junior designer, how long?
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- herzo
How long should one expect to be considered a junior designer? Or does it depend entirely on the organization you work for or is hiring you? Should you have shed that label maybe 2 years out of school?
Any feedback appreciated.
- maikel0
It's not how many years, but more about what have you done with them...
However a 25 y/o senior won't cut it around here...
- Are you saying a senior designer in your org has to be older than 25 years old?herzo
- I am saying that in Britain a senior designer is expected to be at least 30 y/o...maikel
- i don't agree with that at allHench
- It is correct usually, but not exclusively.Hench
- Well in this org there is a step between junior and senior. Its junior designer, designer, and senior designer.herzo
- I thought creatives were too smart for age discrimination. And that's coming from a 47 y.o.CyBrain
- maikel0
... or you can name yourself an AD/CD and call it a day
- pinkfloyd0
2-4 years in general i'd guess.
- doublespaced0
6 months, then you're a Creative Director and the world owes you something.
- doublespaced0
In all honesty, it comes down to capabilities. A junior designer is a designer, but they work with a certain amount of direction and aren't expected to present work to clients or work on the "bigger picture" all the time. When you're ready to take on bigger responsibilities, manage multiple projects and work without much direction, then you're not a junior anymore. Stuff like that. For some people it's really fast, for others it takes years.
- This.maquito
- tyherzo
- I get this totally. I guess I wanted a general survey more so from an organizational standpoint. You know how it goes with HR and promotions and such. It comes down to more than this in practice.herzo
- Although it shouldn't. Someone could be able to do this within 8 months and still remain a Jr.herzo
- clearThoughts0
Depends on how long it takes you to learn Powerpoint, talk a LOT of bullshit (in a charming way) and steal ideas (it's all about WHO you copy though).
Once you have those skills you are ready to become a Creative Director.
- honest0
I think it depends on what levels you get experience in. If you're in an agency with 50 other juniors artworking and researching, it'll take longer than a junior working in a smaller agency with more hands-on work. I've interviewed so-called middleweights and seniors who had no idea of standard basics when it came to setting up artwork.
- DRIFTMONKEY0
There is no time limit. If you wanna get promoted, start making moves.
- eating_tv0
I think suicide or euthanasia is legal if you've been a junior for longer than 5 years.
- orrinward0
When I was job-hunting for a Junior position, Middleweight roles and Seniors would often come up in search. Most Middleweight positions were asking for at least 2 or 3 years experience in industry and senior ones were asking for 6 or 7.
- dbloc0
depends on where you work. I've seen senior designers that should be called junior designers.
- CyBrain0
I have to disagree with most of this. Your portfolio, skills, and the way you carry yourself trump age in any creative scenario you'd ever want to be involved with.
- The problem is sometimes it is not creatives who get to call all the shots. We have suits for HR, they get an opinion too, unfortunately.herzo
- unfortunately.herzo
- your CD should be able to override HR, they exist for procedures not to make calls on staff qualities.zarkonite
- what Cyrbrain & zarkonite said.shellie
- HR don't know shit other than your benefits. Don't let them determine your work life otherwise.CyBrain
- PIZZA0
22 year old Art Directors straight outta art school.
- just like my friend. but really they had 3 art directors and one CD so.. they are designershellojeehae
- haha - known a few of these places - blaggers blagging blaggersRanger
- VectorMasked0
Depends on your skills and company.
I'd say on average a junior stops being a junior after 2 years, but some large agencies can have juniors with 3 years of experience... and then there's people like this guy I know that in 2 years he went from a graduate to junior, to senior, to art director and now works at a large ad agency as an art director and dude is still like 26 or 27.
- dbloc0
believe it or not, attitude and confidence have a lot to do with it as well.
- vaxorcist0
dbloc is right... I think a senior designer is somebody who can pitch ideas, not complain randomly, and soothe client anxiety more than a junior designer.. actual design skills can be otherwise about the same,
.... except for the rare ability to design actually good things that get approved without a million revisions.... maybe that's what promotes people at good agencies...that, and winning an award or two...
- where did he say that?doublespaced
- believe it or not, attitude and confidence have a lot to do with it as well.vaxorcist
- I meant the pitch skills, not complaining and client nurturing skills you were referring to. Oh well.doublespaced