Why won't anyone hire me?

Take this for with a grain of salt because I'm not a designer, but I definitely feel your pain and frustration... I've spent the past 4 years and my entire net worth trying to get someone to believe that I belong @ an agency.

That being said, I'd personally lose the Huckabee work. Too polarizing and (right or wrong) you're going to alienate a good chunk of people who don't agree w/ your politics right off the bat. Gotta know your audience, and I think it's pretty safe to say the Denver design community is predominately filled w/ commie Obama fans like myself.

Good luck and keep ya head up.

-Terry

Thanks for your thoughts, BUT I totally disagree about removing my redesign for Huckabee. In other words you're telling me to censor my work because people have their political heads up their butts. I'm sorry, but GREAT design shouldn't be censored to suit public opinion. Knowledge is a powerful tool. If you want to limit it then go live in China.

I design to get people to think and look at something differently or to show them something ordinary in an extraordinary way. Huckabee's 2008 design SUCKED. I showed how I would redesign his campaign. I couldn't redesign for Obama because his stuff was great. And I sure as hell wasn't going to design for Palin so I picked the next most difficult thing to design for and that was Huckabee. If I can't get hired because people only see surface level then so be it. But I still believe great design will win out in the end.

Have you tried following up asking companies why you didn't fit? That constructive criticism can help. Maybe you should not be trying to get hired yet just finding your niche in freelancing. That's what I did/do IF I am inbetween full-time jobs.

Let me try this again.

I'm not knocking your work... it's very good and obviously not the problem. I just think you might get a better response if you avoid topics as polarizing as politics when you're looking for a job. If you want to refresh something, find a challenger brand and have at it. You'll definitely decrease your chances of offending someone. Try it out for shits and giggles and see if you get more people knockin' on your door.

Best of luck.

@ culvi I have followed up with firms and the consensus has been my lack of experience, which irks me. How is one supposed to gain experience if no firm is willing to hire? AND I often doubt whether these firms have the creative people even looking at my stuff. It generally feels like HR people are sifting through resumes and discard anyone that doesn't meet their requirements. Which had they taken the time to look at my work or any of the other talented people they just tossed out, they would have realize what they are missing out on. Perhaps they should reconsider experience because someone with 5-10 years of experience and out of a job is out of a job for a reason.

For the time being, I'll just continue my job search quest and take whatever internships look appetizing.

@terry I'll consider moving Huckabee off my site for the time being. As you're probably right some if not most people may look negatively on political design. I wish they wouldn't because I'm not a republican but I have that design on my site because it is a good showcase of design. I'll think about it.

Yeah - hang in there. I remember going through this phase as well and asking the EXACT same question. I started talking to people (family, friends, ex-coworkers), telling them what I did and networking, and there is always someone out there looking for some aspect of design to be completed. Now, I have to turn people away occasionally because between working freelance and a full-time job, I just don't have time. You'll get there :)

Yeah, I'm looking at 6 years since I graduated& still no full time professional work. Ideally, yes, good design should matter more, but obviously politics is the only thing worse than religious views. Simply too device; it gives people reason to dismiss you. My pet peeve is that "Graphic Design" positions these days simply assume you can write code, I don't get it. I'd say broaden your searches, what you will do/where. Personally, if I don't get a job in the next few months, I'm off to teach English abroad. Maybe teach Art somewhere where there isn't sooooo much competition.
Just wanted to say "I feel your pain"....

I'm in a similar situation. One thing I'm trying is to challenge the agency a little bit by asking them to give you a fake project, and let them critique that. Some of the interviews that I've had actually made me make a fake comp along with the application and I actually got an interview among seasoned vets.

For what it's worth...

Also try to avoid the HR department as much as possible. I really don't understand how most are in the role to judge creative work when they come from a human resources background and not advertising. Use linkedIn to find the AD's and CD's and go from there.

You can't always avoid the HR department. Just...general thought.

I am not an artist, though at one time I was an art major. I am a media fanatic, and have yet to get someone to see the value in my passion. I am currently an intern, so I cannot complain.

The best piece of advice someone gave me was to not be a sitting duck. What he meant by this, "know what you want before you apply." Nothing turns someone off more than uncertainty. He meant this regarding my wishy/washy self not knowing what the better path was for my career.

A few ideas for you to ponder before/during the application and interview process...
Don't use the phrases "great design" and "solid talent" when a portfolio doesn't fully support it....
If you do, you will not sound like an "idealist" you'll come across as arrogant...
Be open, excited and willing to do whatever it takes to gain practical experience necessary to succeed as a designer.
All the best!

Also, I know it's not the idealist's way, but people want to be sold. It's human nature. Sell yourself to the best of your abilities and someone will buy. You've got talent, now smile and present your work to the best of your ability. It's like the cock's colorful feathers.

You can be more political... when you get the job.

