Any helpful advice on portfolio, CV etc...

[Moominbaby]

Hello everyone,
I am just wondering if you could give me a bit of feed back on my portfolio etc or any advice.

I have recently relocated too London and I'm looking for work. I have been sending out a lots of cover letters CVs etc for in house jobs and I'm not having much luck. I have been hunting for about 4 weeks now and I am getting a little jaded: (.

I have applied for about 2/3 jobs a day and so far I have had one interview with a publishers in central London but didn't get the job and a request for my portfolio from the British transport police after my application for a junior designer position.

I have talked to several big recruitment agencies and they have said they're not interested because I haven't worked on any big brands (this is very hard to do coming from Cornwall but the brands I have worked on have been big for Cornwall I think).

I had one job email back and say they wanted to meet up for an interview but then have since not contacted me and haven't responded to the two emails I sent (anymore and i think I would look weird) this was a couple of weeks ago.

I have signed up to every job gd job site I can find and I am trying everything possible!

Hopefully next week I will be meeting up with a agency based near me and the very nice owner said he would look through my portfolio and give me advice but I am just wondering if anyone here can too!
I am soooooo keen to find work and really love gd I just need the right company to give me a chance. Help!


Here is my online portfolio Louie Crooks on the Behance Network I'm not sure I can attach my cv yet

 

[pcbranding]

Hello. Four weeks isn't really that long to be honest.

Which agencies have you contacted? Are you talking Surrey-based ones or West End of London kind?
I've never heard of an agency only requesting designers with 'big brand backgrounds/projects' - there are jobs at all different levels for all different kinds of designers. But obviously agencies find it easier to place (and earn from) designers with more experience/higher profile work and so tend to shy away from those that require a bit of effort. Agencies prove me wrong!

All agencies should be happy to interview you and it's at this point that you need to come across confident and willing, so that they can 'sell' you to possible clients they have on their books.

Perhaps you need to target companies (retailers, manufacturers) who you admire/respect and who you feel you can help or who look like they need someone to help with their identity/marketing. You don't necessarily have to work for a design consultancy, go work in-house while you build up more work for your folio.

Keep going...

 

[Moominbaby]

Hi yes I know four weeks isn't long but I'm really trying! and it's so annoying when your whole family and friends are saying... 'well..hows the job hunting going?'
blah!
yeh I know its not long I just don't want to go on doing the same stuff for too long if it is wrong : )

The agencies I have contacted by phone and spoke to direct are these guys Gabriele Skelton but they did also say that my editorial design wasn't useful because 'wasn't everything digital now?' so I don't know. He did say I should go and work in the city for free for at least 3 months. I can't afford to do this and I have done this already in cornwall and London.
These guys were nicer but said the same Marketing & PR Jobs, Advertising, Creative & Design Jobs London
I have spoke to so many and they just don't seem interested or don't reply to my job applications and usually I am really great with people and good on the phone. Maybe I should just phone them more?
I have attached my CV if anyone has any thoughts they would be much appreciated Thanks : )

 

[pcbranding]

Yes, I know both of these.

It is tough and there is no magic wand/solution. There are lots of potential designers to choose from and unfortunately people don't always have the time/inclination to reply to say 'no thanks.'

Persistence is certainly an important skill.

So, if no-one is interested then either you aren't what they're looking for or you don't have the right skills/portfolio to suit their company/client.

So, you need to target a company that you do want to work for and pester them to let you come in and 'sell yourself' to them or you need to spend time improve your skills/portfolio to a level where you can compete against other designers.

Doing work for small fees or free is certainly a way of building up your book, but it needs to be the right kind of work (no point doing pizza flyers!)

Do you want to work in a design consultancy or in an in-house design team? Do you want a full-time job or freelance? Do you know any smaller scale design companies that you could partner with?

Paul

 

[sthomas]

I agree with Paul's response. I moved to London straight after graduating and it took me approx 6 months to get my first design role.

However, leading up to that point, I was visiting lots of design companies and ad agencies and was doing free work for them to build up my folio. Eventually I landed a design job working for a small magazine but it was the first step onto my design career.

The key to getting the first job is don't give up on the search and keep being persistent. The designers who really want to make it will do, but it will be a struggle.

Put the effort into targeting smaller companies and design agencies and make sure you know what type of role you'd most like to do and what would suit your skills.

Another thing, the major London design recruitment agencies will only place designers with companies that have a few years experience (sometimes as much as 5 years minimum) and an established portfolio, so don't be disheartened that you got turned down by them.

Good luck.