Being a Freelance Creative Director
It takes well-organized and innovative professionals to be freelance creative directors. Beyond the technical aspects of managing a client's projects, they must manage their own careers. This involves being on top of expenses, invoicing, and taxes (typically done quarterly). They must juggle daily tasks while simultaneously advertising for more work. Therefore, properly marketing oneself is just as important as marketing a client. Savvy self advertising will ensure another job on the horizon.
Beyond Technique
The talents of good creative directors reach beyond the realm of technical know-how in an advertising setting. Beyond dealing with how to get a job up and running, a creative director be in tune with his or her creative team. This means displaying good managerial skills. The ability to handle various creative viewpoints is vital to the success of a client's project.
Hiring an Entry-level Creative Art Director
If your company is hiring a creative art director, the following list is a good guide for what to look for on his or her resume.
A solid background in graphic design and with functional skills.
A good eye for layout, type and color (the earlier this skill is mastered, the better).
The ability to handle projects in terms of design, production, basic supervision and project coordination.
The ability to relay ideas in sketch or electronic form.
What a Creative Director Does
A typical creative director job description includes exceptional leadership and project management skills. A creative director is in charge of conceptualizing, designing and producing top quality marketing and communications materials for corporate clients. Qualifications for a creative director position often includes strong design background with the design software QuarkXPress, Illustrator and Photoshop. And, because of the multi-faceted nature of the job, knowledge or expertise in digital production, pre-press, paper and printing, budgeting and general project management is also required.