It is,'the what came first debate.'; except with school, experience, & work. You'd think they'd want to hire young at this point, becasue the VP's won't have to pay as much & they can shape you to do what they want. Keep at it, we've all been there--especially for designers--people can be judgemental and/or say they don't have an eye for it, so it is good to be well rounded, flexible, and articulate. It is also a possibility to get a general job and keep designing on the side, until you make things happen at some point, since that is who you are and what you love to do.

Most will be bummed to read this, but try working for free/cheap for a while. I've worked at two agencies, starting as an intern and both ended up paying me and eventually asking me to design full-time. The reality is that in my experience, you'll be lucky if you get picked up by an agency with only school level design and projects in your portfolio.

But that's just my two cents.

Religion and politics is a no-no. Doesn't matter about good design, because in the bigger picture, there are people who are highly qualified and unemployed that are willing to work in lower positions. And replying to someone who doesn't agree with your constitution by saying, "go move to China" makes you sound emotionally irrational, immature and unstable. Your asking for help on this post and snapping at people who aren't apathetic, but offering sound advice. Your wearing the wrong attitude on your sleeve. Try refocusing your energy. Go at this from a healthier perspective.

You should of did a redesign of Colgate toothpaste or something more rational that says you understand the bottom line. I freelance as small business marketing consultant. There is something about you (from reading your posts) that says I would have to manage your personality, if I were to hire you. We all go through growing pains. You can't wear that on your sleeve. You have to stay positive, freelance doing b.s. work at near to unlivable wages and get a night gig till the sky opens up. Stay thirsty my friend.

Peace

Hi Steven,

Try to stay positive. Here's a few thoughts, maybe they'll help.

When you follow-up a resume submission with a call (and be sure to follow-up) simply tell them you're a relatively young designer and you'd like to get some honest feedback on your portfolio. Too often I get calls at work and the person asks if we're hiring. I tell them "no, we're not right now" and then the conversation is over. If you tell them you're looking for feedback you can increase your chances to show your portfolio, even if they're not hiring.

If you get that chance to get in front of them ask them what they think is strong in your portfolio as well as if there's anything missing or that should come out. Learn as much as you can.

Keep your mind open to doing small freelance projects for agencies. In my experience, some projects can be hard to hand off to a freelancer. The time it takes to bring the freelancer up to speed on the project (scope, budget, client's brand, client's expectations, etc.) can end up taking less time than just doing the project myself. Managing people can take a lot of time. However, other projects (for example a logo) can be relatively easy to hand off to a freelancer. I can sit down with a candidate and give them a pretty quick overview of the project and client expectations then say "Take 6 hours and work on as many rough sketches and concepts, then let's re-group." Often these are projects I'm working on too and I welcome outside thoughts and ideas. Also it's relatively low-risk for the agency. If after 6 hours there's no good ideas, we pay the freelancer and say "thanks for your time." If there's some good ideas then we can say "Great, spend XX hours to develop these two ideas further..."

When you show your portfolio, help create opportunities. Say "Hey, if you got a logo project and are interested in a few rough ideas, give me a call."

Lastly, I echo Señor Rodolfo Rivera (cool name by the way), be careful in your replies to people that are offering you advice. Even if you disagree, you need to do that in a respectful manner. I'm very new to The Egotist but from what I've seen so far, people appear to be honest, respectful, and helpful. How you work with clients, co-workers, and vendors is often just as important, if not more important, than your design skills. Good relationships build trust and loyalty - and often lead to more work.

With that said, if you want to get some feedback on your portfolio - feel free to email me. todd@carterdesign.com.

I looked at your page and three samples come up. the autism one is great, the design and typography work well together and it brings a solid look and feel that you would expect for something like this.
however you have a suicide prevention poster that looks amateur at best drop it it doesn't do you any good, You can do better than that because i saw it in that autism cover.
While the illustration of the aluminum can is very well rendered it doesn't stand as a strong piece in my opinion. you need to show concept driven work not just good illustration.
think about what you are showing people, you need to edit your portfolio in order to please each individual application. fine tooling is key and be hyper critical of your own work.
One of my greatest mentors is the senior designer at the Shed aquarium In Chicago and she taught me a lot about this. don't take my comments the wrong way, you do have good ideas so lets see them on you page.
Also too im in the same boat as you and i have one thing to say about not finding work.
dont be affraid to take low paid internships. even if you work three jobs to support you art habbit dont give up. the job world is like a ladder sticking out of a puddle of shit in order to climb up your gonna get a messy at first, but you know its worth it. and thats how you get that experience.

also solid talant, every one thinks they have, the proof is in the putting and thats why you need expeirence. Ps i am a "commie" Obama fan and if theres one thing i learned during the hell that was 2000 to 2008 don't let your political ideals be swayed thats your god given right as an american to believe what ever you want to.

Hi all -

Thanks for all your comments, crits, and general what-have-yous. I FINALLY got a job at a design firm in Loveland. It took time but I think the best advice was "smile and present your work to the best of your ability." Seriously.

