Design Student Q&A for Landing your First Job

Graduated in May and I can't even get a interview, all the job listings seem require 2-3 years experience.

Internship. Unfortunately having only a degree doesn't cut it, you are going to have to be a intern for a while to get that needed experience. For students still in school, take every design opportunity that comes your way, it may not be sexy work but they can't teach experience in the classroom.

Move to LA, SF or NY for the experience. Don't stay in Denver. Seriously.

Where are the best networking opportunities for creative, recent grads in Denver?

Jeffrey B, please move to LA, SF or NY. Don't stay in Denver. Seriously.

The market here in Denver feels pretty tight. Not many openings. It appears most of the luck is outside Denver.

In my experience, a recent grad lucky enough to get into the field in Denver, I tried to find something in LA and make the move. Yeah there are a ton more jobs there, but there are even more of a proportion of people looking for jobs.

Here's my question though, I have about a year of professional experience but I'm looking to get into an ad agency. I'm willing to do an internship, but a lot of other people are doing the same. Do I need to do something a little crazy to get noticed? Or would that be weird? Would you recommend seeking an internship at a smaller agency (that maybe even isn't advertising an internship) or try to get noticed in the mountain of applications at a place like CP+B? And is persistence (like making repeated calls and emails) good, or just annoying?

Hi. I am about to start my senior year and will have over 2 years of internship experience when I graduate. My question is - what should I do this year to help me get a job when I graduate?

Few Answers for you all:

- There is plenty of opportunity in Denver, a lot of shops for a city this size. The market is tight all over the country right now.

- Keleigh: I have never been big on networking groups. ADCD and AIGA put on some good events but honestly, as a designer, it doesn't really matter "who you know" (don't get me wrong, it doesn't hurt either) but rather, have a kick-ass book. For me it was more beneficial to work on my portfolio and expand my skill set, particularly in the digital realm, then it was to go networking.

- iamdobsy: Some shops like that crazy stuff, I don't really care for it. Just have a well put together portfolio, I do recommend have a hard-copy portfolio, like a hand made book or something that is super slick, not just a link to a website or a pdf. But you absolutely NEED a website in order to get into the door. I would also try interning at small shops, you will be put on some projects right away and do actual work rather than make coffee runs.

-Sara: Sounds like you are on the right track! I'm sure you know what some of your weaknesses are in your skill set by now (we all have them), so this year work on those and put a lot of time into making your portfolio the best it can be.

Good luck!

I just moved to Denver from New York (Yes, from new York) and was able to land myself in a smaller ad agency. How did I find the job? Craigslist? Careerbuilder? Egotist?
Actually, I got my job by sending my resume and work to every single ad agency I could find online that was located in Denver.
Eventually, I got some bites.
Do what I did-- look for them, not the other way around. Turns out the agency I work for was in desperate need of an entry level, but there was so much work going around, no one got a chance to post the job online. When my email came into them, they were ecstatic to set up an interview.
Go for it! In a tight market like this, you need to be especially agressive.

With AIGA, especially for designers, you get out of it what you put into it. It can be an incredible resource but also a great networking opportunity. Virtually every recognized national designer is part of the organization. Meaning you go to a AIGA conference and you rub shoulders with Paula Scher, Kit Hinrichs, Matteo Bologna, Michael Bierut, etc.—the top dogs.

They see kick-ass portfolios all the time but human connections are vital when competing for those upper level spots and their attention. There is also recognition when you reach a certain level there.

It also says something about you as a designer by wanting to contribute back to the community (not just a client). Organizations like those help foster creativity, archive and commemorate the best designers and help inspire new generations. Designers and artists are notorious for being self-involved and independent, so don't fall into that trap.

So my advise, yes, AIGA is worth every penny of a membership. Watch this video to see why.

http://www.lynda.com/home/displaycourse.aspx?lpk2=56535

Andrew, is Motive looking??

Hi Chirs.

Motive is a amazing place to work and I'm very fortunate to be here. Motive is growing, doing some amazing things and hire frequently so be sure to check out Motive's website (http://thinkmotive.com) or the facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/thinkmotive) to see when opportunities arise.

I also suggest that any fresh-graduates or seniors check out the NEXT Creatives portfolio program. It's free (if you are a member of ADCD or Ad2) and a great way to network with some of the local creative directors & senior ADs/CWs. Who knows, you could land a job from it if you make a good impression.

