Any words of advice?
Hi everyone! I'm new to this website and also to reality. I'm a recent graduate, with a degree in graphic design along with a marketing minor. I love illustration, and can design both in the fine arts as well as the adobe suite. I'm not a big coder, it's not a natural talent I have, but I'm very much open to learning. I have a years worth of related experience in the field, working as the college's graphic designer. I gravitate towards child-friendly looking illustrations, that bring a sense of joy to my friends and family when my designs are looked at, but I'm very open to any style. I've also been a college ambassador, speaking in front of crowds daily of 30+ people at times, and truly enjoy public speaking. I've been applying to jobs on Linkedin, as well as several other job search engines, and can't seem to grab a company I'm truly passionate about. I would love to work for nickelodeon, cartoon network, disney, buzzfeed, snapchat and any other company that has the sense of fun, and witty, but professional and organized environment. If anyone has any advice, or knows any companies that are hiring I'd truly appreciate anything anyone has to say. Thank you for taking the time to read what I have to say!
Interested in volunteering ?
Hi Michelle,
There are a lot more paths to the arts world than many people realize. The trick is to consider opportunities in ways that might not be apparent.
First: create an online portfolio if you don't have one. There are many free websites to help you build it. Your portfolio means a lot in the arts business, and making it easily accessible is just as important. Be very selective about what you choose to highlight. Ask friends and coworkers to help you decide which ten pieces are your best and start with those. AND DON'T FORGET – make sure you include a link to your portfolio in your Jobcase profile!
Second: flesh out your Jobcase profile. Even if you don't have tons of "work" experience in the arts, include the work and volunteer experience you do have. Sometimes it's hard to think about how your limited experience applies. But adding any responsibilities around any art-related projects or positions can help.
Third: Look for pro-bono opportunities to provide art work, or help at a community-based arts center. If you can contribute your talents to organizations that need help, they can often introduce you to people who are looking to hire and you'll be building your portfolio!
Fourth: There are also valuable things to do on your own – like giving yourself projects to build your portfolio, and contacting any local freelance organizations near to you.
Fifth: If you are freelancing and considering working in commercial art or advertising, reach out directly to companies and agencies. Talk to them about how you would love to learn the ropes. Would they be willing to let you start at ground level in order to learn from them? You won't make a lot of money this way, but it could give you the experience you need to be more successful.
Sixth: Consider all paths. Many companies have internal creative/marketing groups. Having done work in the video/film world, I know there is a need for storyboard artists. Your illustration style might lend itself to something like that if you have a good sense of movement and emotion in a scene.
Seventh: Connect with people you know, or friends and family know. Sometimes the best opportunities might be right under your nose.
Best of luck to you, and let us know how it's going. Cheers, Matthew
Hi Michelle, it was great reading your post! It is not trivial at all to get out of school and know what's your passion and where you want to work. The fact you have that part somewhat solved is very good. Now for the strategic part of my answer:
Career is a game of chess - you might not land your dream job at first move. Remember that. Sometimes we need to move through another company or an additional course/degree to get to where we want.
Do some industry analysis - Find via linkedin and other networks designers who work in the companies you mentioned. Take a good look at their profiles: Where did they go school? What was their career path? Can you see another small company they went through before landing a job at Disney for example? What skills do they have?
Then ask yourself - How much of an overlap is there between you and them and figure out what you need to do in order to become more like them. Maybe you need a quick Html/CSS course in General assembly. Maybe you need to take some internships. Maybe you need to pivot your portfolio too look more like those professionals' portfolios.Do you know someone in these companies? Nothing compares to a connection from the inside that can guide you about what it's like to work there, what is the culture like and what skills are needed. Sometimes after these conversations you can kindly ask to put your resume on the recruiter/HR desk. Those resumes are getting treated differently of course.
Find the relevant industry recruiters. If you're a UX person for example, you have Amy Jackson on the west coast, who's awesome and kind and it's always a pleasure to get her advice. Not all recruiters are created equal :) but once you have a relationship with a good one, it's always smart to start with them.
I really hope my 2 cents here helped you. Good luck!!
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