Students and Recent Graduates (read me)
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- a_iver
Hey! I'm looking for more people to join our group, Work for Work. Basically, our goal is to provide support for designers who are still working to try to find that first design job. There's more info on the site and how it works if you are interested.
Also at the end of this month we are doing a drawing to give away a signed print from Minneapolis design agency, Eight Hour Day. Anyone who completes this month's project will have a chance to win.
And anyone is welcome to join, keeping in mind that we have a total of 7 openings right now. If you're interested or have any questions you can email me here:
Thanks!
- herzo0
I just read your website purpose, why didn't you all do internships?
- herzo0
Friendly feedback from a recent grad:
I don't think flooding your portfolios with fake projects is going to be the key to your first job, unless your portfolio is just that thin? Getting a variety of work in there and fixing up projects that didn't quite make it during classes is a good idea. If you have 10-15 good pieces you should be good to go. During interviews I never showed more than 10 but it was good to have choices so that I was able tailor the book to the specific position.
I graduated last year and I had a job lined up before graduation, it was a one year post grad position paid 25.50 an hour. During college I interned 4 times so I was able to get enough real work in my book that limited the need to show a lot of student projects.
I used my connections at the first position to network my way into my 2nd job which is a full time junior position with insurance, 401K and the works.
IMHO if the goal of your site is to help recently graduated designers get their first job, you probably should talk to someone who was successful in finding a first job, a hiring manager /senior designer for advice and take a more holistic approach (cover letters, resume writing and layout, interview skills, networking). I think you lot are off to a good start but I don't know what kind of success you are going to have with your current mission of just making fake projects.
- mcmillions0
Is it free? Yes, but just remember that membership only lasts as long as you stay active. If you miss three projects in a row you’ll lose your slot. When that happens you have to wait a two month period before you can reapply.
this sounds complicated
- read the project briefs, its not nearly complicated enough.herzo
- herzo0
One last thing, the project briefs need tweaking. I looked at one of the briefs and it said to create a web page mockup or 2 pieces of stationary for a company. I would say to do entire stationary set AND the webpage mockup, and a vehicle and store signage.....you get the idea.
Some of the feedback I got on my book before I started interviewing again was that hiring designers did not want to see a bunch of one-off projects. If you could take a brand and apply it to multiple touch points that would be better, and show your ability to solve complex issues. A bunch of posters, a logo not applied or only applied to one or two things was a waste. I was applying for branding jobs for some perspective.
- studderine0
honestly, i didn't take a look at this very much. the key is working while you are in school (i know some think thats counterintuitive), but that is the sole reason why i got a job out of school. more or less, especially in design, no one really cares about your degree. show me your work and if you can write while presenting yourself then..YOU WIN!
- I wouldn't say no one cares, since a BFA is minimum requirement for more employers than not. But I do agree with getting experience out of school. Most of the people I know with good jobs out of school either worked at some shop during school or interned their ass off.herzo
- its not a requirement. trust me. i know designers with a BA in History.studderine
- im not trying to devalue your schooling. it is one of the most important things you can do, but many people come from different backgrounds in design.studderine
- backgrounds and end becoming successful designers.studderine
- Yes, but there is no need to place limitations on what you can or cannot do. Some employers do have it as a requirement. I have degrees in other fields, getting a BFA helped me immensely.herzo
- studderine0
thats not to say that i am impressed that you are doing something about your situation. good luck dudes!
- e-pill0
@ herzo.. or that recent grad..
i have at any given time 85-100 pages in my portfolio.. plus most of it is just conceptual work, not for any client or any brand, it is work i created to boost the branded and clientelle work is showcase in my book.
you have some decent points, until you finish it with labeling the work as "fake projects"
as a Design Director, currently when i interview anyone for a creative position, i want to see these "fake projects" as well as client directed projects so i can figure a balance of what your capabilites are from a standpoint of one who can take and follow direction and also one who has the ability to create a project and work it like it is the real thing..
the people that only have "10" limited works in their portfolio are not ever considered and never even called back.. becasue basically all they are showcasing is a limited view of their work.. as this is always your first step into the industry, you should showcase your best work, but never limit it to a specified number.. or else even thought you found a jr designer job.. that may be the level you stay at.. because creativity is never to be bottled up.. BLAST THEM WITH YOUR VISION!!!
or let that next designer who is hungrier than you take the gigs that you may never get..
my 2¢..
