HOW TO FIND A JOB: CH.2
“They don’t tell you this in design school.” So so true! I graduate in a year or so, how do I find a job? I haven’t had a single class that has truly taught me this.
But I get it, look for a job and interview like your life depends on it. Bring in the best work you’ve every done and sell it so hard your mouth falls off .
On top of all that, you have to be better than everyone else, your work and your personality. All that we’re told in design school is to be the best and be better, but everyone is being told that.
So if we are all working really hard at being better than the next, what do we do the time finally comes to get a job? Will I be good enough?
On the other hand, what school has done well is teach me to be a designer and think like one. College is the place we all go to to learn and mature with great stride and perfection. Our professors have worked hard to help mold us into strong designers, both in our skills and our minds.
We all need a job, and within that job we want to learn and experience as much as we can. As we all graduate into the world of professional studios and advertising firms, it’s important that we earn money, but also gain a wealth of knowledge in being a graphic designer.
Getting into that place where you belong, whether that be a small studio or a big advertising firm like Sterling Cooper (in Mad Men), is a big step forward. When graduating your sort of starting all over again. It can take six to eighteen months to be an important part of a studio. There are some fresh graduates that are ready for this professional world. These are the kids who have probably interned and or been active in school.
More importantly, what is the right job for you? I personally could go big or small, I just want to create with others. I love being with other creatives experience all that I can with a variety of projects and environments.
As you emerge from school to real time work, there is no wrong job. Even in those places that may seem “low-end” and you feel under-appreciated , there are lessons to be learned. I walked away from a lame job at Walgreens, a job I despised with all my heart. However, once I left I realized that I was stronger and smarter–in some ways.
Lucky for me, I do think like Shaughnessy,
I need to build a robust personal philosophy of professional life, I need experience and I need to be working; and everything I see and touch makes me a better designer. If you already think like this, you can stop reading this chapter and skip ahead.”
DON’T BE AFRAID OF BEING YOURSELF AND TAKING YOUR ROUT! Because being ‘different’ is what may land you that job, even if your interviewing skills aren’t perfect and you’re not conforming.
Working at an in-house studio:
This sort of job is sometimes looked down on because designers are seen as designers who are forced to work on narrow ranged projects.
But as you’re starting out, don’t forget that that there is no wring job. Though you won’t be taking just any old job that comes your way, you will gain something from being an in-house designer. Because your beginning steps are aloud to be a little mundane and persistently the same.
The charming aspect of design can come slowly, but as your career unfolds you’ll see the value in these sorts of jobs and duties that come with them. They teach you valuable skills in working procedures and many other lessons that will inevitably make you a better designer.
Meeting people in both big and small design environments is so important to your growth as a designer, but also as a person. To expose yourself as much as you can, is to create a designer that is well rounded.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BAD INTERVIEW:
You can learn so much from being interviewed. Incase you haven’t caught on, everything is learning process, therefore everything is good because you learn.
Interviews teach you how important human relationships are when you’re finding a job.
Go to every interview you can, gain that experience of being interviewed. Even if the job isn’t for you, the interview has its own set of lessons to learn.
INDEPENDENT DESIGN STUDIO:
Look how pretty it all is, the independent studios. “Design studios are a mixture of slave camp and enchanted playground.” The slave part are the long hours you’ll probably put in, but the enchanted part are those glimpses of yourself contributing to the studio.
You won’t mind the long hours, because putting in those hours for recognition will offer you a good life with the studio. Studio life can be the absolute best, so I’ve heard.
MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS : SOMETHING CREATIVE
Most people want to be where we are, doing something creative. We get to make stuff and be paid for it. Yes, we’ll make less than stockbrokers, but we have smart ideas that effect people all over the world. So yay for us! Whether it’s an in-house design studio or independent, we’re doing big creative things!
APPRENTICESHIP : POVERTY : MATURE DESIGNER
Being involved in an apprenticeship is most designers first step to being an actual designer in the working world, and pure unpaid growth to being BETTER … or if your lucky, perhaps you’re paid 
Working along side designers that have been there and done that is true vital experience. These designers will help you and they’re generous people. When you work with these designers, you learn how to organize client’s files and how to perfect your typography skills.
You must ask for help: you are serving as an apprenticeship, but it is a modern apprenticeship, and you will have to be heard. You will have to show willingness and boundless enthusiasm and you will have to show that you want to learn.”
