Week Four: Newly Graduated, Taking the Rejection

Many of us face rejection on a daily basis whether it be school, work, family or otherwise related. Yes, it can be tough to stay positive in a world that is continually saying “no”, but the important thing is to learn from the rejection.

We’re all familiar with the phrases “Good things come to those that wait” and “Everything happens for a reason”. They’re right up there with “Something will come along eventually”. However, there is a point when you feel like strangling the next person who dares utter anything related to that because it doesn’t feel like those phrases apply to you. Constant rejection can lower your confidence and positivity levels and it’s hard to carry on under those conditions. Just yesterday I went out with one of my fellow graduated classmates for a bit of girl time/ranting session and she said she was feeling pretty discouraged about searching for a job. She had recently received several automatic rejection emails literally minutes after applying for jobs (let’s face it, those are the worst kinds of rejection emails) and it was wearing her down.

Rejection is a good thing. Yes, you read that correctly. Rejection happens for a reason. It makes us challenge ourselves and push ourselves further than we would normally. It forces us to take a good look at how we are presenting ourselves and our work. Maybe your cover letter isn’t professional enough and should be changed slightly. Maybe your website needs to be updated. Maybe, just maybe, you aren’t a good fit for the company. Personally, I’m glad rejection emails happen, even the automatic ones. That let’s me know that a company that wouldn’t even take the time to write a short note probably doesn’t care THAT much and that’s probably not an environment I would enjoy working in. So I keep on applying, I keep updating my cover letter and I keep working on projects. 

The only way to get over the rejection is to become better. Become so good that they can’t ignore you anymore. If you feel that you were rejected for no good reason, write an email requesting to know if they would be willing to offer some tips on your next application. Find out what you can improve on and become better at. Getting over the rejection will help you grow as a person and a professional. It shows that you’re determined to get where you want to go, that you have drive and passion about where you’re headed. 

So I encourage everyone reading this today, keep your chin up! Everything happens for a reason…

Week Three: Newly Graduated, Never Settling

The theme of this past week has been ‘Never Settle’.

I got an email from a marketing company in Indianapolis who was really interested in interviewing me. The original job posting had been a vague “General Marketing” type position which outlined a few duties that the job required. Okay, it sounded pretty good to me so I went ahead and applied. Even though I’m looking for a Graphic Design position, I would have no problem starting out in Marketing as most Marketing positions require some design. I figured this job was exactly that, an entry-level Marketing position.

I made the trip to Indy on a scorching Thursday. I had my portfolio, my resume and a car packed full of possessions I was taking home to my parents directly after the interview. I was prepared for this. I was ready to talk about my work and how I was willing to learn the ropes of the new job. I was ready to relocate as soon as possible and begin the job as quickly as possible.

I entered the building and paused for a moment, seeing which direction I had to go when I heard someone call my name behind me. Lo and behold, one of my fellow graphic design graduates had applied to the same job. Okay, no problem. I’m not really competitive and it seemed like they had a few positions to fill. We enter the office and shake everyone’s hands and immediately I’m ushered into the interview room. The first thing the hiring manager says to me is, “I see you have your portfolio there. Well to be honest with you, we don’t do any graphic design here. Everything is outsourced.”

Now I’m suspicious. Marketing without design? What is this?

She asks me some questions about myself and then delves into an explanation of the job.

“So this is a sales position…”

As soon as I hear that my heart sinks. I knew this was too good to be true. I argue internally with myself. Maybe I can do this for about a year or so and then move on to a graphic design position. I can’t be picky, I’m a recent graduate with no job. I smile, I nod and agree with what the hiring manager is saying after talking myself into settling for this position. “It won’t be that bad”, I say to myself. “Everyone has to start somewhere right?” I’ve fallen into the ‘Newly Graduated and Desperate’ trap. I leave the interview in turmoil, wish my fellow classmate good luck and start the drive home.

By the time I’ve completed the hour and a half journey, I’ve come to my senses. I’ve given myself a stern talking to and have found my resolve again. Graphic Design is what I want to do. There is no way I want to be stuck in a job that isn’t fulfilling and will never lead in the direction I want to go. I have to no problem starting out in a job that isn’t fully design as long as there is a way to get where I want to go. However, the only place this position was leading to was a cushy manager job. Don’t get me wrong, I like cushy, but I’m passionate about Graphic Design.

