Advanced skill value...

[Rick]

After seeing Ghost's post, I thought he had some cajones doing that so I figure I might try...

It's no big secret that I have looked off and on for a local job and have been told I'm over-qualified. I may be looking again soon now that the near future may bring a move. So here it is...

Sign Design of cut and print vinyl on any substrate.
Sign design of non illuminated dimensional lettering with many materials types and substrates.
Design of vehicle graphics, full wraps, tractor trailers, buses.
Design of illuminated signage,
Design and planning of architectural signage (interior and exterior)
Planning and design of wayfinding projects (interior/exterior/civic)
Design and planning of ADA signage, highly skilled and knowledgeable in ADA
Design, planning, surveying and submittals of Fire Safety Signage.
Design of pylon and monument signs in aluminum, concrete.
Design and planning themed environments, shopping/retail, theme parks/ride experience,
transportation hubs including airports, subway systems and ports.
Planning and design of museum exhibits, structures, and interpretive graphics.
Planning and design or supergraphics.
Planning and design of street signage, lot signs, parking structure and MUTCD.
Design documentation and drafting of bid packages.
Contract/bid submittal.
Permit submittals.
Production Design.
Master sign program and variance submittals.
Excellent layout and typography skills.
Project management.

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Software Experience:
Adobe Creative Suite
Corel Suite
CAD
Flexi-Sign, Gerber GA, Signlab, Enroute.
Duxbury
MS Office

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Experience with fabrication of:
Aluminum cabinets, channel letters, fabricated letters, both illuminated and
non illuminated. Craft, sculpting, wood and metal working skills.

Experience with installation of
Cabinets, monuments, channel letters and dimensional letters both illuminated and
non-illuminated. Application of large format vinyl (print and cut), vehicle wraps, on various
substrates. ADA and fire safety sign as well as street and traffic signs

Skills include:
Concrete finishing, fake stone and rock work, concrete staining, tile, marble and granite
fabrication, vehicle/spray painting, form set-up, block and masonry, finish carpentry,
hand lettering, murals, pinstriping. CNC, engraving, woodworking tools, raster and
photopolymer sign expereince, sandblasting, etching, metal working tools, plotter and
printers both inkjet and thermal, screen printing. ASE certified mechanic

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Other design skills:
Logo/identity/stationary and business collateral design.
Illustration/freehand drawing.
Design of print graphics including craft printing.
Design for screen printing for flatstock and apparel
Gigposter/flyer design.

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Work (mostly through employment) featured in:
How Magazine
Print Magazine
Communication Arts
Graphis
Sign Business
Sign Builder
Sign of the Times
SignCraft
... various books

17 years exclusively in the sign/EGD business
5 years in construction/project management
30 years total of design (architectural, graphic and photography) experience.

 

[wrapqueen]

as over skilled as I am ..
*use spell check* *wink*

 

[CanuckSigns]

I can see why most companies would consider you over qualified, there are probably only a handful of companies in the country who would be able to use you to your full potential. The only company I have experience with that might be a good fit would be someone like Entro in Toronto http://www.entro.com/index.php

 

[Rick]

as over skilled as I am ..
*use spell check* *wink*

ooops

 

[Gino]

Yeah, but are you any good at any of them ??

Why aren't the necessary skills listed ??

• Can you wash your dishes while doing a design on your Ipad ??
• Can you walk the dogs and do a three-way with customers ??
• Are you capable of driving while shaving to save time ??
• Where do you store vinyl cut-offs in a basement with a heater and an air handler ??
• How do you get 5' x 10's down into the basement during a snow storm ??
• When do you cut the grass, if the baby-sitter doesn't show up and you have a yard sign to get out by the end of the week ??
• Is there a trick into designing a business card for someone while watching television ??
• Can you text while talking on your blue-tooth and chew gum at the same time ??

These are some of the more important questions many will be asking you. They don't care what your background or credentials are.... just how cheap can you work and can you come in for 2 hours a day.

​

 

[Rick]

Yeah, but are you any good at any of them ??

Very good, otherwise why would I list them.

Why aren't the necessary skills listed ??


Can you wash your dishes while doing a design on your Ipad ??

I don't have an IPad and the boys wash the dishes


Can you walk the dogs and do a three-way with customers ??

I only have one dog, and I never conduct business when walking her.


Are you capable of driving while shaving to save time ??

That's an expensive ticket and not worth it.


[*]Where do you store vinyl cut-offs in a basement with a heater and an air handler ??

What is the company's policy?


How do you get 5' x 10's down into the basement during a snow storm ??

It does not snow here...


When do you cut the grass, if the baby-sitter doesn't show up and you have a yard sign to get out by the end of the week ??

I have a landscaper to do this.


Is there a trick into designing a business card for someone while watching television ??

I rarely watch TV.


Can you text while talking on your blue-tooth and chew gum at the same time ??

Yes while patting my head and making circles on my belly while jumping on one leg...

These are some of the more important questions many will be asking you. They don't care what your background or credentials are.... just how cheap can you work and can you come in for 2 hours a day.

