Where to Start

Set Expectations

Many graduates don’t immediately figure out what they want to do as a career for a while. It’s only after testing out different roles and companies do you start to shape what you want and where you want to go. You might get lost along the way, and if you do, watch this video!

Read Lots of Job Descriptions

The easiest way to see what people will be looking for when you graduate is to read job descriptions now.

• Look at job postings frequently to get a feel for what jobs in your field are looking for.

• These will show you what kind of skills are needed for your field and tell you what you need to learn or focus on in your portfolio.

Contact Interns + Employees

• Contact previous/current interns and employees at companies you’re interested in and the types of fields you’re interested in, and ask them questions about what it’s like to work there, advice, etc.

• So many people are willing to help students.

• Even if it's just making a contact with a company you're interested in and letting them know your skill-sets and that you’re interested in them can help. Maybe there’s an opportunity that they’ll think of you for!

Let People Know Your Skillsets

• Share your portfolio with friends, family, coworkers, etc.

• One of the reasons I even found out about my first design/animation job was because an old coworker knew my skills and that I was looking, and recommended I look at the local marketing agency because they didn’t have anyone there that did video work.

• People familiar with my work help get me freelance projects through referrals.

Network, Network, Network (AKA make genuine connections)

I used to HATE when I was told to network. I hated that word. I’m introverted, so asking me to go up to a stranger and tell them about myself was horrifying and awkward. It felt like a transaction — like… hello this is what I do, please give me a job. But I realized way too late that networking isn’t about meeting as many people as you can and trying to get something from them — it’s about making a genuine connection. Don’t network with someone who you wouldn’t want to have a real conversation with!

• Genuine connections are so valuable and will open the doors to opportunities.

• Do not treat the interaction as trying to get something from the other person. Instead of “Hi! I’m a designer and I’m interested in your company. Do you have any positions?” say “Hi! I love your work, especially the most recent project you worked on. I’d love to chat with you about how you did it! I’m just starting out and someday I’d love to be in a position like yours, so I’d love any advice you can give me to get there.”

  • That will get them talking about their work (which everyone loves to do!).

  • Then they’ll feel like they’re helping someone else that’s just starting out (which people also love to do).

  • And as a by-product, they may see your work and think of you later on when you graduate for an internship or job.

• Push yourself to meet people in your field. The more you can put yourself in situations where other people from your field are, the more opportunities you’ll have to make connections. This means going to meetups, social events, conferences, etc.

Have a Good Portfolio

• Spend a lot of time making a good portfolio. This matters much more than any resume or cover letter for creative jobs.

• The best advice I received was: your portfolio is only as good as your weakest project. Basically, if you have stellar work, but then have a few mediocre pieces because you’re trying to increase the amount of work on there, then the person will look at it and be like, “Ok so there’s this great work, but then there are all these pieces that aren’t as good. Did they get help on the stellar work and the mediocre work is really where their level is? What kind of work would they produce for me if they got hired — the stellar work or the mediocre work?” Don’t make them question it.

  • Strength of the pieces is important, amount of projects is not. A person with 3-5 really strong pieces is going to get a job over someone with 10+ pieces, but it’s a mixed bag of quality.

Create Your Own Position

• Don't be afraid to reach out to a company even though they may not have jobs posted, or a job that fits you.

• Not many companies offered video jobs in SLO, but I still emailed them anyway offering my skills.

• I expressed interest in the local marketing agency and let them know my unique skillsets (even though there weren't any video jobs listed) and that's how I got my job!

Decisions

Determine Deal-Breakers

• Prioritize what is most important to you.

• This means in terms of salary, benefits, location, people, work, etc.

• Would you take a lower paying job because the work and the culture is awesome? Or are vacation/work-life-balance benefits really important to you?

• All these things are things you should think about before applying, so that you know exactly what you're looking for, and making sure you get the right fit.

• Internships help you determine these.

My Deal-Breakers

• These are the things I needed in the jobs I was applying for.

• Some of these things you won’t know about a company until you start there, but knowing your deal-breakers can help you decide whether to stay long-term or leave.

• You can better understand these though if you talk to previous interns/employees and ask about their experiences.

Things I Didn’t Consider

Team Size

• Are there so many people that it becomes “too many cooks in the kitchen?”

• Are you the only one in your department, so it makes learning a challenge?

  • It was a challenge for me because I don’t have anyone to ask if I have questions.

  • I have to research everything I don’t know.

  • Advantage is that I’m the “expert,” so I get to decide how projects are going to work.

Autonomy

• Are you empowered to make decisions?

• Creative freedom?

• Manage your own schedule?

Respect

• A deal-breaker I didn’t know I had.

• I didn’t want to give my time to someone I didn’t respect.

Flexibility

• Strict 9-5 schedule? Or is it flexible?

• Specific lunch breaks? Or whenever?

• Is there a dress code? Or can you wear whatever you want?

Work-Life Balance

• Does the company understand and respect family emergencies?

• What about respecting (and encouraging) vacation time and mental breaks?

Interviewing

Come Prepared

• Come with a portfolio to show and have a website.

• My first boss was so impressed with my printed graphic design portfolio book that he bragged about it to clients.

• My first boss said weird portfolio projects don’t impress – make sure if you include school projects, they’re relevant to the position you’re applying for (example: book design project won’t help you if you’re applying for a web design job).

• Use the info from when you contact interns/employees and use that info to customize your cover letter.

Know What is Legal

• Companies are legally not allowed to ask certain things, and I wish I had researched that more before applying.

• The first job I had, my interview involved questions such as if I had a boyfriend, if I had friends in the area, etc… SUPER inappropriate. He was trying to gauge if I was going to move away at some point and use that as part of the decision, but it was still not ok and made me very uncomfortable. And when you're in that interview already stressed, you shouldn't have to think in the moment about how to respond to things like that.