I ended up turning down the second interview and here I am again, scouring the internet for jobs. I encourage everyone who is job searching, don’t settle for something you can’t see yourself doing in five years. It gets really tough. You think to yourself that maybe you can just work at this for a little bit and then move on but this is how many people get stuck in a rut. They find themselves in a position that isn’t a great fit, in a company that isn’t right for them. I urge you to keep fighting to get what you want. I can’t even count the times I’ve heard the phrase “Well you can’t always have what you want”. That’s true, but settling into the wrong job that won’t lead you to what you want is not the way to go. If you can’t get what you want right now, make plans now that will lead you there. Maybe that means taking a local, unpaid internship. Maybe it means doing volunteer work. Always keep planning, and never settle.

Here are some options for my lovely graphic design readers. If you’re looking to make some extra cash for designing there are three great sites that can help:

99designs – This is a contest type website. People post projects and then designers compete for a money prize. This is a pretty big community so the designs are a mixed bag of really good, mediocre and “This looks like it was made in Word”.

crowdSpring – Same idea as 99Designs but with a smaller community and a lot of really great designs.

Elance – A place to find quick freelance jobs. Kind of the same deal as above but there’s more personal interaction between the designers and client. I just signed up for this so I haven’t had much time to check it out, but it looks promising.

Week Two: Newly Graduated, Sort of Unemployed

This week I re-started my internship at the Liberal Arts Career Development office. Obviously I won’t have as many projects as I had during the school year, but it’s good to have some things to work on during the week. It keeps me motivated and keeps me designing which is always a good thing. I’ve also been applying to part-time jobs around town so that I’ll have some sort of income to keep me going during the summer.

In light of everything changing for me, I wanted to talk a little bit about having patience and not getting discouraged during the job search. Lisa always told the interns that if Plan A goes wrong, there is always 25 other letters in the alphabet. Boy, have I learned how true that statement is. My perfectly laid plans are always changing and not going according to schedule. I’ve had to learn to be patient and flexible with my planning. Everything may not happen in the time I want it to happen, but things will eventually turn out like I want.

For example, I came to college, a lowly freshman with hopes and dreams of being an interior designer. I was confident in my plan, I knew what I wanted (or so I thought). I could never have predicated that I would actually change my plans and double major in Graphic Design and Classical Studies. Never. I had my life planned out but things change and I have to admit, it was the right change for me.

Now looking at my career future, I have no idea where I’ll end up. I know where I want to go, but it’s important that I be flexible in my planning. Having goals in mind is obviously a good thing but always be patient when things don’t go according to plan. It’s easy to get discouraged when Plan A doesn’t work out but keep making those goals and keep making plans! Be open to new opportunities, locations and experiences that you weren’t considering before.

Week One: Newly Graduated, Newly Unemployed

It has now been almost one week since I graduated college. It’s not going well.

I have applied to at least 50 design jobs. I have emailed, I have written brilliant cover letters, I have updated my online portfolio as well as my print portfolio and I’ve had an awesome internship (which I’m still doing over the summer). Aren’t the job offers supposed to be piling up in my inbox? Shouldn’t I be turning away employers because I have so much work already? Truth is, not all of us get jobs right out of college. Exhibit A: Myself. People love to talk about statistics and the economy and whatnot. I’ve heard the phrase, “Oh, you’ll find something eventually.” more times than I can count. Why is every random person I talk to suddenly an expert on job searching?

I’ve had one interview. The interview was with a company in New Jersey for a summer internship. We all agreed that it wasn’t particularly feasible for me to move out there for a temporary position but the Creative Director said he would pass any freelance jobs he had on to me. Well, that’s great but what about right now? I’ve already figured out that I can’t really afford to move anywhere out of the state at the moment so I’ve been applying locally. Problem is, there aren’t millions of jobs available in good ol’ Indiana.

This is Week One of unemployment and desperation. I think I’m doing well so far, but we’ll see what next week brings as I am forced to contemplate my choices between part-time employment in food or retail. It’s pretty grim. However, I will keep applying to jobs and I will keep doing projects in my spare time. This is what I want to do with my life and so I have to keep plugging away at it.

Graphic Design Resumes & Portfolios (Part 2)

Here is the long awaited Part 2 of my discussion about Graphic Design portfolio and resumes. I know you’re excited, please maintain your composure.

In my last blog post I discussed some differences between what makes a good resume and a bad resume. This time around, I will be talking about portfolios and what makes an effective portfolio. There are three important things to keep in mind when creating your portfolio site.

