It is a fact that as graphic designers you will have to complete placements to progress in your field of work, whether it be during your education or when you leave, as it is rare that graphic design firm will offer you a paid position without any prior experience (whether it be with them or or another agency). Having recently been through this experience myself I decided to put together a two-part post that will provide you with a complete guide to graphic design placements, from researching agencies to working for them, for anyone else that is going through this process.
Step 4: Applying
So, you have researched, created a shortlist of agencies and designed a CV and portfolio. The next step is to actually send them. First of all you need to send your CV and portfolio whichever way you have decided is best for you - either email or post. You should then follow this up with a phone call or email a couple of days later to remind your potential employer of your interest. As I mentioned in my previous post when I did this I posted the CV and then waited until I knew they would have arrived before following each one up with an email with my portfolio attached. However, if you have chosen to email in the first place you should probably make a courtesy phone call to ask if they have received your work, as if they didn't reply to your first email there's a chance they wouldn't reply to the second. If you haven't heard anything from your potential employer within a week it is okay to email them again just to give them a gentle reminder of your interest. If at this point you haven't heard anything then there's a strong chance that they are not interested, but there is also that chance that they are just busy and it has slipped their mind so it is worth another nudge. If they aren't interested, if nothing else this may prompt them to tell you that and even give you some feedback on your work.
Phoning to find out the name of the person you are sending your work to, sending your work, following it up with an email/phone call and then possibly sending another email may seem like you are pestering and you may not want to do this, but if you do it right it can really go in your favour. When I asked my employers why they chose to take me on for my placement they said that it was my tenacity and the fact that I persisted to stay in touch. It made them hard to forget me, they felt that I really wanted the job and they thought that this attitude would bode well for working with clients. It does seem like a lot of contact and this is not to say that you should be emailing agencies every hour if they haven't replied to you, but if you stay on top of all of the agencies you have contacted and have the courage to keep giving them gentle reminders I promise you being tenacious will pay off.
Step 5: Interview
Everybody is always most scared by the interview stage so the best thing to do is be as prepared as you can. A typical graphic design interview may include questions such as:
- Why do you want to work for us?
- What do you like about us? (you may be quizzed on specific projects, and if not this is your chance to shine by talking about specific projects anyway, so make sure you have done your homework!)
- Tell me about yourself/Describe yourself in three words/How would someone else describe you in three words?
- What are your career goals?
- Where do you see yourself in 5/10 years time?
- What is your biggest strength/weakness?
Graphic design agencies generally ask similar questions so do what I did and look online for potential questions! After looking at a few different sites you will start to see patterns in the questions and notice that every agency are generally trying to find out the same information, so if you prepare yourself for the most common questions online it it unlikely you will be asked something that will completely throw you.
After asking some questions you will be asked to talk through your portfolio so you need to make sure you have something to say about each project you have included. This is where it is important that you included relevant projects that you are proud of in your portfolio as you will find it much easier to talk about them.
You should always dress well, speak clearly and make lots of eye contact to give a good first impression, but remember, don’t be nervous! This is easier said than done but by the interview stage you have done the hard part, you have caught your employer’s attention. They must like your work to have invited you in, so try to remember that an interview is more to get to know your personality and determine whether you would fit well in their team. Try to relax and be confident, and most importantly be yourself!
Step 6: Completing the placement
Okay, so at this point you have sent out an awesome CV and portfolio and you aced your interview so you have now secured your placement! And I can promise you the hard part is well and truly over and this is where the fun begins! During my placement I was asked to work on a variety of projects and I think I just about got to work on every aspect of graphic design which was fantastic. I also noticed early on that from day one I was naturally picking up hints and tips just from talking to colleagues and my work was becoming stronger and my experience using the software was becoming smoother on a daily basis.
When you start your placement, don’t see it as free work, see it as training. Use the experience to enhance your skills and improve as a designer. Don’t sit and struggle, if you are unsure of something ask questions, take notes, and learn from your colleagues. Talk to them about what you would like to achieve, because they are there to help. Having said that you should also show initiative and remind your colleagues why they chose you. If you are unsure of something, consider searching online for an answer before you ask somebody else. If you have finished the task at hand, ask if there is anything you can do, don’t just expect them to tell you. Most importantly, be enthusiastic! Hopefully this is the first chapter of your future career.
I realise that these two posts have a LOT of writing in them but I wanted to share every little detail that I learnt when going through this process. When I started looking for placements I really didn't want to do one. I was nervous, I didn't have any confidence and I just wanted to get on with my degree at uni. However, now I have come out the other side I can see that it truly is the best thing I've ever done; not only am I a better designer because of it, but I am a better person as well. I don't want anybody to be as reluctant as I was, so these posts may be long winded but I really hope they have made you more excited and enthusiastic about this experience you are about to through, because you should be!
No comments:
Post a Comment