The Creativepool network spreads far and wide and maybe you could help a fellow creative in need of help. Damien James is a US copywriter who has spent the last three years with his wife and children working in Krakow, Poland. Last week the time finally arrived for Damien to bid it farewell, jump on a plane and try and find some copywriting work in the US before his family meet up with him again. Last time we spoke he was heading for Detroit with nothing lined up and was wondering if the Creativepool network might be able to help him find some writing work in Chicago. Here he explains about his situation and the journey he is taking - direct from his flight.
So Damien, go ahead and tell the world what you need.
Well... I need to see my kids again and give them an amazing life – after all, they didn’t ask to be brought into this world – it’s my responsibility (and honour). To do that, if anyone could open any doors or has any advice to set me off in the right direction, it would be a great help.
And you’re now back in the US, what are your plans to get some work?
I’m spending the better part of each day doing my homework, sending out CVs and trying to learn more. I do have a few leads that I’m following up on... maybe something will come of that. What I’m not doing is giving up, because copywriting is something that I really want to do.
Tell us about your skills, what kind of writing were you doing in Poland?
I was doing recruitment advertising. I wrote a boatload of online job postings and quite a number of emails, banners, print adverts and social media updates – mostly for Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. From time to time I also got my hands on things like internal communications. For example, I’ve edited and written headlines for the last few issues of my last company’s quarterly magazine.
How long have you got before the money runs out?
A few months at least but I’m hoping to find a new job as soon as possible – the sooner I find a job, the more money I’ll have to fly my family to the US. In the meantime, I have some potential freelance work lined up which could make life a bit less stressful.
What was it like for a US writer working out of Poland?
It was... interesting. I worked for a British company that has clients that span the globe. There were just two of us working in Krakow with the majority of the creative team in London. So, that meant not only having to master the subtle (and not so subtle) differences between British and American English, but to do so remotely. To do that, you really need to be active in building relationships with the people you work with – making calls and having the right conversations. It was more difficult than what I’ve been used to but I’m happy to have had the experience. Most things worth doing aren’t exactly easy, but it makes those things more rewarding.
So how do people contact you?
Trying to google ‘Damien James’ tends to flood your results with links to a ventriloquist and an American football player, so emailing me at [email protected] is probably their best bet. I can also be reached on Twitter at @KrakowDJ. If anyone’s interested in seeing a few things I’ve written, they can visit http://krakowdj.carbonmade.com
Now... back to the hunt.
Andy Gregory April 16th, 2013, in the morning
As Damien's Creative Director until his recent move back to the US, should anyone need one I would be very happy to recommend and provide a reference for Damien.