I am a recent graduate (BFA: Digital Design) and seem to be in the same boat as many other young designers right now... How do you suggest handling the first contact with a potential employer? Thus far I have been sending a basic (text-only) cover letter like statement within the body of emails and have been attaching my designed cover letter, resume, and pdf portfolio with a link to my website. I am not looking to relocate and would appreciate any advice you may have on seeking local openings and appropriately responding and following up.

Great topic, just what i needed today :)

Hmmm... It was not all that long ago that I graduated from school so I hopefully I can provide some good advice. First off you dont need to move to LA, NY or anywhere else. There is lots of great work going on here and with this fantastical thing called the interwebs you can really work with clients all over the world.

I may be wrong here, but it seems like internships are more of a scam for free work than an actual way to get in with a company. Dont get me wrong, you will be able to meet people inside the company, and if you have outstanding work maybe get some freelance that could lead to a staff position. However, most of the time you will probably get pushed to the side when deadlines loom and things are crazy. This said I had a great internship at Skiing Mag... paid and everything.

I think what can help more than internships, are actually doing work. Just because you are a student, does not mean you cant be scouring the postings for design, animation, whatever that gets you professional work. You may have some horrible clients to start and they will definitely try to under pay you, but you will learn more from that than in any class. Apply for all of these gigs, but you NEED to have a professional looking website for your portfolio, an email setup (that has an appropriate name), and an up to date resume. Dont be scared to apply for full time staff positions even while you are in school. If your work is good, you will get hired.

As for the rest... make all your school projects at the highest production level possible and never show work you are not proud of yourself. Go to events and make connections. I receive emails/calls frequently from clients knowing that I am busy, but looking for anyone I might know. Word of mouth, personality, and attitude go a LONG way and your reputation will help you get where you want to be.

As for networking, there are meetings run though AIC Denver, ADCD, AIGA, CFVA, and many others in town.

If anyone is interested in networking for motion design, let me know. I run a group that meets a few times a year. Always some of the most talented freelancers and staffers in Denver.

Good luck and keep at it

During our judging weekend for the ADCD Annual Show, we held an event to Meet the Judges. Our panel gave great insights and talked about their backgrounds, their creative processes, etc.

One of our newer board members approached Blake Bakken from VenablesBell and they started a conversation. That conversation turned into an interview. The interview became a job. I was bummed we lost one of our many fine talents at ADCD for maybe a microsecond, but ultimately, I was elated that this event opened a window for a great guy who was on the hunt for work.

So when you're not building your book, go to the events. It doesn't matter if it's ADCD, AIGA, NDAC, get out there. Nobody is magically going to know who you are. A great portfolio is great, but it gets even sweeter when you meet the cool person behind the work.

Jay—exactly.

All those organizations are invaluable if you just invest some time into them. It is easy to stand on the sidelines and say "oh, I don't need that" or "all they do is make events" but as soon as you step onto the field and start playing, you realize what a mistake it is to just stand there and watch.

So to all you new designers out there, be proactive and get involved! Just because your in a local chapter, those chapters are connected to a very large and well established national community. So connections could come from all over the place and allow you to move up the ladder locally as well as laterally across the country.

Best of luck to all you creatives :)

This is all really great advice.

Brian Suter actually got a job through the NEXT program, but he was too humble to mention that.

A few things I've learned along the way that haven't been covered:

Landing a job is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes a lot of time and persistence, unless you have an absolutely amazing book and set yourself up in school. In that case, you're probably not reading this. If you have a rad book and you don't have a job and you're reading this, a tasteful stunt that shows you're smart and laser focused on an agency or studio might not hurt. But not a creepy one.

Meet with creatives to show them your book and get feedback. Don't worry about whether or not a job is there. Meet people and show them your work. This happens so little in Denver it's kinda shocking.

When you meet with someone, take their feedback seriously. Ask them about their job. Ask them about agencies they like in town. It would help to know a little bit about their work too.

When you're wrapping up, ask if they know anyone else you could show your book to. This is key. Then, don't be afraid to call the new contact. Realize they are busy, and don't take it personally if they don't get back to you or have to cancel at the last minute. Keep trying.

It's key to keep working on your book. It's really hard when you're out of school but every time you make a change, it gives you a reason to shoot an email off to the people you've been showing your book to. And it shows them you are really dedicated and know how to take feedback.
And it makes you and your book better.

Personal contacts are invaluable. They help break through the clutter of a heap of books sent over from an HR person. Plus, the CD will already know if they like you or not.

Networking has always been really hard for me. It doesn't come naturally. But I have always been surprised how great creatives are once you reach out to them, and how willing they are to give you some more contacts.