@senorRodolfo - excellent name btw. Thanks for your comments. I'm sorry (to anyone) if I came across as crass in my comments. I'm not. Really. I love the free world where ideas move. I make statements and hold firm to what I believe in. As James Victore says, "Design is a big f'ing stick. Use it" Some people like to play it safe and the work they produce often looks all the same. I don't believe in censoring my work. Sometimes the best ideas are those that offend. Rosa Parks could've gotten out of her seat so as not to offend the established order but she didn't. She offended others by her actions and started a wave of change. I appreciate that there are those that suggested I pull Huckabee from my portfolio and for good reasons. I just couldn't do it because I think political design is horrible. I wanted to showcase how political design can be better. Perhaps that offended a few people but worse will be when 2012 rolls around and every other yard will be littered with crappy typography of horrible names next to stars and stripes. Gag. Great design and ideas will rule. AND people will remember that. My design for Huckabee was never intended as a political statement but to showcase what great political design can be. Obama was the first to use great design, let's not make him the last.

@griffindesign - I'm curious as to why you think the suicide prevention poster looks amateurish. I had a design firm do a crit of my portfolio and they all raved about that poster. The aluminum can illustration is in my portfolio just to show that I can also illustrate and I figured showing two concept ideas first was enough to drive that point home. I could definitely change it though. I would just like to hear your reasons.

Thanks all. thedenveregotist rocks.

As a person with professional experience in almost every aspect of the performance realm. I feel as though I can justifiably say that there is nothing you can do to change the outcome of an interview (audition) that you wasn't already done before you ever saw the face of your auditor. Sometimes it's talent, sometimes it's the phase of the moon. The point is that you love what you do enough to accept the pitfalls which for many of us in the creative world means long stressful stretches of unemployment.

I haven't read all of the responses here but I have a suspicion that (and sorry if I'm wrong) nobody has mentioned selling. Mike Montiero said something in one of his podcasts that went something like this: A good designer makes nice stuff. A great designer can sell the shit out of their nice stuff. plain and simple. New ELM's response (right above mine) couldn't be further from the truth. EVERYTHING happens in the interview.

Your work is great and the topics/politics of your work do not define you... so leave them in.. And get really good at explaining (in a super positive manner and in detail) why you did certain things in each piece.

Thanks eju1. It's nice to hear someone that enjoys my work also has some great advice. I'll have to revamp my site with super awesome explanations. Sell it, make people want it, create desire.

Marketing is a big deal and marketing yourself at an interview is CRUCIAL. I agree with New ELM on one point. You might be having an off day but totally disagree that I don't have the ability to change an auditors perception of me. Leave your bad day at the door and sell yourself. There is a reason you go in for an interview. The employer wants to meet the person behind the design. eju1 is right EVERYTHING happens at the interview. The initial design portfolio got me in the door now it is time to make them want it. Sell it.

First, congratulations on your position in Loveland. I hope it is a fulfilling and enlightening one. I think there are a few reasons, if you don't mind my constructive criticism as to why you perhaps had a bit of trouble finding a job. Your website is the pinnacle of how you represent yourself (other than in person) to the design world and those that will employ you in it. I find that putting your best work forward and editing out the less successful projects will keep people interested as they move through your site. If you want to include those, put them in a sequence with your stronger projects so that if attention is lost on one, it will be piqued by the next. Your site, though it does does have some interesting widgets, is difficult to navigate and by this alone you will lose a lot of potential employers. There are finesse issues as well (i.e. kerning, widows, good rag) that could use some love.

I would be curious what the CMYK, san-serif design choices you are making says about you as an individual and a designer that it doesn't say about other aspiring designers. You should lead with your unique qualities. Something that more clearly conveys your passion and joy for design.

I hope that I am not coming off too severe. My mind often goes straight to critiquing, as many designers are wont to do!

I think you have some very marketable skills that should've gotten you jobs in the web design area alone, especially if you are comfortable with CSS/HTML5. As eju1 and a few others have stated, confidence in your work is of utmost importance. Researching and visiting the company before you ever consider applying to a place is also paramount. Networking with other design professionals in the area is not a small matter either. Our business depends a great deal on who you know and what they have to say about you and your design--beyond references.

Lastly, I would say getting a creative job in Denver/Colorado is a little tricky. It is an over-saturated market. Do what you can to give yourself an edge in such a competitive career field. I wish you the best, truly!

@bheiss I was sad you didn't have a website live yet. I look forward to when it launches. When do you think you'll have it up? I really enjoy your design work samples on the egotist site. They have a delightful printpress quality to them. Thanks for your constructive crit too. I definitely need to revamp a few things to make navigation easier.

Hey thanks! :D I am hoping to have it back up mid this week at the latest. It had some javascript issues. I will let you know when it is live. And any time you need a second pair of eyes, I am clearly full of opinions!