As a graduate, and with the end of the year in sight, you will be one of many looking to break into the industry. We, therefore, thought it might be timely to cover some basics in seeking that ever important first gig>
Anyone who has built a successful design career—knows how hard it is to secure that first industry gig. So, you’re most definitely not alone. With approximately a thousand design students graduating every year in New Zealand, realistically, there are not enough positions for everyone (at least—not at the same top agencies).
As a graduate, you’re in a school of talented fish in a pool teeming with other talented fish! So how can you break into the industry? Here are a few tips that we’ve put together with input from Portfolio Recruitment, to help you in the search for your first job:
As a graduate, do the basics well:
- Get amongst it. Get involved in the Design Community—do this while you’re still studying. Join industry bodies such as Design Assembly (DA), Designers Institute of New Zealand (DINZ), and head along to the events. Start creating connections.
- Write a CV.
- Put thought into this. Research successful CV designs and figure out what makes them work (don’t copy them). You can find samples of CVs on the Portfolio website.
- Check spelling & grammar and check it again. Use the tools available to get it right.
- Keep it simple and clear, but allow some personality to show (without overdoing it).
- Create a portfolio/website showcasing your work.
- Start this process well before you finish your studies. A tip here: many students leave CVs and portfolios until after they finish, which means a lot of talent are job searching at the same time. Try to get ahead of this curve.
- In your portfolio/website, be clear about what is or is not student work. Where you show group projects—acknowledge who you worked with and what you did. Keep in mind that many designers work in teams; it is not an expectation that everything in your portfolio is entirely yours, just acknowledge the input of others.
- When you are curating work for your Portfolio— think quality over quantity. Five strong works are infinitely better than ten average pieces. The person reviewing your portfolio will often be a more experienced creative, such as a senior designer, art director or creative director. Open with any commercial projects, and follow with your student work.
- Lastly, on portfolios, should you include passion projects? The answer is—if the work is well-crafted, then yes—absolutely. Studios are looking for well-rounded, interesting people with a love of design. Demonstrate this is you.
- Create a brand for yourself and use this across your CV and portfolio. Don’t go overboard, remember—simple is often best
Sending job applications:
- Start researching studios you admire for inspiration. Remember, if you aspire to work for them, your portfolio needs to show that. Take note of how they display their work.
- Anything you email, such as a PDF of your portfolio or your CV—make sure the attachments are under 10-15Mb, or they may not reach the recipient.
- Put thought into each application you send—don’t copy and paste. Remember, the senior creatives who are likely to be pre-vetting the applications will see a ton of these—make yours different. You are looking for a creative job—so be creative!
Avoid Dear Sir/Madam or To Whom it May Concern. Research the studio you are sending work to, try and find out who makes the decisions or who it might be appropriate to reach out to, and correspond with them if they are open to this. - Don’t just apply to the most well-known and popular studios. Everyone wants to work for them, and their email inboxes with be overflowing with enquiries. So again, research. There are so many cool studios in NZ that you may never have heard that are doing outstanding creative work. Seek them out. Look beyond the Best Awards’ websites.
- Try and find a mentor, even if this is simply to provide advice on putting together your CV and portfolio. Again, going back to the very first point—getting involved in the design community could open the door to finding someone qualified to provide good advice and direction.
- Make an effort. Jobs will not fall into your lap. Genuine effort doesn’t go unnoticed.
- Finally, keep in mind that the other person reviewing your work or conducting the interview has sat where you are sitting. They know how it feels to be a young graduate. Bring your A game.
The team at Portfolio Recruitment, wish you every success in your design career and hope to see you at some point along your journey. Just note that we occasionally get opportunities to place entry-level/graduate designers into roles. When these come up, they will be clearly advertised on our website as suitable for Juniors or Graduates. Good luck.
GSM would like to thank Annie McCulloch, Consultant @Portfolio Recruitment for contributing to this article.
Auckland-based Portfolio Recruitment has been providing specialist recruitment services for the creative sector since 2002. If you are looking for your next full-time, part-time, contract or freelance role—or—if you are an employer seeking talent—head to: //portfoliorecruitment.co.nz
