industry events.

Some clients she has worked with includes:

• Santa Claus parade (whole brand)
• Joe
• Kraft peanut butter
• Capital One
• Wagner
• Hellmann’s
• Ing Direct
  

 
About Dashboard:

• They are a Digital, Engagement Agency. They are about engaging people online.
• The personality of the designers is a mix of quirky and smart.
• Creative team is 6 to 8 people, and there are around 30 employees in the shop.
  

 
Her advice on 5 things you should do to get a job:

1. Be prepared

• Get your best work together in a simple easy to read format.
• This could be a website or better, a PDF with your resume and samples of work with links to live websites.
• Don’t make me work too hard.
• Don’t fumble around in an interview.
• No one will look at your resume if they don’t like your work.
• Email PDF (6 pages of your best work and resume). Make all photos clickable to your website if they want to see more.
• Want to see the work fast (1-2 minutes).
• Your work and your personality is the only thing that will get you a job.
• Just send your work, don’t ask if you can send a portfolio.

2. Do something unusual

• I get 5 emails a day from people who want me to look at their work.
• Do something different. Draw a sketch of the Creative Director, send a hand written card, brand yourself, and make a video. Even doing something unusual in your email is worth a try. Email is too easy.

3. Follow up and don’t write long emails

• Creative Directors are busier and more stressed out that you could possibly imagine. If it’s long, no one is going to have the time to read it.  
• If you stalk someone you’re not going to get a job. If you send gentle reminders, you’ll better your chances.

4. Show Diversity

• Show your paintings if you come from a fine art background. If you are musician, add some links to your songs. If you do anything other than design it shows you are well rounded, interesting, and creative. Show it. It’s also a conversation starter in an interview.

5. Network

• The easiest way to get a job is to network and build up a group of people who respect your work and work ethic.
• Be nice, work hard and don’t burn bridges. It’s a SMALL industry. Go to events, take people out for coffee, get out there!

Trick – If a Creative Director won’t get you in for an interview, ask him/her to do a “portfolio review.” They may hire you based off of your personality and “fit” with the company.
 
All about the Future:

• Welcome to the ever-changing job.
• Touch Screens, Apps, Facebook Brands, Cloud Computing, Argumented Reality, Unity, HTML5, and Web Fonts (Typekit).

Contact Dashboard:

355 Adelaide St. W. Suite 100
Toronto, Ontario M5V 1S2
Phone: 416.504.4422
Toll Free: 1.866.504.6354
Fax: 416.504.6644

Website 

Twitter

Contact Catherine Baird:

LinkedIn

Website 

Blog 

Leo Burnett

This week our guest speaker was Brendan Good, Associate Creative Director from Leo Burnett. The presentation was both informative and interesting. He started off the presentation by handing around two books, The Internet Case Study and Guidelines for Online Success, which are both by Rob Ford and Julius Wiedemann.

He gave us a lot of interesting resources, hints, and quotes, such as:

• Typodermic. Fonts free online by well known designer Tobias Frere Jones
• "The computer has played a role in destroying creativity with Photoshop. Everybody thinks they're a designer" - George Lois
• Clients from Hell
• "I'd rather be." Make sure to leave time for stress relief and hobbies … Get one (or 12)
• "Logos have become the closet thing we have to an international language, recognized and understood in many more places than English" - Naomi Klein
• Always present on a calibrated monitor
• Red Interactive Agency is a good place to work 
• All you need is PASSION 
• Legal. Everything I say today is my view, not that of the company I work for (always put legal in your designs)
• Camp Organic. Learn how to get out of your comfort zone
• Typesetting. Convergence is coming. Learn it. More font choices are now available to use on the web
• Use Post-it notes. They are like mind maps with 100 mph and 360 degree thinking 
• It comes down too: fast, cheap or good (pick 2)
• Music mimics art, art mimics music
• You will work for free at times
• Salary Guide is a great resource
• Creative Group is also a great resource
• FITC is worth the investment

Buy a moleskin

• Perfect to have when inspiration strikes (simple, well designed, and popular in the art community)
  
  

Types of Shops

• Futurists
• Brand Leads (ideas & clients)
• Independent (mom and pop or BFF shop)
• Vendor / Specialists (a skill: research, Papervision 3D, Wordpress)
• Social Crews (digital guerrilla)
• Freelance (join Behance - can work from anywhere)
• Co-operatives (get freelancers together with different skill sets)

More Good Advice

 About Leo Burnett

• Leo Burnett is the 4th most awarded design agency - only Canadian company on list
• 9 to 5 job 
• Creatives run the shop
• One of the most important aspects of being hired is that you have to fit into the company
  
• Clients include: Kellogg's, Healthy Choice, Bell, TVO, P&G, Blackberry, and more

Contact Information:

Brendan Good 
Linked In
Personal Website
Twitter

Leo Burnett
Website