​

Never been asked those questions... But let me try just for fun...
>man, wassup with the color tags!<

 

[Replicator]

You are indeed over qualified as an employee for a company, as I recently found out,

but you always have the option to dumb-down your resume a little . . .

 

[Rick]

I can see why most companies would consider you over qualified, there are probably only a handful of companies in the country who would be able to use you to your full potential. The only company I have experience with that might be a good fit would be someone like Entro in Toronto http://www.entro.com/index.php

I have worked for 3 similar design firms. I'm very familiar with Entro... they are one of the EGD firms I admire.

 

[Gino]

Hey Rick.....

Just busitin' on ya.

You have quite the background. I'd never say you are overqualified. I'd sooner think most places you would think of applying would be grossly under qualified to carry such an asset to any business.

In most cases, I think most people would hesitate in your hiring, due to if someone of your knowledge would probably move on... as soon as something else became available and more appealing. It would be hard to keep you from getting bored at most companies. I'm not sure of your set up, but you would probably be best fitted as a consultant and hire out by the job.

Or.... you could go into politics.....​

 

[HulkSmash]

Hey Rick.....

Just busitin' on ya.

You have quite the background. I'd never say you are overqualified. I'd sooner think most places you would think of applying would be grossly under qualified to carry such an asset to any business.

In most cases, I think most people would hesitate in your hiring, due to if someone of your knowledge would probably move on... as soon as something else became available and more appealing. It would be hard to keep you from getting bored at most companies. I'm not sure of your set up, but you would probably be best fitted as a consultant and hire out by the job.

Or.... you could go into politics.....​

What college education do you have? Simply asking because that a big base for being over qualified

 

[Rick]

Hey Rick.....

Just busitin' on ya.

You have quite the background. I'd never say you are overqualified. I'd sooner think most places you would think of applying would be grossly under qualified to carry such an asset to any business.

In most cases, I think most people would hesitate in your hiring, due to if someone of your knowledge would probably move on... as soon as something else became available and more appealing. It would be hard to keep you from getting bored at most companies. I'm not sure of your set up, but you would probably be best fitted as a consultant and hire out by the job.

Or.... you could go into politics.....​

The main reason I am told they would not hire me is they think I would be "bored"... It's actually a very odd reason because most sign design is boring. I get 10% of the design fun, then 90% getting it done, drafting, permitting, production design... I have a lot of projects that took years to get from design to finish with weekly nibbles at trying to fix this, or move that.

I am currently a consultant for sign shops, architects and design firms since leaving my last job 8 years ago. It's great work and a little boring at times. I miss working at a place where there are lots of people, collaboration and I sometimes miss the smell of paint, welded aluminum and the noise of sanding and grinding.

 

[SignManiac]

Rick its not that you are over qualified, but rather just too damn old

 

[Rick]

What college education do you have? Simply asking because that a big base for being over qualified

Gino or me?
I dropped out of 2 schools... working made more sense and admittedly was immature at the time. But I have been very lucky at where I got to work.

 

[Rick]

Rick its not that you are over qualified, but rather just too damn old

Corn dog for you!

 

[SignManiac]

Rick, I actually believe you're not over qualified to get the position you want and like, it's just finding them that's hard. Sometimes it may mean relocating, but that's the price you have to pay. In life, there are trade offs that must be made if you want to be happy.

Hell I'd sure love to hire you one day. You'd be one hell of an asset for sure. I'm working on lots of big things, so who knows? You just might get a call one day

 

[Rick]

Rick, I actually believe you're not over qualified to get the position you want and like, it's just finding them that's hard. Sometimes it may mean relocating, but that's the price you have to pay. In life, there are trade offs that must be made if you want to be happy.

Hell I'd sure love to hire you one day. You'd be one hell of an asset for sure. I'm working on lots of big things, so who knows? You just might get a call one day

Thats the struggle, the boys want to move. But very sick wife, parents getting old. But even they want me to work where I would be used to my potential and have people to work around (oh and the food, I love food, not the swill I make at home)

 

[tsgstl]

Sounds like you would be a excellent project manager. I have seen some with less qualifications make 80+ a year after bonuses. Most major metropolitan areas have half a dozen or so outfits that have production managers on the payroll.

 

[wrapqueen]

Rick its not that you are over qualified, but rather just too damn old

lol .. I have been in the biz for almost 30 yrs .. omg I AM OLD

Honestly Rick you have amazing skills don't settle for anything less than an amazing job that will challenge you
good luck with the hunt

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

So a Certified Circle Designer does THIS?

"making circles on my belly while jumping on one leg"

 

[signswi]

I gave this advice in the other thread, but: specialize. At least on your resume. Target jobs with specific needs and tailor your resume to those needs. Don't give the whole laundry list.

I'd also recommend becoming really active on LinkedIn. Join and participate in as many groups as possible, answer questions in the Q&A section, connect with as many people as you can (scrape your email and social networks to start). Jam your LinkedIn profile with keywords (seriously keyword stuffing works as the LinkedIn search algo is pretty dumb).

That said, how far are you willing to relocate?