How do you get a design job in London
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- yol
I have been looking for full time design work in London for nearly 2 years now. I've had countless interviews and a small number of freelance roles, but still I can not get job/work security in full time employment.
Where/how do I get a job... any advice?
- GeorgesIV0
in Germany
- yol0
I have just come back from Berlin from an interview there. But I dont speak German, do you know where English speaking designers can find work in Berlin?
I think London is over... maxed out even!
- rouncey0
They key to finding a job is...to already have had a similar job somewhere else unfortunately. If all they see is freelance on your resume it could be tough.
- goldieboy0
What sort of design do you do?
There's plenty of movement in the e-commerce sector.
- yol0
I am a graphic designer mainly specialising in the Arts sector for print. Its tough not being able to earn a living in your own country. What are the best job boards to find work apart from the Designjobboard and its nicethat??
- my last 3 jobs have all been through linkedin. But for the arts sector have have no advice... good luck!goldieboy
- BaskerviIle0
Go to a recruitment agency. There are lots of them who specialise in recruit purely for the design industry.
If your folio is good and you have good experience you should be able to find something.
Recruiters have longstanding relationships with agencies and are privy to info about upcoming jobs that you simply won't find on publicly advertised boards etc.For a start contact:
Gabriele Skelton
Major Players
Represent- he hasn't found anything though - 2 years he's been lookingfadein11
- yol0
Ive tried all those places, I got 3 weeks freelance with one of them and that was it. I think London isnt the place to be anyone, its become to corporate and there is no sense of opportunities in the air and the overall atmosphere is too elitist.
I hope i get this job in Berlin otherwise Im screwed! :/
- monospaced0
- Might be time to update for your potential employers.monospaced
- yol0
I dont use that site anymore... i just send out a PDF, its dude to come down this month
- due.. lolyol
- I hear ya, but you asked for suggestions and I think you should update your site for potential employersmonospaced
- instead of taking it downmonospaced
- just my opinion... take it or leave itmonospaced
- I agree with MonoIrafis
- I agree mono - having an online portfolio is pretty essential these daysfadein11
- fadein110
it's all about ya work
- 23kon0
To get a job doing art sector work like posters/books/flyers etc then you either just have to be lucky or know the right people.
In fact a lot of those jobs will go out to people that the clients know within their clique.
Try going to exhibitions, galleries, openings, talk to photographers and artists. Let them know what you do, send them your stuff.
Think it'd be a lot more successful than sending out CVs to recruitment companies.
Failing that just bite the bullet and go commercial.
Get some corporates, lawyers, brands work under your collar.
Those jobs pay the bills and it's the kind of work that will get you other corporate jobs.Keep doing your own style stuff on the side though.
- Corporate is good too, don't know about Lawyers.fredddddd
- BaskerviIle0
To be honest if you've been trying for 2 years and no cigar, maybe look elsewhere or consider another approach, or even a different job.
There's work out there if you're talented and hard working.To be so specific as to only want to work for arts/cultural clients is a bit short-sighted. Arts clients have no money and therefore aren't the way to pay the bills. Yes working for them is nice because they are often open to more creative ideas etc. But they are a treat not a staple diet.
Be less picky and use your talent and skill to make all the projects you work on as creative as possible. Design is only as creative as you make it.
- kingkong0
Be brilliant
- cbass990
just saw this on twitter
http://www.edenspiekermann.com/j…
- yol0
Just got back from a long meeting with a recruitment agency. She was nice about it (which is rare in London) but I got crushed. Im not even good enough to be put forward for a junior/middle weight position. I dont have enough work with any depth to it and polio needs doing again!
Im going to have to take the barman job instead :/
- I think you are good enough, you just have to present yourself better.monospaced
- Keep at it. Your passion will earn you work.instrmntl
- doesnotexist0
would have to agree with their statements based on the work i see on your site. and if that's not reflecting your work, you should update it. recruiters are hard to work with and harder to have a good relationship with unless you have already done good work and you can show it. they have to be confident in presenting you to the studios/agencies they've spent time building relationships with.
do some case studies on your own that are more fleshed out (you know, "depth"). do a fake ad campaign. do something beyond a brochure.
don't give up
- chrisRG0
good things to do bear in mind:
- it's all about strong work, have a good online folio
- most recruiters and possible bosses will search your linkedinif you're jr/middle weight can be really hard, but don't give up, google for jobsites (jobsite.co.uk, reed.co.uk, etc...)
I'm not sure about the print industry, but the digital realm is quite good at the moment.
- canuck0
"graphic designer mainly specialising in the Arts sector for print."
That sounds like your problem right there.
- i know successful designers doing this, but they make books and big things. hard market to corner for sure.doesnotexist
- albums0
why are you going to take down your site?
you need to sort that as priority one.if you're going to have a pdf, it better be clean, concise, and branded to match your site.
you should have a cv online in a pdf that is the same as the printed one you turn in to your recruiter or places you're applying.
any time you update the cv.pdf resend an email link to any contacts you have as well mailing it with a print portfolio to any agencies you fancy.your "to-do" list should be:
brand myself.
focusing on:
- new business cards
- new cv for print available online in pdf format
- new site based on cv contentsyndicate your identity including name, contact information, and core content across several portfolio sites
be an idiot and ask qbn for portfolio advice (then decipher it and apply it).
at the very least you'll get a spike in traffic from design relevant referrer out of the deal.- I have a clone site, which I shows more of the kind of work i am good at.
yol - and with this clone sight the reps still don't think you're qualified?monospaced
- I dont have any money to do those branding things, i spent it all on my rent.. I'm having to go back into living in a hostel again. :(yol
- this is making me very sadmonospaced
- the only money i said to spend was on business cards and printed cvs, portfolios when necessaryalbums
- I have a clone site, which I shows more of the kind of work i am good at.