While You’re In School…

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Explore Everything

As a student, you have so many opportunities to explore different fields. Take a class you’re interested in (even if it doesn’t count for anything), push yourself to create things that interest you, etc.

• I was lucky to have the luxury to stay an extra year, so I sprinkled in philosophy classes, a theater makeup class, a minor, etc.

• When you go to graduate and look for a job, the more exposure you have to other creative disciplines, the better. Even if you aren’t amazing at it, the knowledge will still help you.

• If you get any spark of interest in something, explore it in some way. You never know where it could lead! My interest in animation led me to try to learn it, and it ended up being a majority of my current job.

• Being aware of different types of creative avenues will allow you to recommend the best solution to a problem… because you’re aware of it. If you’re hired as a designer, but you know about video, then you might realize a project you’re working on might be more successful as a video vs. a design.

Do internships

I was told over and over again about this, and I thought to myself “Why would I get an internship when I can just apply for part-time jobs? Isn’t that better?” And yes, potentially. BUT here’s the difference I never realized until I graduated: internships give you a safe peek into a position and company. It’s a temporary thing with much less pressure than a job, so you have the freedom to explore and learn, without the stress of feeling like you aren’t good enough. Everyone knows you’re there to learn because you’re an intern, whereas when you’re a part-time employee, you have much higher expectations.

Even if you already know exactly what type of career you want, doing internships will help you figure out what type of company you want. Do you want to work for an in-house design team or a studio that gets hired to handle multiple types of companies? Do you like the feel of a big company, or a small studio with ten people?

• Research some of the positions/companies you would be interested in having and see if they offer any internships opportunities, or even if they don’t, reach out anyway! You’d be surprised how many companies would be willing to share their knowledge.

• The more different types of companies you intern at/work for, the more you’ll understand the type of job and business you want to work for, as well as what you value in a job and what’s important to you..

• Internships are a huge networking opportunity — it’s not guaranteed that an internship will turn into a full-time job immediately, but if you do well, those people will remember you. Keep in touch with them in your career and one day they may call on you for an opportunity.

• Getting client experience is very valuable — school and personal projects give you a lot of freedom to make whatever you want, but when you work for a client, you’re helping them make what THEY want. The dynamics are different, and you have to learn how to understand and communicate another person’s vision, while balancing their feedback and criticism with your own opinions and expertise. I once worked with a client on a video and we did NINETEEN revisions. Some clients are easier to work with than others!

Build Your Portfolio

Having a good portfolio will help you much more than the best resume or a perfectly worded cover letter. Creative fields need to know that you’re capable of doing the work they need you to.

• Find jobs/internships that give you the opportunity to work on projects that could go in a portfolio.

• If you can’t find jobs or internships, volunteer!

• Or enter design contests.

• Or find clubs, departments, etc. on campus where you can contribute your creative skills to.

Push Yourself

I was (and still am) a very shy, introverted person in school. I wasn’t the best at networking or going to social career events, but if I saw opportunities that I knew would benefit me, I pushed myself to go and be awkward.

• Push yourself as much as you can — the more you do it, the easier it’ll be.

• Do things even if it makes you nervous – step out of your comfort zone.

• You’d be surprised at how many people are just as insecure as you are (including myself).

• And you’ll be surprised at how many doors open for you when you put yourself out there.

Extra Classes

I stayed an entire year after I was supposed to graduate because I wasn’t done exploring the things that interested me. I took a bunch of philosophy classes, a theater makeup class, a film class, etc. because I knew once I graduated, I would be focused on my career and less on exploring random interests.

• Explore as many interests while you’re in school, whether that be classes outside your major, clubs, volunteer, etc.

• If you know what you want to do, take classes RELATED to that field that will help you:

  • For animation, physics, writing, etc. would’ve helped me.

Hour Estimates

This is something that really threw me off when I graduated. The companies I was applying for weren’t very familiar with animation and video, so I would get asked all the time, “So how long would this take you to do?” I had no idea! I had done projects in school, but I never paid any attention to how long it took me.

• Time how long it takes you to do certain things (design a logo, animate a social post, etc.) so when you’re asked for a rough hour and/or cost estimate, you’ll be more prepared when someone asks you for a quote.

Opportunities

As a student, you have SO many people willing to help you — students, alumni, industry professionals.

• Take advantage of opportunities while you’re a student (teachers willing to help, professionals willing to give advice).

• Reach out to people you admire or people in fields you’re interested. You’d be surprised how many people will take the time to talk to you and provide guidance because you’re a student.

Conference Discounts

Conferences are such a great way to see what’s going on in the industry. In school, you can only learn so much. If you have the opportunity, go to a conference or two and surround yourself with inspiring artists to learn from.

• Conference discounts for students are crazy – take advantage of them.

Senior Projects

Think about something you’d be proud to show off. You’re investing so much time into it, don’t just treat it as another assignment. Really think about how to make something that will help you, either as a talking point in interviews or as a portfolio piece.

• Do something that provides you skills/portfolio pieces.

• Don’t just throw something together last minute or half-ass it!

  
  

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