And lastly, spend the time to really get to know the work of the agencies or studios you want to work for. And target them. Get to know the creatives there. Make it obvious you'd like to work there, but be cool.

Hello eaggeler,

Sounds like you are doing the right thing. Cover letter, resume, portfolio (pdf's are ok, website is a must). Call me old school, but this usually gets it done for potential employers. Don't over-design your resume/portfolio etc. but really make sure that it is designed very well (along with an well-designed website), you want it to be clean and smart and even fun but not kitschy and gimmicky. Your want your work to be the focus of the presentation, not vice versa. Also make sure you have a presence in the social media world, a la blog or twitter account, it's good to be dialed into the industry, and makes a great impression. You are also going to need to send out ALOT of resumes, don't expect to send three and get 3 responses. Also don't get discouraged if you don't hear back from a employer, that doesn't mean you are a bad designer but rather you maybe might not be the right fit.

As for the networking comments. Yes, they are great, and it is great to meet people in the industry and get your name out there. They also equate to jobs in some cases, but on a personal level, this wasn't a necessity for me to land a job. I focused more on my work, resume and interview skills.

Hope that answers your question!

This is all great info! Thanks Andrew for making this your blog topic. Although much of this information and advice is transferable for all entry-level position seekers, it would be cool to know about specific advice/info anyone might have for account people. I know that the book is so important for designers/creatives but sometimes its hard to tell what agencies what to see from people seeking an account job. Any thoughts anyone?

*If this is too off topic and you'd like to keep the Q+A for designers, then maybe sometime the blog can do the same thing for Account Mgmt?

Excellent advice. My biggest insight is don't just focus on the places publicizing openings. Get involved in the creative community. And, as Brian mentioned, the ad club's NEXT creatives portfolio program is a huge opportunity.

I'm going to pass along some advice from Mig Reyes, interactive designer at Threadless.

"What you don't learn in design school," How Conference Presentation

1. Take the initiative, no one else will.

2. Prove yourself with passion projects.

3. Have a strong presence on the web.

4. Speak up. Write more.

5. Make friends, not contacts.

6. Personality always trumps resume.

7. Curiosity + humility = magic formula

8. Treat every job like a dream job.

And check out more advice he's gathered at Humble Pied: http://www.humblepied.com/

• If you're still in school, I can't recommend enough that you join clubs and professional associations and get involved with them. Being a member and not being involved only tell people you're a sucker and will pay $70+ for the membership card. :) Start with ADCD and AIGA. Look into http://refreshnoco.com/ too.

• Get an internship. Get several internships. They don't have to be glamorous, but the real world experience is priceless. You have to be willing to make sacrifices to make these work- commuting, taking internships without pay, doing the grunt work, etc.

• Almost every job I've held I've gotten because of networking. Expand your network! Join a discussion group, ask designers and directors that inspire you to to lunch and ask them about their job, go to local art events and talk with people. Get simple business cards and hand them out after a quick elevator introduction.

• Do things you enjoy outside of design. Being passionate about other things shows that you're a little more well-rounded.

• ALWAYS take criticism and tips and be willing to learn no matter how right you think you are. Humility goes a long way.

• Go to the HOW conference. Trust me.

• Don't get stuck. Denver is an awesome creative place, but if you're not finding anything, be willing to move somewhere else to get experience. While you're gaining the experience, stay focused on where you want to be and work towards it. Who knows, employers might appreciate that you are willing to go different places.

I ended up getting a job out-of-state right after college and it turned out to be a great thing.

Hey Andrew, hope you don't mind if I put my own comments about my experience so far in here too.

I was lucky to get in touch with JWT for an internship from an Art Institute graduate portfolio review. It was an internship, at $10 an hour, but I learned more than I could have in school. I was hired a couple months after graduation. It put me completely into the advertising experience, honing my skills, and bringing out my lows. You collaborate, work with other people, supervised not by a teacher, but by another creative. It gave me thorough agency experience, which is a plus if you want to work in a similar environment. That being said, internships may be your best bet in the beginning, especially if you're just starting out. It's something on your resume, and you can't expect a paying job right out of school, even if you're amazing.

Get noticed. There's a lot of creatives in this little market and you have to get seen. Push your work, push your website, get involved in whatever avenue you choose.

Portfolio, portfolio. One creative director I worked with said, what are your best pieces? After trying to show him my stuffed book, with over 30+ pieces. Choose 10-15 of your best pieces, every single piece you choose to show off and represent you should be your best, be ones your proud of, and this doesn't necessarily mean the best-looking. Be able to explain thinking from front to back, the concept, the thinking, and how it ended up at that execution.

