PORTFOLIO CREATIVE BLOG

By Kristen Harris With the explosion of social networks, especially those that blur the line between personal and professional, a lot of people are wondering if LinkedIn is still relevant. Does it still matter? In a word, yes. Like a lot of people, you’ve probably experienced social media overload. It seems like a new site is introduced every day, usually with a lot of fanfare and hype…Google+, Facebook, BranchOut, BeKnown, Twitter, YouTube, FourSquare…not to mention good old MySpace and Friendster (yep, they still have users). Add in blogs, newsfeeds, industry-specific

By Kristen Harris Looking back at the recent economic crisis, it’s easy to think that all classes and industries suffered equally. In reality, workers in the so-called creative class have come through relatively unscathed. Yes, just under three quarters of a million creative jobs were lost during 2008-2010, but that’s less than two percent of total jobs in the category.1 And certainly some categories of creative jobs fared better than others–news reporters, musicians, photographers and editors were especially hard hit. But compared to the loss of more than two million

10/19/11           (COLUMBUS, OH) – With recent economic challenges, companies of all sizes have begun to embrace non-traditional staffing options, including temporary staff, project-oriented assignments, flexible schedules, telecommuting, part-time or shared positions, compressed work weeks and outsourced functions.  Recently the IRS announced a program to encourage businesses who use certain types of independent contractors to voluntarily reclassify them as employees on an ongoing basis in order to avoid tax liabilities, penalties and interest.  The Voluntary Classification Settlement Program (VCSP) is one of several recent business staffing compliance-oriented

By Kristen Harris There’s been a lot of talk about “soft skills” lately, they continue to be an important differentiating factor for job seekers, employees and employers in the current market. Beyond the technical skills and education (“hard skills”) required to do a job, employers are also looking for the traits that influence how we work individually and with our teammates. These so-called soft skills include things like being able to focus, having self-control, resolving conflict, being curious or open to new experiences, and being able to negotiate differences. When

By Kristen Harris  The 2011 Talent Shortage Survey1 results have been released, and news is mixed for job seekers. By being forced to reduce their workforce and find ways to “do more with less” during the recent recession, businesses have found that they can do great things if they have the right talent in place. What is interesting is that while companies are not planning to increase their staff back to the pre-recession levels, they are looking for the “right” people, and apparently having a difficult time finding them. So…the

  Portfolio Creative welcomes a new Talent Specialist to its team – Melody Shull, who joins the firm after 20 years as a print production manager for a large Columbus-based advertising agency.  She will focus on helping talented creative people find the perfect job. Portfolio Creative is the nation’s fastest-growing creative staffing and recruiting firm and recently announced plans to expand into a new corporate office located in Grandview Heights this summer.    Ms. Shull majored in commercial and fine art at OSU and began her career as a graphic designer.  She