Getting a full time graphic design job is difficult.

[Mr. Anderson]

Just so you all feel better, its much more than just experience. I have a ton, yet I can't find a job either. I'm "over qualified" or I don't have the right experience. Bleh. Its a pain in the ass.

There was a very interesting article on careerbuilder.com about job descriptions. And I started talking to an HR person at my wife's company.

Jobs go first to people the hiring managers know or have info on. They use that pool of talent first. In bigger companies, the jobs are then posted internally to see if anyone is interested or they can get a referral. Its only when all other avenues have failed will a job be posted online or in the paper in most cases.

One thing I was told, which is actually helping out to a point, is to get connected to people who can help you. So sign up at linkedin.com or another professional networking site and build connections. It really is who you know and not what you know.

Good luck,

D

 

[MacBoobsPro]

I've been out of work since June and I have 6 years experience.

Go figure!

I wont say I'm great but I ain't bad either. The Design industry and many of its people have pissed me off so much so that I seem to have lost all my passion for design and just can't be arsed with it anymore. However there is nothing else I can do to earn the same amount of money.

 

[synth3tik]

I spent $55k on my graphic design degree, got offered a job at Target to resize images for $12 an hour. So, I became an engineer in the semiconductor field, and am back in school for that degree.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

I should also add that I do freelance and if I had more time to devote to it, I'd do really well. Right now its part time since I'm a stay at home dad with a 10 month old and 4 year old.

You might want to look into freelancing or something temp for now to get the experience. I also forgot to mention that some companies use temps to find someone they want to hire full time. And it gets you all sorts of contacts - so go to a temp agency and see what happens.

D

 

[alebar14]

In New Zealand our field is difficult to get onto a full time position than IT, Business, Marketing field. My IT friend right after graduate, he made a phone call and got full time job now ; My other Marketing friend - she applied from a job seek website and only a month and half later she got a position ; My Business flatmate - he already worked part time in a national bank here. I guess different country has their different skills needed.

 

[alebar14]

I spent $55k on my graphic design degree, got offered a job at Target to resize images for $12 an hour. So, I became an engineer in the semiconductor field, and am back in school for that degree.

In New Zealand, my parent spent around US$13,000plus a year.What if my life becoming like yours, after spending so much money for GD field at Uni, but ended up study part time at the other field (Business, IT or engineer) and the other part time working just to keep me alive:

Is it because our lack of interest of keeping the similar field (graphic design) or is it because life that makes us to keep alive which come into the decision that whatever field as long as I can pay my mortgage, girlfriend, etc ?

 

[ChicoWeb]

When I'm hiring someone to work for us, I look for a few things... 1.) Ability to learn, 2.) Talent.

Education helps, but is not everything. As a matter of fact, I had a employee in her mid 30's that went to a couple art schools and had 15 years experience and I have a 19 year old junior college kid with flat out god given talent. The 19 year old is still working for us. Sometimes its more then education

In the three years I've taught web design, I've seen a handful of students that have a future in the industry (my opinion of course) and ALL were GD majors.

Bottom line, don't blame anyone take some personal responsibility and create your own opportunities.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

When I'm hiring someone to work for us, I look for a few things... 1.) Ability to learn, 2.) Talent.

Very true - you can teach anyone the software, but *knowing* what to do with the software is something different. The thing about number 1 above is its not just the ability to learn, but understanding that you're never going to stop learning and pushing yourself to do even better, learn new things, improve you're techniques and work at looking at things from every perspective.

D

 

[ezekielrage_99]

When I'm hiring someone to work for us, I look for a few things... 1.) Ability to learn, 2.) Talent.

I would have to say attitude and aptitude always ranks very highly for employers looking for the right employees.

 

[nfable]

Sorry to hear of your trouble and it is too late now, but for future (or current) college students: you do not need a degree in graphic design, film production, acting, really almost any 'creative' field out there and employers aren't swayed by it like an engineering degree. They are swayed by 1. Portfolio 2. Past Practical Experience 3. Your Availability 4. Your attitude. 5. Work ethic. This is not to say that one cannot get a job by going to college and that you may not learn valuable skills / elements of craft. But you can get alot of that just by DOING and really being as objective and critical about your effectiveness and working with people who know more than you.