Learn, study. Know the three basic programs before going into any job. Need to edit some photos? Create a design? Format it in InDesign, then you need to be able to do all of these things smoothly. Granted, you may not have a ton of experience in working with all of these individually, or all together for that matter, but you need to be able to. You'll be working on anything from a concept ad to a simple brochure with elements, you'll need to be able to adapt and work through it all. Know your RGB/CMYK, know your bleeds and trims, know your text formatting. And no, knowing all the shortcuts won't get you anywhere special. It just looks cool.

Keep your head up. A positive attitude all the time is appreciated, especially in the advent of cluster cusses in any situation. Keep it cool, and push through your work. No one wants a complainer in their office, they want someone who's willing to learn and keep pushing, despite the difficulty.

Read. Read this site, read other blogs, keep updated on websites. Know what's going on in the industry and see where you want to go. At this point, you may be willing to take anything that comes up, but also keep in mind where you want to go. Keep in mind what you hope to achieve and how you're going to do that. Call it a goal, if you'd like.

An alternative avenue that no one has mentioned is The Creative Group. I have worked with them a few times and it's a positive experience. But it's a double-edged sword. One, you pay nothing out of your pocket. You get connected to possible employers based on you, your skills and experience and the employer. You can get anything from contract jobs to full-time position interviews. The other side, is that they charge a fee to the agency/comapny. You don't get paid as well as you would hope, because a portion of your earnings are paid back to TCG for their work. Which makes sense. They do need to make money as well. In short, they act as your agent, and if a company decides to pick you up they will be responsible for paying TCG an amount to take you in.

Denver is not a horrible market, as any market there's a shortage of jobs, budget cuts and other issues that deter any company to hire willingly. And do not keep your perspective only here, as others have said, keep your eyes open for outside opportunities. That doesn't mean you have to move either, you can try to seek contract work with outside clients.

Anyone else think this is as funny as I do?

"There's great opportunity in CO (not verified)"

Couple things I haven't seen written in the comments I think are important:

1. Everyone has asked, "How do I get a job?" No one has asked, "How do I get a job that I love?" When you ask the latter question, you focus your search and focusing makes you more powerful. Think about burning ants with a magnifying glass. Getting a job that you love is scarier than getting a job. You've eliminated potential jobs because you know you won't love them. You're going to be yourself radically even though you might get rejected. But if you just wanted a job, you would have gotten a business degree and joined a business fraternity. You would have gone to trade school so you could service HVAC. You chose this field because you wanted to love your work, so don't forget about that now that you're actually looking.

2. Networking sucks. Talking with fellow creatives about the things you love is the best. I am the designer Jay Roth refers to above who got a job after striking up a conversation with Blake Bakken. I wasn't thinking about getting a job or networking. I was thinking about how much I appreciated what Blake had to say and how much I wanted to write about it on my blog. That leads to my next point:

3. Start your own online enterprise. Today. People keep referring to "if you have a killer portfolio" above, but no one defines killer portfolio. Student books are usually filled with spec work. The internet means you can start a business, a charity or a super cool project for less than $100. To me, a killer portfolio has real-life examples where you had to build a following online and actually convince people do to things like sign-in, retweet your content, follow your project on facebook, etc. I've written tons more about this in my blog: BigFuckingLogo.

4. Being dependent isn't fun. If you're dependent on a company to give you the opportunity to practice advertising/design and make money, it is a desperate feeling. If you've already figured out how to at least eke out a living through small clients, building online businesses, or a part time job tangentially related to advertising, or placement agencies like the Creative Group, you can target your job search to the ideal place you'd like to be, take your time with the courtship and have that conversation as a fellow colleague rather than a newbie looking for a break.

5. Join AIGA, ADCD, ad2 and get involved. This ties in with number 1. Your goal isn't to get a job, it's to get a job you love. People are the reason you love your job. When you meet someone that you totally vibe with, they'll find a way to get you hired. And you'll love working for them because you share that vibe.

Ahhhh! Forgot to add links:

How to build a life changing website:
http://www.bigfuckinglogo.com/build-a-life-changing-website-pt-3
http://www.bigfuckinglogo.com/build-a-life-changing-website-pt-2
http://www.bigfuckinglogo.com/build-a-life-changing-website-pt-1

The post featuring Blake Bakken:
http://www.bigfuckinglogo.com/art-directors-club-of-denver-4-creatives-1...