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Tips
on finding the job you want.
Finding the right job has never been easy, especially now
as the creative design market is very competitive and good
jobs are hard to find. Many employers want you to have a range
of skills and not just be competent in a single area. Being
multi-skilled does not automatically get you a job.
The skills involved in graphic design today are hugely diverse.
Today's designer has to be not only a creative artist, but
also a proofreader, webmaster, copywriter, project manager
and an expert in the printing process to name just a few -
and if you're also running your own business, let's not forget
the roles of accountant, office manager, creative director
and coffee-maker! It can be a tough game...
Before you can begin your job search, you need to understand...
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Yourself: your motivations, strengths, and weaknesses;
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Your work: its nature, style, and variety;
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The job market: corporations, design offices, and the
wide variety of other businesses that employ graphic designers.
Then you can get ready to present yourself and your work
in a portfolio.
To create a portfolio, select only your best work - the work
you are proud of and want to discuss. Bearing in mind that
people remember best what is first or last in a sequence,
bind together sketches that show your ability to think, to
sketch and to brainstorm.
Think about your strengths and weaknesses (we all have weaknesses),
and prepare yourself to discuss them in an interview. Because
your well-crafted , unique communications can take a beating
when they are handled, safeguard your work.
Everyone looking for a job should have a CV, but this document
can be especially important to a design applicant. Your CV
deserves careful typographic design that reflects your type
skill and ability. Remember to give the facts an employer
wants to know as well as reliable address and telephone number.
It is also a good idea to design and print stationery and
business cards for yourself. They provide another opportunity
to make an individual design statement. Any designer with
whom you interview will appreciate the difficulty of designing
this material. Designing for yourself is worse than representing
a client; it can be like having an identity crisis.
The next step is to identify the design offices, corporations,
or individuals with whom you'd like to interview... Trade
magazines and the internet are good resources. Call them up
and discuss your interests with them. Looking for a job is
a serious networking activity. This may be the first time
you network, but it won't be the last.
Prospective employers often prefer to receive a brief letter
and CV before committing to an interview. If possible, use
the letter to establish your interest relative to a particular
job opening or to the organisation's specialty. Give the reader
of your letter a sense of who you are. Follow up with a telephone
call to arrange an appointment. The person you are contacting
is probably a busy professional, so don't be easily discouraged.
Be politely persistent if you do not get an appointment immediately.
Sometimes you will get an interview with someone who has no
job openings but is still willing to meet with you. Take this
"exploratory" interview. It will be excellent practice,
and you may be more relaxed if your dream job is not on the
line. What's more, this individual may help you make other
connections.
The first interview is always the most stressful, so arrange
mock interviews with friends to get practice and feedback.
At the real interview, try to relax. Remember to breathe.
If you don't see design work displayed, ask to see some. Ask
questions about the organisation and its projects. Be interested
in them; then explain how you can help with their needs. Don't
drone on about yourself; be attuned to the interviewer's verbal
responses and body language. An interview, when it really
works, is a dialogue between people who are sharing information
and finding common ground. After any interview, always stop
to record your impressions. A follow-up note of thanks will
be appreciated as a courtesy and is a way to help interviewers
remember you.
Finding a design job means matching your creativity and skill
with an organisation's real needs. It is also a valuable learning
experience. While you are looking, you are learning about
the various ways design is practiced. Your next job search
- whether it occurs soon or well down the road - will be easier;
you will have gained a clearer vision of the field and how
you want to position yourself within it. Remember to communicate,
to follow up, and to be courteous. That way, you'll take away
from this stressful experience some valuable information,
increased confidence, and satisfaction. |
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