How do i get a job in design?

BenJonesDesign

Active Member
Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone can give me some advice as to what I need to do now. I am very passionate about design and over the last few years I have done everything I can do learn and get as much experience as I can. I've created a creative CV as many have suggested as well as creating an online portfolio to showcase my work.

I'm signed up to practically every job site as well as a few job agencies but just can't seem to get my foot through the door.

My website is below and CV can be downloaded from the profile page.

Any suggestions?
 
Being passionate about design is one thing, being skilled is another, not to be too critical but I would seriously suggest spending a few hours browsing websites like the following...

CSS Mania Since 2004
CSSelite.com – CSS Gallery Showcasing the best in CSS web design and development.
CSS Gallery | Css Leak

once you have done that, come back to your online presence and re-evaluate where you can improve your position as to being employed in the creative industries.

* Must be said, I think your print/business cards are your strongest asset at present.

GL and stick at it.
 
Thank you Sunburn. Yes web design isn't my strongest skill and it's not something I have really thought about as a career so haven't really done much with it. I knew when I created my portfolio website it had to be eye-catching and original, but at the start it was a case of I need something online now just to show my work. I will definitely be looking more into web design and making improvements on my website at some stage.
 
If your main focus is on Graphic Design, and you just want something online to show your work, you could just use Indexhibit or something like that? And if Web Design is not your strongest side then maybe just concentrate on Graphic Design?

If you have the passion, the skills will hopefully come. But you have a very long way to go. Sorry to be blunt/harsh, and I really don't want to discourage you, but most of your work is currently not up to scratch, and you're not going to be employed by a design agency with that standard of work. You do have some decent designs there, so I'd strongly advise you to get rid of all the really bad pieces and only show the very best ones. The bad ones will drag your work down otherwise.

Just work hard for a few years, be humble, develop your skills, and learn everything you can about design. Then you can try to get in as a Junior somewhere.

Hope that helps! And best of luck!
 
I would advise possibly studying the topic for a formal and recognised qualification. It is not neccessarily true however:

You with creativity
You with creativity + Qualification

The employer will choose the creative person with the qualification. However if you work exceeds the ewmployers expectations this may be a different case.

I have not studied any form of Graphic Design but i have studied Photography and Post Production for several years.

Why not go Freelance? Advertise in a local newspaper or free magazine etc, leaflets. Ring up companies and sell yourself.

The more you get to know the market, the better you wil become.

At the end of the day, starting from scratch, what have you got to lose?

Thanks,

Sam =)

Home - Graphic Rabbit Studios
 
I agree with Sunburn's assessment of your site. It looks more like a printer's website to me. If web design's not really your strength, and you want to focus more on print, there's plenty of places where you can buy site templates which you can then customize with your own imagery/coding e.g. Web Templates, Flash Templates, Website Templates Design - Template Monster. Having said that, web design and print design do share many principles and even a print designer should be able to design a decent website - even if they can't build it themselves.

I think your logo designs let you down a little - they're a little too literal and obvious. Two books to recommend are Leslie Carbarga's Logo, Font and Lettering Bible and A Smile In The Mind, by Beryl McAlhone and David Stuart. The former is a great resource for all things logo-related (with advice on how to create some interesting type-effects) and the latter is concerned with the use of wit in design. I agree that your print work is your strongest asset.

A qualification could help, and it would be a good opportunity to get some first-hand guidance and feedback as to how to develop your work. You could even attend evening classes initially to get into it, or just dive straight in. Over the last year and a half I've been to several evening class - web design, illustration and photography. Good way to meet like minded people and try adding something new to your approach.
 
BB Book of Life...
from the A-Z of Marketing

O.. is for Offer....Leave them an offer tger can't refuse.
 
Thank you every one for you great comments. I shall now go back to the drawing board and start some new projects. I do have very good knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign but with your comments I think I will go and refine them with my book of logos at hand :)
 
ContraStar Designs said:
I do have very good knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign but with your comments I think I will go and refine them with my book of logos at hand :)

Don't worry too much about your Illustrator and Photoshop skills. They're just tools. Anyone can pick up a copy of CS, but that doesn't mean that they're designers. Design direction, research, conceptualizing, design history and principles, art styles, typography etc., and knowing how, when, and where to apply these is far more important.
 
Well..pretty important imo :).

I'm not saying you have to know who created every font out there. But I think it's pretty good to know what Art Deco is, or Swiss design for example. Sometimes you'll get clients asking for a particular style, so I think it's important to know a little bit about art and design history.

So on a scale from 1-10, I'd probably say 6.325 :p
 
I'm with Soren, its not the be all and end all, but it sure helps.

Someone inspired the people who inspired you, aren't you curious where that chain leads?

If we are talking crisp clean quality design, the start with the Swiss Minimalists, move onto the Bauhaus, stop by De Stjil and end up at Russian constructivism.

I studied for a long old time and I am glad I know the difference between Lichenstein and Warhol, I can stop William Morris a mile away, I understand why Duchamps urinal is important...but I am interested in history in general.

I love doing it with music, start at the white stripes, move to rl burnside, to elmore james, to robert johnson. It usually ends up back at robert johnson...
 
I've never really cared much for the history of things (with the exception of maths) so I suppose this is why I ask. Some people would love to just go finding things out, work out what's what, find out reasoning behind it all... I love the reasoning, hate the task of finding it all out.
 
Thanks guys that's interesting stuff. I did love learning about the history of art back in school, apart from being a designer I'm also an artist and take my style from Monet, I think I may just base a project on that one, a logo with the style of Monet... hmmmmm..........
 
A job in design... in which area? Do you mean get a job as a Graphic Designer?

It is very tough to get one, even an unpaid intern role, even with a degree. I have struggled and gone through a journey to say the least, at times having the wrong attitude and eating humble pie. But if it is for you then stick with it.

I agree with what Soren has said. I would take a look a designer's and design companies websites for guidance and inspiration of current styling/branding of designers currently. You can start with people from here, from the ones I've looked at, Soren and Ken have very good sites/work imo.

Take a look at the competitions that there have been on here as they have been some very good submissions. Even some of the concepts in the current brief are to a high standard imo and aren't even finished yet.

Pick up a copy of Computer Arts or Computer Arts projects, as they will guide you towards more current styles.

With what I've seen, your logo at the top of your CV is the closest to what I would consider being current design.

You seem to have the enthusiasm, if you can refine your designs then you will be on the right track.
 
Thanks Tony completely see where your coming from. I know personally that my work is, well all over the place and I do need to design using the style of others to influence my own. At the minute I'm just a concept, with a bit of research and development I will definitely take on the big guys.
 
Best thing to do is take an internship with the best design company you can get into. They wont pay (so you need to have money stashed away) you but you will get so much from it. Also at the end if they like you then they might offer you a job.
 
I would love to do work experience but my problem is that at the moment I work full time as an IT manager. One thing that might change things is that I'm competing for a contract to do the artwork for a number of magazines at the moment, with the contract I may well have enough extra money to be able to take a day off every week and then try for work experience then, at least it will be something. I've got a good chance of winning but I will soon see.
 
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