And you can learn so much by looking for it on the web these days: graphic design programs, video editing software, web development - just search video tutorials.

Advice now to stay in country: get any kind of employment to satisfy your residency permit, the job that least drains your soul. Then do GD as much as you can around trying to live and doing that other job. Bank up a portfolio, do those free gigs, be a cool likeable person and it'll accrue in your competence / examples / confidence. Scour Craigslist or local postings for people looking for designer related gigs - it will be piecemeal, the odds of someone giving you a living wage and 40 hours a week are almost nonexistent without something to back it up.

Also: where you are matters in terms of city / tech level - consider moving to one with more tech enlightenment. Expiriment with web design + CSS... At least understand what they are capable of, then you can mock up app interfaces / web stuff to add to your portfolio. Something a web designer could work off of.

Learn how to make websites with WordPress and Visual Composer. You design eye will compliment your web creations and you can offer people who may be in dire need of a mobile responsive, slick site other marketing elements like flyers, menus, banners, etc - kind of getting your pure design stuff in the back door.

Also: impregnate someone with a real job .

 

[steveash]

9 years after the original post, I hope he has a job by now! In that time the creative industry has only got more competitive. I do however, now see students with exceptional work in a specialist field occasionally break into the top end of the industry overnight which was something unheard of 20 years ago.

 

[kiwipeso1]

Nowadays New graphic designers found getting a foot into an industry right after earned a Bachelor degree from a college is difficult. Most of the industry are looking for 2 - 3 years of commercial related experience rather than fresh graduate experience. I've found their lack of interested giving a chance for people like this are regrettable.

I would like to ask for your healthy opinion/discussion about the above statement and its solutions.

Given that graduates from Masters in Business Administration typically can be found working in fast food restaurants across NZ, it's more a statement that a bachelors degree really doesn't mean much more than an ability to make toasted sandwiches, burgers and fries, or curries.
(Speaking from experience of managing a subway while studying, I have had MBA grads, foreign trained secondary teachers and foreign trained accountants work there until they could find better work.)

I would suggest that you create your own body of art while you seek reliable work, a suggestion would be to take photos of nature or iconic Auckland scenery, yes even the traffic on the motorways, and put your own effort into making it art available for sale at cafes, restaurants and online orders in a limited, numbered run.

 

[960design]

Now I know that work and experience are important as in every peace of employer's mind. Anyway, I am just an International student from a developed country earning a bachelor degree seeking for an opportunity, something that I can learn that one of these day, I would proudly say to my parent that I have made it, that every money they have spent is worth it.

As an international student, we entitled to earn six month open work permit after our student permit expired.This allows us to look for a job that suits to our qualification. Like you all said, it would take years to entitled for a full time position. So how to deal with this then ?

Start working for free while you are in school. This is the best time to create contacts and relationships with people in the industry. Start a company while you are in school. Create products for non profit organizations, schools, ect for next to nothing. By the time you graduate you'll have business experience and four years of work experience under your belt.

Sheesh.... fell for the zombie post...

 

[Moonjumper]

I've been out of work since June and I have 6 years experience.

Go figure!

I wont say I'm great but I ain't bad either. The Design industry and many of its people have pissed me off so much so that I seem to have lost all my passion for design and just can't be arsed with it anymore. However there is nothing else I can do to earn the same amount of money.

Can't be arsed is a bad thing in a competitive industry. I had something similar at that stage in my career as a video game designer. I took some time out trying to be a board game designer. It didn't work out, but I renewed my enthusiasm. It is now 19 years since I started as a video game designer. I am am making my own games (without commercial success so far) and a part-time university lecturer. My work is as interesting as it has ever been.

Keep trying, but don't keep trying the same thing. It might not lead where you expect, but it would be boring if everything was expected.