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How Do I Get A Design Job?
The creative professions are notoriously competitive, and landing your first design job may be a minefield. In this article, we’ll give you some pointers on how to get your foot in the door.
The goal of this essay is to provide you with the necessary skills to get a job at a design firm. While details have evolved over time, the fundamental concept has remained: you must showcase your skills and emphasise the message that employing you will benefit the organisation. And when you’re ready, we have hundreds of graphic design projects waiting for you. Let’s get this party started.
You can learn graphic design online through Blue Sky Graphics online graphic design course.
01. Improve your portfolio’s intelligence
First and foremost, you must improve your design resumé. While you may need to print material to bring to an interview, we’re more concerned with digital. Make the most of this opportunity to showcase your finest work. Bad or incomplete material will only make you seem inexperienced, so get rid of any unnecessary works-in-progress that don’t paint you in a favourable light.
Putting together a portfolio of work to display before you start your job is a difficult task. Check out our post on how to start creating your design portfolio for more information.
02. Create a unique network.
Networking may not be your favourite activity, but it is an important method to get your name and talents out there. Social media has made it much simpler to network online, but you must utilise it wisely. Begin by adhering to these social media golden standards.
If you’re going to add social media links on your website, make sure they’re all professional. Be yourself, but dress up a little and put the emphasis on your job or industry conversations. You want to seem human, but there’s no need to expose your soul.
Of course, you’ll need to meet people in person every now and again. We’ve written a whole essay on how to network effectively.
03. Make use of your imagination
Looking for employment and applying for jobs should be seen as a design brief in and of itself. Demonstrate that you are what you are attempting to portray: inventiveness. Check out our compilation of the most inventive resumés or our post on innovative self-promotion ideas for ideas. All of the examples shown here demonstrate instances when designers went beyond the box in order to stand out.
Allow your unique set of talents to guide your work. Make something as visually appealing as possible if you’re a graphic designer. If you’re an illustrator, grab a pencil and paper and create something that reflects your style. Are you skilled in motion graphics? Begin by creating the ideal showreel that highlights your abilities as well as your visual experience.
04. Utilize portfolio websites
Behance, DeviantArt, Dribbble, and Cargo are all excellent platforms for displaying your work. However, just submitting photos to these sites does not ensure that they will be seen. As a result, make sure that your uploads are accompanied by supporting articles on your personal blog and/or online design portfolio.
It’s important to remain active on the web and utilise a variety of platforms to spread your message – after all, you never know where your next chance may come from. There are, however, certain limitations to this. First and foremost, don’t prioritise number above quality. Second, make sure you’re not too concerned with spreading your message at the cost of producing high-quality work.
05. Gain practical experience
Many individuals believe that paid design internships are an excellent way to get into the business. If you get a good one, what you learn and the relationships you establish will be priceless. Of course, the key is to convert this into a more long-term employment — for more information, see our post on how to turn a design internship into a career.
A somewhat more contentious option is to offer to work for free via volunteer labour. While many designers would volunteer their skills out of the goodness of their hearts (and to add something to their portfolio), we urge caution. Working for free has a negative impact on the whole business, so consider twice before signing up.
06. Prepare for your interview
If we had one bit of advise right now, it would be to be yourself. That also applies to what you should dress. The majority of agencies do not require their workers to wear traditional business attire – suits, coats, and so on – and you should not either. However, since it is still an interview, they do not want to see you in your worn shoes and torn trousers. Simply put on your best face and retain a touch of your individuality in how you portray yourself.
Make sure you have some good content for the day as well. Your portfolio will have already been viewed by the interviewer, but here is your opportunity to add some weight to what you’ve previously showed them. Before the interview, agencies will usually give you a brief to work on. If that’s not the case, do something kind for them that you can leave with them. If you can connect it to the agency’s brand while also showcasing your abilities, you’re on to a winner.
07. Always go the extra mile
Following this advise alone will bring you a long way down the long and winding road of creating a professional path, but it may not earn you a job. The additional 10% that gets you the ideal job is entirely up to you.
Consider who you’d hire if you were in your interviewer’s shoes: an enthusiastic, versatile, eager, self-motivated individual who can operate as part of a team and is ready to go the additional mile to accomplish real-world outcomes. Your interviewer is likely to have evaluated a large number of candidates for a single position, so you must stand out. With this in mind, don’t be scared to experiment and go outside of your comfort zone.
