Graphic Design - A Guide to Getting a Job
So you just graduated from Art School with your Graphic Design degree and you don’t have a job. It sucks, your parents are saying “I told you so” and your looking at a mountain of student loans and a Starbucks pay check. Don’t Panic. I was in the exact same position that you were almost ten years ago. If I did it so can you.
Take Stock
First you need to take relative stock of what you do have. How good are you? Can you write well? What type of computer skills do you have? You may need to get creative if you are going to work as a graphic designer. Many companies do not have budget for a print designer. However, they would love to have a secretary who can also do graphic design. The most important thing is that you can find a job that requires you to use your skills even if it is not your primary job. You can always work your way in to what you really want to do.
Computer Skills
A lot of good artists can’t use computers. Take a look in the local paper and notice how the higher paying graphic design jobs require you to build web sites, use software, or even have programming languages. The combination of graphic design and advanced computer skills is worth a lot of money in today’s job market. You my space page doesn’t count. Learn software, learn to write code, learn to use the computer and it will help you get what you want.
I got my first real graphic design job because I could do design and build web sites.
If you love it do it anyway.
Almost everyone has a need for a web site. If you really want to get your work out then do a few one hundred dollar web sites. Maybe your next site will be worth a thousand dollars. Deadlines are great leaning tools. If you really have a need to get something done you are amazed what you can do. Make a goal of doing ten web sites in the next year. Stay away from friends or family. Try to get real clients even if your real clients can only afford a three hundred dollar site.
Put all of your best stuff online
I got exactly one job from my web site on the first year I had it online. The next year I got five jobs. The next year I had calls for twenty five jobs but I only could do three of them because I was working at Microsoft. A web site is not a lottery ticket. It is like a good stock. The effort that you put into it will grow with time and patience. When I am looking for a job the first question out of the recruiter’s mouth is usually about the address of my web site.
