First: I’ve always made the argument to soon-to-be or recent
grads that they should narrow their job searches; applying only for positions
in industries where they want to work, instead of casting a wide net. I usually add that folks should have some idea about where they want to work before
they graduate. Then I challenge them to consider design
firms, nonprofit agencies, corporate arenas, finance, legal practices, medical
centers, etc to help them decide.
Today, I still run into a few people who are three or four years post-graduation floundering to find their niche in the professional world. I’m talking about the "graphic
designer" who can’t decide what to apply for when the choice comes down to
entry-level designer, program coordinator, or child minder. Our education was
an extensive and expensive one. We should be out there using our skills to pay
back those student loans, spreading the gospel of good design, and propelling
ourselves closer to our life/professional goals.
Some graphic designers completely disagree with me. They make the reasonable argument that the
goal of early jobs in our field is to gain expertise and test-drive different
industries. That may be the right thing to do for some, but my approach may
work for others.
In undergrad I was offered an agency job with a company whose major clients included a car manufacturer and a soda company. As someone who advocates for non-processed foods, low-carbon footprint lifestyles, pushing polluting private vehicles and promoting obesity was not for me. An advertising agency could never be my creative home. I declined the position and opted to work for a non-profit that promoted women’s health and education instead.
Next: What’s up with inappropriate resumes hitting hiring
managers’ desks? An over-designed, or unsophisticated resume is the main thing
that gets applications overlooked. Design firms and creative companies expect
applicants to showcase their creativity with a well-thought-out identity and
maybe even an infographic resume.
Corporate and non-profit agencies expect applicants to submit
traditional-style resumes in application for jobs—even in their design
departments. Sophisticated design is expanding the traditional definition of a resume, but origami still won't fly in most arenas.
When we use inappropriate formats and odd-sized paper to
apply for design or communications positions, we send the message that we know
little—if anything—about the company, industry, or position. That equals
apathy, and get’s resumes discarded.
Finally: We should always be on the lookout for robots!
Robots pre-screen online job applications and resume submissions. If application
materials don’t contain keywords found in the original position posting, then
the entire application gets discarded before a human being has set eyes on it.
One more thing: Can we stop submitting Word doc resumes?
PDFs retain any special formatting and styles regardless of computer software and
versions. This is just common sense.
I recently had a potential employee apply for a job with a
Word file and when I opened her submission, two sentences were pushed onto the back page. I knew that this was a mistake, but I still asked her why she made that
design decision during our phone interview. Frankly, if she came up with a convincing answer, I may have
given her a shot at the job.
- Phone Interview: Be Prepared
It feels good to get all that off of my chest,
Simone
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