1. Navigation – Can the viewer navigate your site easily? Can they find what they’re looking for? Keep your navigation clean and simple so that visitors to your site do not have to search for it. Also, if you want to have a splash page when someone first views your site, make sure its easy to navigate. There is nothing worse than being greeted by a splash page and then being stuck there with no hope for escape. Simple is best!

2. Work – Obviously you will need a page to display your work. You want to keep the gallery portion of your project page very clean and simple too. If you want to separate your pieces such as print and web, certainly do so but don’t get confusing with it. You want clear titles so that the viewer knows what they are looking at. Make sure your thumbnails are large enough and contain enough detail about the projects to peak the viewers interest. Tiny images are not going to look attractive on the page and neither is a thumbnail of the corner detail of the serif of a letter form. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

3. About You – This is your portfolio, include some information about yourself. You can also include your resume on the site so that potential employers who find your site have easy access to it. Keep the about you section short and concise. There is no need to ramble on about your childhood, simply talk about how you got to where you are today, what inspires you, and where you hope to go.

Now for the examples of portfolio sites!

Foundry Collective

I think this site is a really great example of a portfolio site. Now, this isn’t a personal website but still take note! The navigation is really easy to see and easy to understand. There is a fantastic use of a grid which makes the web page look very organized and clean. The page is not too simple that the viewer would become bored but rather entices the eye with large, interesting images. Also, I am really loving the text. It’s a good balance between the clean, modern white space and the serif typeface.

Buffalo

Also not a personal site but another great example of using the grid system (in a new and interesting way). The site uses a great sense of symmetry to create a clean space. The color scheme really pops against the light background and the design uses the black logo and type to create hierarchy (I’m really digging the logo). The navigation is also easy to see and neatly organized. Clicking on an image takes the viewer to a page where they can learn more about the project. Remember, when creating a website, you want to emphasize your work above all.

Made Like Me

And here we have a personal portfolio site! Now this one is a little different than traditional sites simply because the home page is the portfolio page. This designer opts to showcase his work first and foremost without messing around with silly things like home pages or splash pages (who even needs those?). He is very clear about what he wants the viewer to see. Look at his work. Look at it! The thumbnails are a great size and show just enough detail of the projects. The only critique I would have for this is that there is no description for the projects. I have absolutely no idea what these are for. Does he do them in his spare time? Are these illustrations commissioned? Any information would be fantastic.

I’ve been giving a lot of love to grid based designs (I can’t help it, they’re too sexy) so I’m going to shift my focus to something a little different…

Jesse Willmon’s 2013 DESIGN-TACULAR

“What is this monstrosity?!” you may be screaming at this exact moment, but lets take some time to examine this website. This is actually a splash page and any picture you click will take you to the actual website and the page of the project. Yes, it took me a second to figure it out, but those doodles were too fun to pass up. Another important aspect when making a portfolio website, inject your personality into it! Add some color, add some spice. When looking at this portfolio, I get this person’s aesthetic and personality right away (Whovian? Right on man.)

The navigation is clear, and you can see that this guy has done some really awesome projects. I may or may not be a little jealous. There could be more white space around the site and each project title but at this point I’m just nitpicking.

As you can see from the above examples, they kept their portfolio pieces the main priority. Remember to keep plenty of white space around your images and text and use big thumbnails. Add a little of your personality into your portfolio and show employers how great you’ll be to work with. After all, employers are looking for exciting talent and personality, not robots (yet).

Graphic Design Resumes & Portfolios (Part 1)

I have browsed the internet for portfolio and resume design inspiration many, many times. I have read countless posts showing fun and innovative resumes. I have seen so many crazy, over the top resumes and portfolio designs that I’ve lost track. Why do designers do this? The most important thing I’ve learned in class is from a design professor who absolutely adores crazy and colorful things. His designs are over the top and gorgeous and he’s not afraid to break boundaries. However, when it came time for the class to create their portfolio sites he said something very important to us,

“Let the work speak for itself.”

As designers, we are tempted to throw as much skill and talent as we can manage at potential employers. We want them to notice our work and notice how good we are at it. However, crazy resumes and portfolios are not the way to go. The most beautiful, innovative designs I’ve seen are from designers who use their resources to make their work the most important thing. They realize that potential employers are not there to look at their website but to look at their work. They want to see how you develop ideas and create innovative solutions to design problems.

