It’s summer, a fresh batch of creatives seek work. Some just left school; others want to reinvent themselves. No matter who you are or what you seek, you may not find work right away. While looking for that high-paying job, keep yourself busy
in constructive ways. Whether full-time, part-time, or
contract gigs, consider the following, and most
importantly, keep a positive frame of mind. You control your design destiny.
So where do you begin? First of all, you’ve got to talk with people.
Network. Get out of the house. Leave your studio. Don’t sit in
front of the television. Don’t waste your money at the
shopping malls or on new computer gadgets. If you haven’t joined your local AIGA chapter, do so. You’ll meet people in and
around the community that have the scoop on design work and
opportunities. And if you know vendors in printing or other production services, talk with them. They see the ebb and flow of
annual reports, direct mail, brochures, catalogs, packaging, and
signage. If there’s work, they know which firm has the client with money to spend, and who has the money to hire.
Not every night can be devoted to an AIGA lecture or convention. You won’t always have the energy to roam through parties talking about what you do and what kind of work you hope for. So during your
downtime, update your book. Truthfully, it should be updated whether or
not you have work. Keeping your bio materials fresh and current lets
you hit the streets if you’re fired on whim or are still waiting to be hired. Like a
soldier of fortune, always have your book armed and ready. Plenty of
resources exist to help you craft a well built portfolio. Steff Geissbuhler’s article at the AIGA site covers some valuable dos and don’ts. Your book demonstrates your visual capabilities, and
how well you use an X-acto and spray mount. Craft skills are important, and so
is organization.
When the book is built and
you’re ready for feedback, get in touch with a local agency. Most of
them provide portfolio reviews either weekly or monthly. Call them up, and find out who looks at them. It doesn’t hurt to email your resume in advance. Even if the firm
isn’t hiring, having them see your work gets you
into the door. This helps your chances of them contacting you when work does come up. Most importantly, you’ll get constructive criticism, “You need more logo work. I didn’t see enough
color usage, most of your design is black and white with spot colors.” Don’t be bitter. Don’t cry. They base feedback on the work they do and the experiences they have. Take it all with a grain of salt, breathe in, exhale, and then consider how you can make your book better. Looking better may mean increasing the range of work you show: more logos, less websites, and fewer fantasy projects. Having your portfolio look smarter through tone matching doesn’t hurt either. When you tone match, your portfolio mirrors the firm’s. You match aesthetic biases and/or clientele to evidence that you’ll fit in, and hit the ground running. But don’t go overboard here. You always want to produce unique work that’s targeted and focused. Don’t fall into the trap of constantly building a portfolio through mimicry.
When it’s time to pick up your book, do so graciously. Thank the person at the main desk. Say something complimentary about their appearance. Remember their name, because you may see them again. Lastly, send a thank you note to those who saw your book. Whether or not they had an open schedule for your portfolio isn’t the issue, showing them you’re a considerate person who appreciates their valuable time means more.
Once you have your physical portfolio assembled and gotten some feedback, update your online
presence. If you don’t have a website, getting one can be critical. Jobs won’t always be down the block from your condo or two bus transfers away. Work can be found from one coast to the next. If you live in Kansas and the
person reviewing your portfolio resides in San Diego, the Internet mediates them seeing your design.
Most designers already have an online portfolio. But for those who don’t, consider what your Internet service provider can offer (AOL,
Earthlink, and Comcast provide free webspace for most of their
customers), look into web services like CommArts, or research the provisions universities
give their alumni. The above options can save you some cash when you don’t have a lot to spend. And these
days, setting up your own hosting doesn’t take much more than a Windows or Unix box. A friend of
yours may be doing this in his/her basement, so check with your
digitally-minded pals. Now if you have a fat wallet and feel luxurious, go ahead
and cough up the money for your own unique web address (such as
designrocker.com). Separate
yourself from designers out there with the long-winded addresses (http://home.earthlink.net/~univers72pt).
Your online portfolio should mirror your physical portfolio. In other words, don’t over design. There’s no reason to have the online portfolio full of bells and whistles (literally).
Even if you specialize in motion graphics, video, sound design, and
animation, just let the work tell that story. Human resources agents
and headhunters I’ve spoken with consistently tell me, “Let the
work stand out, not the site.” Your Internet portfolio can either hold your
design like an art gallery (clean, structured, and considered), or it can
rock out to fancy beats like a night club (competitive, bombastic, and unfocused).
Work aside, you must stand up on paper too. A concise resume narrates where
you’ve been, what you’ve done, and the accomplishments you’ve achieved.
Art directors and creative directors will go to your work first and
then your resume; human resources and marketing may look at your resume
first then consult with the creative team. Both of these divisions
serve unique purposes, and your resume should speak to them both. Avoid
designer jargon, “I crafted advertisements using a structuralist approach that spoke to my Cranbrook audience,” that a marketing director won’t understand. Instead, demonstrate how you’ve made a
difference objectively, “Through the redesign of the OOtico logo, the
company sales saw a 10% increase over a three month period. Audience
analysis stated the new look gave customers a greater emotional
connection.”
Here’s a note on details: when putting together your resume, don’t be in a rush.
Take time. Spell check. Have somebody else read it. And avoid some of
these mistakes pointed out by Petrula Vrontikis. Neither Petrula nor I enjoy seeing our names butchered,
and the person you address your resume to won’t either. Research everything, from names to
the kind of work the studio does. Knowing the firm is over half the
battle.
In the end, you can do all of the above and still be jobless after
three months. No sweat. It’s common for job placement to take 1-4 months. Firms have a lot of resumes to sort through, and the
interviewing process is time consuming. Just be patient. And don’t
settle. Know the kind of work you want to do. Be mindful of the salary you should accept. Have a clear
understanding of where you’d like to fit in, and the people you enjoy surrounding yourself with. A successful and rewarding job will be shaped as much by your peers as by the kind of clients and design projects you interact with.
The process of finding work can be a nail-biting experience. Don’t let it
wear on you. Smile. Use your free time and build your image—both the portfolio
and resume—to the best of your ability, and do so carefully. Maintain your personal image too: exercise to keep yourself loose and limber for interviews, don’t sleep in through the noon hours, and groom yourself for heaven’s sake. When it’s all said
and done, if you still have downtime, read about things we sometimes overlook during our job search in Part II: Distinguishing Yourself.
Thanks for writing this. It comes at a very opportune time for me, as I am making the transition back to design after a couple years as a letterpressman after getting my BFA (in design).
All very valid points.
’Looking forward to the next one!
On Jun.26.2004 at 05:43 PM