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What Employers Look For In A Graphic Designer?
Today’s graphic designer’s responsibilities extend well beyond the development of sales materials. Rather, graphic designers are also required to help, if not lead, campaign campaigns by exploiting the rich media they generate to boost sales and new enterprise.
If more firms turn to graphic designers as sales sources, competition in the industry will inevitably ramp up. As a result, it is more important than ever for graphic designers to recognise the characteristics that managers want in these positions.
Here are the top characteristics that companies ask for when recruiting a graphic designer today:
Typography mastery
Display advertising and marketing messages have become so common to audiences that mastery of typography is required to produce “thumb-stopping” content–that is, content that captures the intended audience’s interest in the face of the noise generated by similar commercials. It does not matter how stunning, well-crafted, or amusing the material is if it is not followed by a good command of typography to attract the interest of the target audience.
As a result, if a graphic designer is unable to show the potential to catch the consumer’s interest and deliver a clearly understandable message, managers will often ignore the candidate and move on.
Diverse job experience
Today’s brands compete in a marketing environment that is divided between new and conventional channels. This means that while they are looking for a graphic artist, they need someone with a wide range of skills who can help with both conventional and digital media strategies. Graphic designers will demonstrate their varied career experience by prominently showcasing the various mediums, markets, and campaign styles they have worked on in their portfolios.
A certificate from an approved design programme
As brands battle more actively for graphic design talent, they would want to ensure that the applicants they recruit are not only qualified but also disciplined. Particularly people with years of experience in the industry will benefit from making their professional credentials freely available to employers who display their resume or portfolio. A certificate from an approved design programme instils more trust in the skills of the graphic designer they are about to recruit, as well as the confidence that they may be more suited to work on new tasks that could be outside of the designer’s core competencies.
Understands the concepts of White Space
Whether we are talking about conventional print design, multimedia banner ads, or social media graphics, there is an endless number of obstacles competing for the attention of your target audience. Employers know this and would gravitate toward graphic designers who are professionals in using white space to steer the viewer’s eyes straight to their advertisement campaign.
Graphic designers looking for new opportunities should not only demonstrate a mastery of whitespace in previous works but also use this ability set in the creation of their portfolio. Many who do not use this skill set or any other skill set when designing their portfolio will be viewed as having low attention to detail and maybe ignored during the recruiting process.
Leadership Skills
Art is objective, and where talent and boss have opposing viewpoints, feelings will flare. Employers want someone who will leave their pride at the door and realise that if their idea is not right for the brand, it is not a negative assault on the designer’s work. Rather, they want graphic designers who can listen to and consider an idea before leading an in-house team to make it a reality.
A portfolio that is clear, articulate, and up to date
Consider the portfolio to be a kind of teaser. Essentially, it should show the above characteristics while leaving the recruiting manager seeking more in the way of an interview. That being said, your portfolio should indicate not just who you have worked with and on which projects but also what role you performed on each project.
Additionally, keep it brief and up to date. The best graphic designers have two portfolios: one that includes all of their jobs and one that is tailored to the position they are applying for that day. Know the audience and give them just what they want, but be prepared to show more if necessary.
Puts Clients First
Clients prefer to partner with someone who listens to them, their interests, and who responds well to feedback, even though they have a stellar portfolio and savvy concept sense. Consider your design project collaboration: you are mixing your clients’ thoughts with your own to create a graphic treatment that reflects your desires. Revisions are inevitable, but in the way, you and your customer will get a better understanding of how the company can be portrayed.
Pay Attention to Details
Everyone makes mistakes, but the end result you present to customers should be perfect. It is important to double-check consistency and stick to the client-specified vocabulary and imagery. Before sending the final work for approval, please make a trustworthy associate check it. After all, it never hurts to get a second set of eyes on any logo, page, and photo spread.
Employers are searching for graphic designers with excellent expertise and a competent demeanour, from imagination and attention to detail. If you want to learn about typography, logo design, or particular software like Illustrator, Blue Sky Graphics’ graphic design curriculum can help you improve graphic skills and master design tools. Working with professionals in the field of graphic design is the ideal way to gain trust, insightful feedback on your work, and create a portfolio you cannot wait to share.
Technical Skills
Expertise in a diverse set of graphic design skillsets can help ensure that you are prepared to take on a diverse set of projects. Train on the newest graphic design and layout skills and strategies to remain current. A strong understanding of desktop publishing resources like InDesign, as well as the new Adobe Creative Suite (especially Photoshop), will help you be prepared to work in all media. It is also important to be able to produce both print and digital files, since many clients would need a branding kit that contains both. If you want to develop these in-demand skills or study graphic design in detail, the BSG graphic design course is a fantastic place to start.
As a graphic designer, upgrading your resume and portfolio to match the characteristics mentioned above will help you become more successful in the work market and help you secure jobs that you might have overlooked previously. Working with an industry-specific recruiter who has access to some of the nation’s leading corporations would really offer you a strategic edge.