FINDING A JOB IN A DESIGN STUDIO : WHERE TO LOOK : LAND A JOB : YOUR PORTFOLIO
Before getting a job, you have to know where to look and your portfolio needs to be strong … well of course
There are a lucky few that are chosen based on their portfolio reviews, or by dazzling a designer that visited to lecture at your college. But for most of us, it’s the hard long walk down those streets and trenching through the depths of the internet.
- Look in the design press
- Trawl the internet
- Ask around
- Sign up with a recruiting agency that finds personnel for studios
- Let everyone you know that your looking for work, because many hiring studios will ask acquaintances if there’s any hot talent.
- Show your portfolio to anyone (including the above #5) who will look at it. You never know. You may not get a job offer but after your interview someone may call that persona asking if they know anyone …
- Sweat and your brow!!
- Approach studios regardless of whether they’re recruiting or not
- Draw up a list of your favorites, but prepared to have the same list as everyone else if this is the case. The cool and hip places get A LOT of designers approaching them. But go for it still!
- The way into full-time employment = internships! I love those!!! They’re so wonderful!!
- In the internship, work hard. Answer the phones, get lunch for people that are overloaded with work, be on time, don’t rush out at the end of the day … you know.
- Commitment = that is what design is about!
- Be prepared to make sacrifices!
APPROACHING A DESIGN STUDIO!
NEVER FORGET WHEN APPROACHING A STUDIO:
- You will be judged by the quality of your approach
- Your phone call, your email, your letter; it will all be scrutinized
- Get it right and your half way there
- Get it wrong and sticking shelves is where your headed. That sounds really uninspiring, sorry.
- Do not make a hash at your initial approach is what he means, and that makes 100% sense of course.
- Do not begin your letter with Sir or Madam! That’s sort of funny, but sure thing Shaughnessy.
- Instead, you better begin your letter the person’s name better damn well spell it right.
- Design your own letterhead, because you are a designer.
- Shaughnessy favors the old-fashioned letter = “a letter is an elemental form of graphic communication.” I agree.
- “Do it well, and you will benefit: do it badly and you will reduce greatly your chances of finding a job” (!!!!)
- Again, LETTERHEAD, very important. A simple black and white will do. “but sweat blood over it to make it visually arresting and professionally functioning.”
- Oh man – “You’re not not much of a graphic designer unless you’ve designed a successful letterhead, and the rise of email hasn’t made them any less important.”
ONCE YOU’VE TARGETED A STUDIO OR STUDIOS:
- Find out who is responsible for recruiting
- Research
- Call to get the name if you have to
- Get the spelling right!
- Be polite, but of course you will be … to the receptionist, be nice because they’re very important too.
- Once you’ve got the name and have the spelling right, a letter is now required
RULES TO WRITING THE LETTER:
- Make it short and one sheet
- Literate
- Sharp and to the point
- Say who you are, what you do and what you want – nothing else
- Add a line or two of modest flattery about the studio: State that you’re aware of the studio’s great work for X client, and that you find their work inspirational.
- The above will show that you know something about the company, but don’t over do it.
- Request an interview, not a job. Because there probably aren’t any vacancies. It’s harder to say no to an interview than a job request
- State that you are aware that there may not be openings, but you’d value an opportunity to meet and have a judgement of you portfolio.
- Next : include some samples of your work
If you are job hunting in a period when design is in the economic doldrums (roughly every ten years, in my experience), then you might have to write so many letters and attend so many fruitless interviews that you begin to wonder about the wisdom of becoming a designer. But persistence, doggedness and barefaced cheek will pay off.”
THE INTERVIEW:
Victory is yours! If your approach was right and you got to this point.
You’ve persuaded a busy creative director, senior designer or studio head to stop what they are doing and give you their time and attention. Congratulations. You should be pleased.”
It’s not just your work that will be looked at, but also your character. How you conduct yourself in front of these very important people is honestly just as important as your portfolio. Some geniuses get in no problem, but be on time and be friendly … the geniuses do that too.
The interviewer is mostly likely timing the interview, so do not assume you’ve got all day to impress them.
Be prepared to do a presentation that can be delivered under 15 minutes. That’s set up, small talk and all.
I am going to say something that is so obvious you will be tempted to stop reading this book and throw it away, but don’t.”
When showing your portfolio in the interviewer make sure the interviewer has the best view, not you. You’ve seen it, you made it.
When you show your portfolio turn it to face them, not you. Duh!
During your interview, talk extremely well about your work. Wriggle away from too much detail and give the interviewer a chance to ask questions.
If they don’t ask questions, they’re probably not interested in your work. Harsh, but I guess that sounds about right.