• It's totally ok to say "I'm sorry, I don't see how that question related to my qualifications for the job", etc.

• If they’re being inappropriate now, do you really want to work for them anyway? The interview example I mentioned above — I quit after three months.

Pay Negotiation

• Research!!!

• If you interview and they ask you how much money you want, it is totally ok to say "I will need to review all the benefits and get back to you later today/tomorrow.”

• Don't ever be pressured into saying something in the moment if you don't feel comfortable.

• If you have to answer, consider giving a range so you don’t have to nail down a specific number.

Get It In Writing

• When you get a job offer, make sure everything you agreed on in your interview is in writing.

• If at any point something changes, get that in writing too (example – if your position is switched from salary to hourly).

Be Thankful

• Always thank the company right after the interview, as well as everyone that helps you in your career.

• Send a thank you note/email and any additional portfolio pieces you’d like them to review.

• One student emailed my coworkers and me asking for advice, and we took the time to write a bunch of tips, and then she never wrote anything back – if an opportunity had come up or she applied for a position there, we would think back to that email.

Always Follow Up

• Companies are busy and constantly getting emails, so they might forget to get back to you. It’s okay to follow up if you don’t hear back.

• You checking in on the status of your job application and re-emphasizing your enthusiasm for the position is never a bad thing.

• Also, if you’re declining an offer, always follow up — nobody owes you anything (including the company that offered you a job), so be grateful/gracious and maintain positive relationships with all involved.

Trial Assignment

• My design test was a short animation.

• Very minimal info about the client, just a script for the video. They asked me to come back with them with what else I needed.

• I got everything on my own, and they were impressed at how much I figured out on my own without needing to ask them.

• I learned afterword that they already knew my video capabilities, but were testing HOW I worked. And that got me the job!

Career Lessons I Learned

Timing is Everything

• I got my job because they happened to need a video done and I applied at the right time.

Back Up Your Design Choices

• Internally and externally

• State your case

• If a client or your manager wants to go in a different direction that you think isn’t the best approach, say something! Maybe the client wants to do something with their logo, but then it’s won’t look good shrunk down, or maybe they want to do something crazy with their website, but then it won’t look good on mobile. If they hear your advice, and still go ahead with their approach, at least you’ve said something

Take the Initiative

• Explore what you want in your job.

• Speak up if you want to be involved in something.

Working with Clients

• Client vs customer experience -- have a leading opinion vs making them happy. They’re working with you because you’re an expert, so don’t be afraid to disagree and recommend different directions. You do want to make them happy, but you need to speak up when you feel the direction could be better!

• Make copies of projects and keep every version – clients go back and forth and change their mind.

• Teach clients how you want to be treated – if you respond to a client email at 2AM, that signals to them that that’s the norm and they’ll start to expect it. Or doing a rush job and giving them the false idea that it takes that much time normally.

• Understand what a client says they want vs. what they’re actually trying to do.

Know When to Push Yourself

• Know yourself well enough to know how and when to push yourself. I hate public speaking, so I try to do it as often as possible.

• Also did a hackathon even though I didn’t know anyone, went to a videographer Admissions Office interview when I had pretty much no experience, and went to Santa Barbara alone for a Lynda.com portfolio review event.

• You get the most out of life and your career when you do the things that scare you.

Research

• Learn to research well because that’s a huge part of the job.

• If you don’t know how to do something, knowing how to research well and quickly find the answers will save you a lot of time.

Take Care of Yourself

• This means knowing eye and wrist exercises, how to sit correctly, and what level to have your computer monitor.

• Manage your stress — learn to say no (and when it’s appropriate to say no). You can’t do it all. Know your limitations and when to ask for help.

Never Stop Learning

• Follow inspirational Instagram accounts, blogs, etc.

• Keep up with trends.

• Go to conferences.

• Do side projects.

• Surround yourself with inspiring people.

Things I Wish I Knew In My Career

Paths Differ

• We’re brought into the world with certain expectations imposed by society/family/friends – get this degree, get this job, marry, buy a house, but you don’t need to follow a specific path, do what you want.

• 1-year rule (staying at a company for at least a year) does not apply to everyone. Don’t ever feel pressured by opinions of others.

  • Example: Your parents don’t want you to quit, but you do.

• If you can, don’t settle for a bad job, and if you have to settle, save money and get out when you can.

Salary Laws

• Know the laws – minimum wage, hourly vs. salary, overtime, etc. so you don’t get taken advantage of.

Don’t Feel Lost

• You have time to figure out what you want to do.

• You don’t have to have everything figured out right now.

• I have friends that are years out of school and still don’t know exactly what they want to do with their lives.

Don’t Compare Your Work

• Don’t get discouraged looking at other work and how talented they are. They all started right where you are.

Mistakes I Observed Others Making

Double-Check, Then Triple-Check

• Make sure you spell correctly, it looks unprofessional otherwise.

• Lorraine’s classes help train you!

Be on Time

• It’s rarer than you think.

• Making someone wait shows disrespect, everyone’s time is valuable. Show them that you understand that by being on time and doing what you say you’re going to do.

• If you are going to be late (it happens), give advanced notice.

Ask Thoughtful Questions

• Don’t waste people’s time.

• If you can google something, don’t ask.

• Think before you speak. Don’t just say something to say something. Make sure you’re thoughtfully contributing to the conversation.

Don’t Give Problems Without Solutions

• Don’t just point out what’s wrong with something unless you’ve thought of a solution to suggest.

If you need anything, feel free to schedule time with me during my open hours!