Advice for design students and grads

This time of year marks graduation for many design schools in the Lower Mainland, including the IDEA program at Capilano, my alma mater. It wasn’t so long ago that I was nervously putting together my portfolio, furiously brainstorming self-promotional pieces and panicking about getting interviews. It’s a stressful time for any new designer, and I can only imagine job opportunities are few and far between with the weak economy. I’ve learned a lot since I stood anxiously at my grad show booth:

Stay positive.

While a good three- or four-year design program will give you the tools you need to succeed as a graphic designer, it’s up to you to ensure you launch a career for yourself. Part of this involves developing a thick skin (thought classroom critiques were bad? Hearing you didn’t get your dream job is worse) and being persistent. When you see others from your graduating class getting awesome jobs at amazing studios, and you don’t have anyone calling you on the phone, it’s pretty disheartening. Don’t give up! The world needs more talented designers, not baristas.

You might be surprised where you fit in.

The large advertising agency jobs tend to be glamourized. In-house design work can be just as creative, and it probably offers better benefits, more job security, and less overtime. Smaller studios often have more creative control with lesser known clients. You might feel more emotionally rewarded working for a non-profit. You may covet the junior position at a huge ad agency right now, but maybe you’d be happier working with a smaller team.

From my own experience, working with smaller design/advertising studios has given me the skills necessary to start up Chestnut St. Pixel Foundry. In a small studio, you learn to wear a lot of hats: you’re working directly with an art director, you’re doing your own production and pre-press, and you’re learning code to launch small digital campaigns yourself. You also see first hand how your employer interacts with clients and self-promotes. A large ad agency has structure and bureaucracy that removes you, as a designer, from much of the actual business. It wouldn’t have been a good fit for me, because I knew from day one I wanted to eventually do my own thing.

No one cares about your grades, they care about your portfolio.

No one’s ever asked to see my diploma… I’m not actually sure where it is. (Probably in a box in storage somewhere.) No potential employer has ever cared about my grades. It’s your portfolio that’s your tool to landing a job.

Your design school will likely do a portfolio review and help you select the best pieces. The next step is photographing them. I went through three photo sessions before I got to a point where I actually liked the photographs and wanted to use them. Don’t be scared to redo your work or tweak your portfolio display. Make it stand out!

I reshot my student portfolio three times. The first time (left) the white balance was really off and difficult to correct in Photoshop. The second shoot (middle) had dramatic lighting, but I didn’t like the way the product looked. Eventually I determined my portfolio would have a vertical format, so I reshot AGAIN for the final look (right). Note the differences between the display of the CD-R sleeves and the product still in the box. Details matter!

If I were looking to hire a design grad, I’d be looking for a portfolio that had a range of work and styles. I’d want to see that they can take a branding project and apply an identity system to stationery, a website, signage, print advertising, and more. I’d rather see a handful of excellent projects than 20 or 30 that aren’t well executed. More isn’t better!

Don’t stalk, but be persistent.

You can’t get a job at your dream agency or studio if they don’t know you exist! Send a self-promotional piece to engage with the art director or agency partner. Later, send a follow up email to ensure they received the item. Let them know you’re available! Even if there are no jobs coming up for a junior designer, they won’t forget you. If your self-promotional piece is nice enough, they might keep it around.

What should you send for a self-promotional piece? Believe me, employers don’t want to just see your resume! The best designers send a creative piece, and some kind of mini-portfolio. While CD portfolios were in vogue for a while, concerns about viruses might keep your CD from being viewed. Unless you’re a digital designer, keep it a tactile experience.

Burn 0 bridges.

The best design schools have instructors who work in the field. Many work opportunities can come from your teachers. Resist the urge to flip out at them and give them attitude – if they know you’ve got a volatile personality, why would they recommend you when an ad agency asks them for interview candidates?

They know you’re only human and graduation is stressful, but if you show grace under pressure, it’ll be remembered. After all, the real world has pressing deadlines, all-nighters and unproductive brainstorming sessions too. You can’t storm out of a client meeting the way you would a classroom. (Well, okay, you can, but I don’t recommend it.)

Work as much as you can while in school in your field.

This is better advice to current students, not grads, but you can gain much from freelancing or taking on contract work while still in school. It’ll help you make connections and build your work experience. A talented grad who’s already worked in the industry is much more appealing than a newbie!

Many schools offer internships for this reason. Take all the opportunities you can! It can be hard to balance a part time job, school, and working in your field… but so worth it. While I was in second and third year, I worked three days a week in an unrelated job, and went to school full time, and freelanced. I was exhausted, but survived.

Writing is more important than you think it will be.

Even if you end up in a large agency with copywriters on staff, you’ll still need to communicate with others. Often, you’ll be writing emails to clarify aspects of a design or project, and you don’t want to be misunderstood!

As a freelancer or designer at a small studio, writing skills become even more crucial. Smaller projects may not have budget for a copywriter, so you’ll want to edit the supplied copy yourself. You may be asked to come up with headlines or captions. And as a freelancer, you’ll need to cultivate a clear and professional voice when writing proposals and client emails.

Value yourself.

Internships that are part of a practicum are a valuable way to gain experience, and the agreement stands that you’re working for course credit. Once you graduate, however, you should never take on an unpaid internship at a for-profit studio or company. Not only does it devalue your worth as a new designer, it’s illegal in British Columbia.

You shouldn’t take on speculative or unpaid design work. Many organizations, including the GDC and AIGA, have spoken out about design contests and spec work. You might decide to donate your time to a good cause you believe in, and that’s commendable, but no for-profit business should be soliciting for free design work.

You shouldn’t do free or barely-paid work “for your portfolio”. I guarantee the work will not be nearly as good as the work already in your student portfolio. The whole process will be frustrating, because any client who asks for free or dirt-cheap design work doesn’t value you or your time.

Learn how to price yourself appropriately. If you’re a recent grad, you won’t charge the same as a freelance art director with years of experience under their belt. But you shouldn’t charge minimum wage either! About.com has an article on how to determine your hourly freelance rate. If you’re looking to work at a design studio or advertising agency, the RGD (Ontario division of the GDC) puts out a salary survey to help you gauge a fair salary.

I hope that helps! If you’re a design school graduate who’s been working for a while, what would your advice be to new grads?