Be aware of your environment. Take notice of inattentiveness or distraction. Too much information could cause this.
BE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR WORK AND BE PROUD!
do not offer to work for nothing. Any studio that doesn’t pay its interns is not worth working for (these are the same studios that moan about clients demanding unpaid pitches). “
Everyone is a contact. If you’re lucky, you get offered a job. If you don’t get offered a job, you at least have a contact. Keep in touch.
THE FALLOW-UP:
After your interview, every interview, you have to leave something behind. Something small, striking and easily stored is the advice.
A postcard with contact details pinned to a sheet of paper showing two or three of your best pieces of work will do. Or you can be adventurous and produce something innovative–a handmade (or printed) booklet, for example. “
THE TASK OF PROMOTING YOURSELF : YOUR NEWLY ACQUIRED NETWORK OF CONTACTS
This is a critical part because sending an email or letter is best. Phone calls are okay.
Designing a mailer can be pretty awesome, something striking and confident. This could show progress since the interview.
Also, keep your work up to date. Design letterheads for friends, websites for unsigned bands to keep your portfolio new and expanding.
PERSONAL PORTFOLIOS:
- Whether digital or printed, this is your compelling work that reveals your smarts and skills.
- 8 to 10 interesting pieces is ideal
- Printed is prefered
- Highest quality of course
- Nothing too large
- No ring binder please. But who would?
- Create a grid for the portfolio, conformity.
- Underlining unity and structure is a huge plus.
- Hand over printed final pieces to the interview to hold and see for themselves.
- No sketch books
- The physical portfolio should be easy to open that allows for easy viewing if your work. But also should protect your work as you go from interview to interview.
- Keep it clean!
- Try for a distinctive case or carrier. Some points could be given But no one is expected to have custom-made flight-cases.
- Know which way to open your portfolio, no one wants to see you open it upside down.
WHAT DO EMPLOYERS REALLY WANT?????
Make it a point to reassure a potential employer that you’re hard-working, adaptable and socially well adjusted.
Hiring a graduate–or a junior designer–is not a risk-free undertaking. Try to think about your suitability from the employer’s point of view.”
It’s important to tell the interviewer/potential employer that you don’t mind the tedious stuff and that you’re excited to assist the senior designer(s). Your goal is to make the interviewer feel that you would be someone good to get on with, someone they trust in their studio space.
Show willingness to understand the studio’s culture; show that you already know something about the studio’s work; and most importantly, trust your personality, and trust your work.”
APPROACHING AN IN-HOUSE STUDIO:
Everything you’ve read applies to the in-house life too. However, a non-designer may be interviewing you, such as a marketing manager or communications manager or the head of the company.
A good book right there
If you do happen to be interviewed by a non-designer, your approach ought to be different. The interviewer will have some knowledge of design, but may be more interested in him or herself and the company.
You may want to avoid too much design language and use more plain language.
IN CONCLUSION!
Learn to enjoy interviews. View them as precious opportunities to study the thinking and working process of designers and studios; as an opportunities to have your work critiqued by your peers; as ways of measuring your progress. Don’t be afraid to ask for a blunt assessment of your work, and if the comments seem valid and worthwhile, act on them quickly.”
CHAPTER 3 … OH MY GOSH … BEING FREELANCE:
This one is sort of a depressing chapter, because there are 500,000 designer working, and out of that number are one-third freelancing. So whether you’re freelancing or not, being a designer out in the real world is competitive and stressful.
Not to blow your mind completely away, but in addition to the freelance overload, the annual number of graduates from design schools are in the thousands, all going into the job market. A job market in which does not have enough to go around.
So why be a freelancer? Well for some it’s their only choice and for others they’re better suited for that sort of life style, despite the risks involved.
There are two types of designers that suited for the self-employed life:
- A very able and resourceful person with specialist skills–Photoshop, typographer, After Effects, Flash animator, and so forth. People like this are able to charge a pretty penny for their services. Obtaining a steady flow of work can be touch at first, but once they do they get that regular commission with their client base. Yay for them! … or me, I wonder if I could do this … ?
- The “creative loner”, the strong creative that cannot be restrained inside of a cube or design group.
If you’re not either:
- Abundance of stamina, personal confidence and business savvy.
- Best to have a few years of studio experience first, ya know, get acquainted with a well-run studio.
- Rent with other freelancers (this goes for all freelancers)
- When biz is slow for studios, they sometimes hire freelancers
If you’re freelancing, you’ll need to always stay busy. Don’t look for work when you need it, always be looking even if you’re busy. Because if you wait, it may be too late.