I’ll break down a couple of examples of good and bad resumes and website designs and explain what works and what does not. In this post I’ll break down some resumes and then move on to portfolio sites in a later post.

Bad Resumes

This is a fantastic design piece, however this is a bad resume. There is so much information on the page that the eye doesn’t know where to look. A resume should have a sense of flow and a sense of hierarchy however this doesn’t highlight any specific points and the information gets lost in the design. I’m not saying that a resume should be thrown together in a word document but it should be clear and easy to understand. Obviously this designer is really good at what she does, however the important information that a potential employer would be looking for is not clear. Resumes are no place for an infographic.

Again with the infographics. Employers will not want to dissect everything on your resume to make sense of the information. It’s too much work, they’ll move on to the next resume. Most recruiters only look at a resume for about 20 seconds. Of course this will vary between job types, but that is a very small amount of time to gather information. How much information about this person will they be able to read in 20 seconds?

Good Resumes

Easy to read does not mean boring. You can make your resume clear to understand but still insert a little bit of personality into it. Take this example, the information is separated into clear columns, The most important information is at the top and there is fantastic use of type throughout the resume. You want to use the type to create hierarchy information and highlight important information. There is a good use of white space throughout the document so nothing is too cramped and there is a good break up of text so that the information is not running together.

Another clear, easy to read resume. Again, just because the resume is clean and easy to understand does not mean it’s boring. This designer has displayed that she understands layout and typography really well and uses color to emphasize certain points of the resume. The only problem I could potentially see with this resume is that the blue might fade out a lot if it gets copied which could make the type hard to read. However, the overall design is very strong.

So the next time you get the temptation to throw all of your design talent onto your resume, stop. Think about what the most important information is and what you want the recruiter or potential employer to get from your resume. You only have a short amount of time to make an impression. Make it count.

Carry On, Project Runway Style

Some days are stressful.

Some days you might feel like everything is just a little bit too overwhelming and you’ve reached your quitting point. However, this is the most important time to re-prioritize and re-focus your energy to carry on. As one of my favorite people in the world once said on an episode of Project Runway:

“The times when you most want to panic are the times you most need to take a deep breath and pull it together.” – Tim Gunn

This has been my new mantra. I have reached that level of frustration several times over the past couple of weeks. Frustration at myself for not being good enough and frustration at my situations for not magically working out. However, simply sitting around and moping about it is not going to accomplish anything. I have to pick myself up and keep on going. This is my “Make It Work” moment.

When I am picking myself up off the ground from my pile of sorrow and re-focusing my energy, I find it helpful to turn to my support group. My group of people who are there to listen to my woes and rants. Who support me no matter what and believe I can accomplish my goals even if I do not believe I can.

I encourage everyone to find their support system and lean on them in times of stress. Sometimes you need that little bit of encouragement and help in finding your way again.

I will leave you with the legendary catchphrase of Tim Gunn,

“Designers, make it work.”

Critique is Critical

When I entered college as a freshman, I was very much a ‘work by myself’ individual. As I’ve taken more design classes and matured I’ve realized that being a team player is a much more effective way to get things done.

When I was taking design classes as a freshman and beginning of sophmore year I worked by myself a lot of the time. I didn’t reach out to my peers around me very often to ask their opinion or critique and I only asked the opinion of my teacher when necessary. Sure, my projects weren’t bad but I feel that in seeking more critique and help I could have pushed my designs a lot further. Today I came across a blog post titled “Get Yourself a Crit Buddy” and it talked about how finding someone else to look at and critique your work is always a good idea. This can make your work even better than you thought possible. As I’ve gone through college, I’ve learned to value critique from others. Usually it involves getting ruthlessly cut down from peers or teachers (if you have that kind of teacher) but don’t take it personally! Critiques are not personal attacks on your character or you as a person. They help you better your work. I’ve learned to take advice from fellow students and peers and apply it to my projects and work.

This also applies to working on a team. Your team is your personal critique group. Our intern team here at LACD is constantly talking to each other about projects and events, getting each others opinions and feedback and relying on one another to help out. I believe critique is an essential part of being on a team.

Critique is critical! This doesn’t just apply to design projects, this applies to all aspects of school, work and internships. We’ve heard teachers tell us countless times to get our papers proof read by other students or have a second pair of eyes to help us with speeches, homework etc. Also we’ve all had to suffer through group projects in class which most of the time don’t end to well. However all of these are practice for being able to work with other and get feedback and critique from team members or workplace peers later in life. So get out there and get some critique!

