Getting your first job as a graphic designer may seem daunting. In an oversaturated industry and no job experience this task can seem insurmountable! However, with taking action in the right direction, you will be able to land that dream job quicker than you think.
Take Action
There are so many ways to take action. If you are still in school, look into internships. This will get you into a company that potentially you would like to work for and will look great on your resume and help you get hired after graduation. If you have already graduated, there are plenty of options for you!
1. Take any and all work that you can get. Sometimes this means doing work for free in the beginning or very little. Its ok! You're building your book and this will lead to better paying jobs.
2. Network, network, network. Who is around you? Who do you spend your time with? Are you spending time with people that are interested in the same things as you, people who you can collaborate with? Or are you spending time with people who just watch TV in their spare time and you have nothing in common with except your favorite TV shows? Now is the time to make new friends! I've mentioned this before in a previous article, but its so true. When I was just starting, I worked retail and this was great because I met so many creative people this way. I met people to collab with and work for! Plus, I did all the design work for the store I was working for at the time. Even if you can only meet people online, like in a Facebook group, these are still your peers and can help you immensely! I cannot recommend this enough and will probably bring it up in future posts.
3. Do your own side projects. What is it you really want to design? What sets your heart on fire? Don't let not being hired by your dream company stop you from doing this! Create your own projects! This shows that you are passionate about what you do and that you have initiative, a great quality that a lot of companies are looking for. These side projects can get you noticed and sometimes even get you paid work! Its worth it!
Start a website
When creating your projects:
Upload them to a website
Add them to your social media accounts
Share them in groups of like-minds
Make sure you are putting your work out there so that people can find you. Following these steps will bring you closer to getting that dream job. Good luck and happy designing!