We talk to Dir. of Marketing Claire Wasserman, the marketing brain behind Working Not Working, she introduces us to recent world class clients currently benefitting from the art talent database.
First of all, please introduce yourself!
I’m Claire Wasserman, the Director of Marketing for Working Not Working. I split my time between New York, Maine (Portland), and sometimes LA! So basically I live on an airplane.
What is Working Not Working?
Working Not Working is an obsessively curated network of the Universe’s best creatives and the companies that hire them. We currently have 5,000 members worldwide in the fields of advertising, design, photography, animation, production, and tech. We serve thousands of companies including Apple, Google, Facebook, Kickstarter, Apple, the New York Times, and Wieden + Kennedy.
Our mission is to make hiring transparent, efficient, and dare I say it, fun. We aim to bring everyone to the same table by not taking commissions; we’re subscription based instead. We also have a job board that doesn’t suck and we produce content and events with partners like General Assembly and Second Home.
Lettering workshop with General Assembly at Old Street Station
What do you think are some of the bigger challenges facing young or emerging creatives in today’s industry?
- Being a creative can be an undefined and oftentimes scary path! When we interview members for our blog, we always ask if their parents understand what they do for a living because we know that the decision to not be a doctor or lawyer can sometimes be a source of angst.
- The desire to have work-life balance but the fear of freelancing.
- And for those that are freelancing, there’s an inevitable loneliness that happens. Here at WNW, we’re always looking for opportunities to bring our members together in a way that doesn’t feel like “networking.”
- Feeling stagnant at work since as a junior, you’re most likely not going to be given the kinds of creative projects you crave.
© WNW Member Rob Kalmbach
What can a young/emerging creative do to overcome these challenges?
- Find your tribe: people who stimulate you, challenge you creatively, with whom you can commiserate and collaborate.
- Working hard is important but many times it’s NOT working that can be just as important. Remember to take breaks, be in nature, and surround yourself with positive people.
- Become a “connector”: the more you connect others, the more you will be connected in turn.
- Do a side project: the absolute best way to get hired for work you want to do, is to start doing it. Hopefully your side project will either become your main gig or catapult you into your next job.
What inspires you?
Our members really inspire me! It might sound corny but it’s true. When you come to a WNW event, it’s striking to be around people who genuinely love what they do for a living. I’m also feeling very inspired these days by Cindy Gallop and the 3% Movement – we desperately need to see more diversity across all creative fields: advertising, tech, film. With different kinds of voices, I think we’ll see more creative and innovative work.
Design © WNW Member Tobias Hall
Let us know more about your upcoming event!
We’re New York based but have a growing community in London – we produced a series of events here in June and were completely blown away by the caliber of talent we found and the support we received.
So we’re coming back for our first WNW Festive Party with our friends at Mount Gay Rum, to be held this Tuesday from 7-10pm at Joyeux Bordel. DJs (and WNW Members!) Customs are bringing the funk and so you can expect lots of dancing. Space is limited to please RSVP 🙂
Tuesday, December 15th
Joyeux Bordel: 147 Curtain Road
7-10pm
WNW’s London Event
WNW’s ‘Drinking Not Drinking’ event in Portland
Working Not Working
You can find us at @wnotw on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and of course workingnotworking.com. We also have a blog (freerange.workingnotworking.com), where you can learn about all the amazing things our members are doing.
If you’re a creative and want to apply, you can submit your portfolio here. (Or better yet, have a current member nominate you.)
And if you’re looking to hire, you can sign up for a 3-day free trial and/or post a job on the UnJobBoard.
We look forward to seeing you tomorrow night!