The Power of Negative Thinking

I recently read an article titled “The Power of Negative Thinking”. I received the link in an email and I didn’t immediately pay attention to it since it had such a strange title. Most of us have been told throughout our lives to visualize the end goal. Picture your life with all your ambitions fulfilled and this will help you motivate yourself to achieve those goals. Personally, this is something that my parents and teachers have told me in the past. Look forward to what you want, visualize your perfect end result.

This article disagrees slightly. According to a study done by Gabriele Oettingen’s psychology lab at New York University, research has shown that visualizing our aims before they are achieved can backfire. Thinking about this positive, complete picture tricks our brains into thinking all the hard work has already been done. This means that it may cause the brain to relax and for our energy to seep away. See the exerpt from the article below:

“In the study, volunteers felt de-energized after visualizing success in an essay competition. In another, participants who fantasied about their goals for the coming week felt less energetic and achieved fewer of their goals.”

Interesting. So what are we supposed to do? Give up? Never think about the future ever? Thinking about the perfect future may cause us to gloss over thinking about the obstacles in our path to success. Thinking about this perfect life may be exciting but we shouldn’t lose sight of the challenges we have yet to conquer. Simple put, we need to be realistic. Obviously we should have our goals in mind and think about what we want to accomplish but it’s just as important to see the hurdles we have yet to face. This is called “mental contrasting”, thinking about your end goal while paying attention to where you are now and the difficulties between here and there.

 

To read the full article go here.

Switching Majors

Switching majors was the best thing I’ve ever done in my college career. It was a nerve wracking decision, however I now know that I’m right where I want to be. Should you do the same thing? When switching to a different major there are several things to think about beforehand. Being frustrated at the amount of schoolwork you have or not getting along with a professor are not good enough reasons to change majors. You’ll get your work finished and you’ll pass the class and move on. However if you are truly unhappy in your major or you feel passionate about another subject, then maybe you should switch directions.

Changing career directions is not something to take lightly. This is an important decision that will affect the rest of your career. There are some things to consider if you are thinking about switching. Graduating on time is a huge factor in the decision making. Many students may not want to or can’t afford to stay in college for more than 4 or 5 years. Staying in college for even an extra semester or two can be expensive and time consuming. Sometimes, however the classes you’ve already taken may be able to count towards the other major you are considering. This usually happens if you are switching majors within the same department or school. Talking with your advisor is the best way to decide if you can graduate in time and if not, would it be worth it to stay in school longer. You may also consider taking summer classes or having a heavier course load for a few semesters.

Then you should consider your skills and talents. Maybe you’re in a major that isn’t suited to what you’re skilled at. Bad at math but you’re majoring in physics? This may not be the place for you. Think about what you’re interested in life and what motivates you. What are your passions? What activities do you pursue in your free time? All these things could help inspire you in choosing a new major.

Are you switching because you fear there may not be a job after college? Do some research about the field you’re majoring in and talking to some professionals and professors. Sometimes the fear of the great unknown may prevent you from pursuing something you really love. Don’t let worry about finances stop you from going after a career that inspires and motivates you. Don’t choose a boring office job instead of doing something you love just because of money. Of course there are times when money is the thing that motivates you but don’t let it become the deciding factor. As liberal art majors, we have many opportunities that we don’t even know about. More and more companies are hiring liberal art students because of the communication and people skills we are developing during school. Sometimes the job you get after college will have nothing to do with your major simply because you have gained skills during school that are valuable to employers.

Then of course there’s one of the biggest reasons you want to change your major: you completely detest it. Classes don’t interest you and the whole thought of what your major entails puts you to sleep. You’re stressed, you’re bored, you’re not being challenged enough. These reasons alone is a big enough reason to change majors. For me, it was because I had lost interest in the subject I was studying. The actual career prospect I was facing was nothing like I imagined when I entered college and so I decided to switch to something that I felt strongly about (adding a second major was just the icing on the cake).

That being said, I encourage you to stick with the major you have chosen for at least a semester. Sometimes freshman or low level classes are not interesting and you just have to push through it to get to the exciting, challenging classes. No matter what you’re thinking about, always talk to your advisor. They will have the knowledge and the resources to help you fully decide on a plan of action. Also talk to your peers and professors. Those around you could lend you insight on the situation and even lend their own experiences and perspective.

No matter what, follow your dreams.