FlowerGirl
FlowerGirl

Best Creative Jobs in the Bay Area?

So this is a little self serving on my part, but given that most everyone else on this site has a real profession--it seems any way. I was wondering what you guys and gals think a good job/career path would be for someone with a creative degree in the Bay Area?

For example, let's say someone had an English degree from Cal and had had a couple of years experience as a para-legal--though she has no desire to be lawyer. What career might she be wise to follow?
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
Hmm...hypothetically, of course :) I think that, given the amount of tech companies and other startups in SF and Silicon Valley, that some sort of staff writing job could make sense if you take a marketing approach. Just about every company these days has a newsletter, a blog, a website that is consistently updated, etc. etc.

You would probably have to learn some website management and maybe some technical back-end for Photoshop etc., but interfaces like that are pretty user-friendly these days and you could definitely leverage your English degree and your writing skills.

I'm not sure what exactly said position would look like (marketing associate? Social media director?) but I know there is a need and there is probably a fit with your skill set. Hmm.
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Tracypie
Tracypie 2yrs+
@FlowerGirl - what do you want to do? Program management is always useful, customer service rep are pretty easy to come by and can get your foot in the door. But in terms of fun and creative - marketing, social media. Those are the types of jobs that are creative. But @StephSF is right. You need to establish yourself in those areas first or have some training to get those jobs (or know someone).

Have you tried LinkedIn Jobs? You can search for job types, or by company to see what's out there. It's more fun that way. Plus you can see if you know of anyone at a specific company who might be able to personally hand in your resume.
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
@Tracypie - I like the LinkedIn idea! More personal, and creative use of new media. Good call.

@Flowergirl - I have a friend right now who is unemployed and has posted his resume to several career-based sites, and is constantly being contacted by recruiters (okay, headhunters). There is the down side of needing to pay a finder's fee if you get the job, but only if you get the job, and most of his leads and temp. gigs have come from that source. It may be worth considering once you have some direction of where you want to go.
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NightOwlnOrinda
NightOwlnOrinda 2yrs+
Those are all great ideas. I like both the headhunter idea and he LinkedIn idea.

You can also find writing work on the Internet hich sometimes can lead to good work at home type stuff.

If I were you, I might think about going back to school. Getting a Masters in English maybe? Maybe teach? Also, if you are interested in writing, one of the best ways to get experience doing that is in a Graduate programs--lots of opportuities for internships, etc.

Here are the criteria I would use to decide on a career: Can you stand to do it at least 8 hours a day? Do you think you can make enough to meet your basic needs?

Of course, ideally you love what you are doing and are getting paid for it. But we can't all be George Clooney.
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FlowerGirl
FlowerGirl 2yrs+
Thanks everybody! Those are all good suggestions. I mom says that I'm going through an "existential crisis." I've definitely been thinking that it is a good time to go back to school. But where and to study what is the question. I have to decide whether to do something practical or to go back to something more creative (which is generally my inclination). I would like to write in some capacity.

I definitely think there is room here in the Bay Area for more creative pursuits. I've been thinking of restarting my old blog--or even better a new one. But I digress. Thanks again.
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
Hey @Flowergirl, I know everyone on the planet is trying to do this now, but paid blogging definitely has some momentum behind it (creating affiliate links and reviewing products, etc.) I haven't delved too deeply into this but it may be a way for you to make some side income and maintaining creative outlets while looking for that dream job. I honestly don't know that much about it, but it is something that just occurred to me, given that you are a blogger.
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Tracypie
Tracypie 2yrs+
@FlowerGirl - blogging can be lucrative if you get advertising and review products like @StephSF said. If you are interested in freelance writing - I use a site called Elance.com and I know of another site called guru.com for people who want to get paid to write. You could also consider going back to school and getting a MFA in creative writing OR do a low-residency program (which requires you to travel to the school twice a year for 2 weeks (usually in summer and end of year).
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NightOwlnOrinda
NightOwlnOrinda 2yrs+
Here's a good list of sites that pay on line:

http://www.squidoo.com/writingfulltime

Blogging can be a good extra source of income--but you need to really be committed to it and have a topic that people are interested in (have an audience) there are millions of blogs about granma and people's favorite pets.

You might check Monster.com and Craigslist for writing jobs (I dont' know if people still use those) the only problem is that you usually need experience for most paid jobs.
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