- Part of being a good designer is knowing when and how to edit your own work.herzo
- that is funny and something a jr designer would say i hope you change your way of thinking..e-pill
- as your career explodes thru the decades, a limited view of your work is worthless.e-pill
- these "fake projects" maybe what you need for that "extra" missing from your book.e-pill
- herzo0
e-pill
I guess it is all subjective then, because I have not sat through an interview with anyone who had enough time to go though 100s of pages. I am sure I will not be limited or stuck as a junior designer, not hardly. I have 12 projects in my book now with 3 of them including in depth process work including hand sketches and and always bring my sketchbook on interviews. I am not limited to 12 projects, but that is what I show because I know that the CDs do not have time to thumb through infinite projects. My last interviewer told me verbatim he can tell in 3 projects if you have what it takes. So its not like I am making this up. If I need a 100 pages of stuff in a book to be hired by you, than I rather not.If you look at the site posted they are going to do batches of fake projects in order to get their first job. It has not been my experience that employers wanted to see portfolios with mostly fictional work. I had success showing that as an intern I could do an entire retail kit from concept to finish and I am sure that will go over better than a one-off mock webpage for a fake company.
And just to put it in more perspective, and this is a good book I recommend for designers fresh out of school- Flaunt, by Underconsideration. You can get the PDF version for like 15 bucks.
http://www.underconsideration.co…
- i see you are a web designer. i am not remotely related to web industry..e-pill
- i was just stating that one way of thinking is not the only way.. that a total opposite still works.e-pill
- i wish you luck in your career. i have 14+ years on my belt.. 100 pages is nothing..e-pill
- I am not a web designer. I used web design as an example because that is one of the projects they are doing on their site.herzo
- herzo0
- excerpt from Flaunt on portfolio compositionherzo
- i am a product designer, i design collections that have 25+ individual pieces in them..e-pill
- i need to showcase at least 1 page of the collection and some pages to showcase them.e-pill
- if i only show 10 by this standard i will lose the job. this may work for digital.e-pill
- not for product design. this mindset of a limited view well it is limited..e-pill
- the interviews i go on currently all are for 6 figure salaries.. 10 pieces.. wont get you that..e-pill
- all i am saying is when you evolve your career, think about that limited number n raise it.e-pill
- just as you want your salary raised, show case more of your work to get it.. good luck!!e-pill
- thanks for your advice epill, but the advice I am giving to OP is for people on our level. IF they are making fake projects do you even think they have 10 good pieces to scrape together a book?herzo
- telling kids who haven't even gotten their first job and don't have a book to get one that they need a 100+pages is not really helpful. since I am on step ahead of them I think my advice is relevant being that i have gotten two jobs since I have graduated.herzo
- im not knocking your statement.. just saying a limited portfolio is just that..e-pill
- but a fake project is just as good as any real one so to knock that is only failure for me.e-pill
- think about that one for a little..e-pill
- e-pill I understand what you are saying and appreciate your advice. I think there is a misunderstanding. I am not knocking so much fake projects but the percentage of content they would compose within a portfolio.herzo
- a_iver0
I guess a part of the reason why I started it was because I know a lot of people who had just terrible experiences with education. Poor direction, peers are out drop shadowing comic sans as body text, I mean I even once got scolded pretty badly for not jumping at the opportunity to do a free logo for our school's orthopedics class. What I'm seeing is that even the people who do have the passion and commitment to try to be a better designer, but had their start in this environment still tend to fail. I'm not trying to replace college curriculum, but I'm hoping that by carefully steering these projects and having a good number of people involved it would give people an opportunity to get things going in the right direction for themselves.
I know fake projects aren't totally ideal, but I can't make people go out and look for internships anymore than I can make those companies choose that person over somebody else. So that's where I'm at. Anyways thanks for hearing me, and for all the helpful comments
- akrokdesign0
stop saying fake projects and start calling it concepts, cause that what it is.
it's quality over quantity - think that applies to all. junior/mid/senior.
what you do not want to end up is looking like the rest of the students. same projects etc.