If you’re self-employed then you have equipment, software, furniture and materials. Oh, and financial planing is a must.
The salaried employee gets a paycheck every month–the freelance employee has to send out invoices and wait for clients to pay.”
Therefore, on the down side, you have to keep track of debts and all that non-creative stuff that deals with money.
CLIENTS:
- Creative reasons – Does this person do the sort of work I want?
- Financial reasons – Freelancers are cheaper than big studios.
- Personal reasons – Do I get along with this person?
These are the sorts of clients that might choose a freelancer over a studio. There’s also convenience and or specialty.
it is essential when setting yourself up as a freelancer that you have reasons for clients to come to you: you need reason X.”
Oh freelancing, working from home can be a treat … if it’s done right.
This factor X mentioned earlier, it’s usually personal. This personal has a lot to do with the relationship a client has with their designer. Clients tend to work and keep working with a designer who they’re happy with, someone they get along with. Many clients will leave a designer if the relationship doesn’t stay on a positive path, meaning if it goes sour so does the work.
You can be a great designer with all the talent in the world, but there’s the other half of you, your personality. A client must like your work and you.
Freelancers are less expensive, clients of course love that. This is can be a huge win for freelance designers because you can often steal clients from big studios and you can reassure your potential client that you can offer everything that big studio could, but for a lower cost.
On the other hand, the low hand. There are clients that would rather work with a studio because there’s comfort there with the dedicated personnel, and are willing to pay more.
Will you or could you survive being a freelancer? Having that ability to attract and maintain clients is the biggest test.
Don’t assume you can do this, I mean you should be by all means confident in your skills and ability to satisfy. However, there are other areas of consideration; such as, what will you call yourself, by your real name or a studio name?
If you want to employ people, using your real name may be weird for this sort of situation.
You also need courage to begin this sort of independent path. As you might have courage and upward confidence, it’s advised to also take that first step in a studio. If you choose to dive into it right after graduation, good luck! Some are naturals and have been doing it since way before graduation and some may find it a steep hike to the top.
you are CEO, senior designer, junior designer and office assistant, all in one.”
CHAPTER 4 – SETTING UP A STUDIO
- stress
- long hours
- hard work
Realistically, this is how most design studios are. This isn’t to say that there aren’t moments of love and treats. A design studio is those three things, but in addition to this is success and authorship.
Why would you want to start a design studio if this is the case? Well though stress may play a part, it’s a part of any job. The reason many designer branch out on their own because their nine to five is getting stagnant and stale. By opening your own studio, there is creative freedom that answers to you, not to someone else.
We work differently an we don’t have to answer to anyone but ourselves. It’s a far more organic process, allowing us to control every aspect of the job, every step of the way. A year down the line we have worked on jobs we would never have dreamt about. We have built up an excellent client roster and have attained financial stability beyond our previous jobs. Most importantly though, starting Bibliothèque has rekindled our passion for deign.”
This whole studio business, it’s a we project. Once you find trusting partners to emotionally and legally connect with, you can move forward.
Do be careful with who you go into business with, because money will not always be good. In some cases business partners will questions each others worth tat times like this. Choose wisely because it could be costly.
- Partner one – Creative direction, clients, new business and press relations
- Partner two – Financial affairs, studio manager, job costing and staff relations
- Partner three – Design, project management, IT and environment policy
This is to ensure efficiency in business, giving rolls to each business partner.
Knowing your place responsibilities keeps things orderly and organized. When people know their place they don’t step on each others toes. The show can run more smoothly with this system.
CREATING A BUSINESS PLAN:
To get a studio started, you may need to raise money. Borrowing money should be avoided, large amounts anyway.
Start small and move your way up. You don’t need a lot – a computer or two, printer, a scanner probably, some supplies, software and a place to work with stuff to sit on and at. Preparing a business plan whether or not you need funding is a good idea.
Knowing your expenditure and income is important. There are commercial and government agencies that can help with your business plan.
Also, a good accountant is great to have. You can do it yourself, then have an accountant check it for you.
Always assume less than you think, such with the number of clients you may or may not have.
Get a business account with bank. You’ll want to shop around get ideas from friends where to go for this. There are some banks that offer helpful start-up packs for new businesses.
STARTING UP:
- Register your business with the relevant authorities
- Register your company name and secure a URL
- Set up relevant payroll and tax status
- Issue employment contracts to staff
- Create client contacts to protect intellectual property
