Graphic Design jobs?

[DarkGiygas]

Not sure if anyone is in the same boat as me, I graduated from college last year and it seems REALLY hard to find any jobs in this field. No matter where I look they always want something like 3-5yrs experience, or there just isn't anyone in my area hiring. Any tips?

[Blood_Lust]

you can post your question here and you will probably get an accurate answer.

http://graphicdesign.meetup.com/479/

hint: summer is coming. businesses just finished their ARs and most of them are going for vacation.

[ricoboxing]

theres lots of jobs, the problem is companies want you to know every program, and pay you 14 bucks an hour! Start freelancing and building up your portfolio. Also try networking with people in the field. Just because someone can't hire you, they might know someone that needs you. Thats how I found my job, 2 years ago.

[DarkGiygas]

Thanks for the help guys.

Hopefully I can get some work coming in soon.

[gruegoo]

Network, Network, Network. Especially through things like the alumni association of your school. I've spent a lot of time networking and have never had a problem finding jobs.

NETWORKING IS KING.

Don't really know what else to say without knowing more details about your specific situation. Are you looking for a job at a design firm or corporate? Which school did you go to?

[jdmkidd]

I see your portfolio is a website. If you can't get a job as a graphic designer try the next best thing lean towards the web aspect of it seems that you can grasp how a proper site should look like try it. They are more in demand now than ever.

[coolspot]

Not sure if anyone is in the same boat as me, I graduated from college last year and it seems REALLY hard to find any jobs in this field. No matter where I look they always want something like 3-5yrs experience, or there just isn't anyone in my area hiring. Any tips?

Did you graduate as a graphic designer... or are you claiming to be one? I took a look at your site and it seems you only have a 22-week program.

It seems the graphic design industry is moving towards formalizing the title.Everyone is claiming to be a graphics designer... including a co-worker of mine who has no concept of complementary colours.

Take a look at RGD Ontario's website ... See if you qualify as a provisional RGD - getting a designation could help in becoming accepted in the industry.

http://www.rgdontario.com/join/categ...rovisional.asp

If you don't qualify... then you sort of know the competition you're up against. In that case, you might have to take an alternative route of landing jobs such as doing freelance rather than submitting your resume to design firms.

[DarkGiygas]

I see your portfolio is a website. If you can't get a job as a graphic designer try the next best thing lean towards the web aspect of it seems that you can grasp how a proper site should look like try it. They are more in demand now than ever.

I was thinking about doing that, seems theres tons of jobs for web design, I really don't know much aside from basic html stuff, most of the stuff I've made has been in Dreamweaver. I started learning Flash not too long ago though.

Did you graduate as a graphic designer... or are you claiming to be one? I took a look at your site and it seems you only have a 22-week program.

Yeah, it was a 22wk program at Humber and we got a certificate at the end. For the eligibility on that site, do you need all 3, or just any of them? Seems like I'm out of luck.


EDIT:

Also, I'm not even looking for a job at a design firm necessarily, just any job thats related to this field. A friend of mine works fulltime doing graphic design and she didn't even take any post-secondary courses. :/

[coolspot]

Yeah, it was a 22wk program at Humber and we got a certificate at the end. For the eligibility on that site, do you need all 3, or just any of them? Seems like I'm out of luck.

Have you considered going back to school and completing the entire program?

http://postsecondary.humber.ca/11571.htm

The program is recognized by RGD and is a 3-year program (2 if you don't take summer breaks).

Also, I'm not even looking for a job at a design firm necessarily, just any job thats related to this field. A friend of mine works fulltime doing graphic design and she didn't even take any post-secondary courses. :/

Graphic Design is a field you could get by solely based on talent. If you don't feel like more school I would brush up your portfolio. From what I saw there - it's average (I'm not a graphic designer myself ... but several of my friends are - Just comparing your work to theirs). Sorry to be so hard ...

[DarkGiygas]

Hmm, didn't know they offered that...the one I took was at the other campus. I'll have to look into it. Thanks.

Graphic Design is a field you could get by solely based on talent. If you don't feel like more school I would brush up your portfolio. From what I saw there - it's average (I'm not a graphic designer myself ... but several of my friends are - Just comparing your work to theirs). Sorry to be so hard ...

Well, the whole reason I even went there was because it seemed like the quickest way to get some sort of education on my resume, and the curriculum appealed to me the most. A lot of the other ones I saw would've just bored me for the first year or so.

I guess I'll just keep working on my portfolio for now, I just need to get some freelance work because all the stuff on there now is just assignments from College.

[gruegoo]

Graphic Design is a field you could get by solely based on talent.

Unfortunately that's no longer the case. There are 2 major programs in the Toronto area alone that offer a full 4 year bachelor's with honours in Design. Graduates of those programs are your direct competition. Among EQUALLY SKILLED candidates, the one with the higher education has a much, much higher chance of getting hired.

Organizations like the RGD are working to increase recognition for designers in the creative field. They're promoting the fact that design is a discipline that will greatly benefit from higher education (including masters degrees and phd's), and quite frankly it's working... ever so slowly.

I graduated from the York/Sheridan program and I have literally been told in some interviews that they refuse to interview people who don't have degrees. Why? Because so many people already have the Bachelor of Design that they have tons of candidates to choose from. They say it's very rare that they have to look outside the B.Des holders to find the right candidate.

I'm choosing a candidate for my department right now (I work in corporate) and it's exactly the same. I got a total of 15 or so resume's for the opening with more coming all the time. Of those, something like 10-12 had a B.Des. It's important to note that IN GENERAL, the candidates with a B.Des also had a higher quality of work.

If you want to work in corporate jobs (high pay), they care about the degree much more than indie studios do. The people in large corporations who do the hiring don't usually know much about design so they look at things like credentials. After all, what does a person in HR know about design? They can't tell if your portfolio is good or not.

My advice would be to go back to school and get a 4 year degree. With your current education, I'm sure you could skip a couple of years with advanced standing.

I don't mean to discourage you. It's definitely possible to get a job without a degree. However, the BEST jobs are usually reserved for the most qualified people. A degree will help. It won't guarantee anything, but it will definitely help.

[DarkGiygas]

Well lo and behold, I check my email and theres a reply from somewhere I emailed a week ago, 10min from where I live, asking me to come for an interview on Friday.

[ramoose]

Unfortunately that's no longer the case. There are 2 major programs in the Toronto area alone that offer a full 4 year bachelor's with honours in Design. Graduates of those programs are your direct competition. Among EQUALLY SKILLED candidates, the one with the higher education has a much, much higher chance of getting hired.

Organizations like the RGD are working to increase recognition for designers in the creative field. They're promoting the fact that design is a discipline that will greatly benefit from higher education (including masters degrees and phd's), and quite frankly it's working... ever so slowly.

I graduated from the York/Sheridan program and I have literally been told in some interviews that they refuse to interview people who don't have degrees. Why? Because so many people already have the Bachelor of Design that they have tons of candidates to choose from. They say it's very rare that they have to look outside the B.Des holders to find the right candidate.




I'm choosing a candidate for my department right now (I work in corporate) and it's exactly the same. I got a total of 15 or so resume's for the opening with more coming all the time. Of those, something like 10-12 had a B.Des. It's important to note that IN GENERAL, the candidates with a B.Des also had a higher quality of work.

If you want to work in corporate jobs (high pay), they care about the degree much more than indie studios do. The people in large corporations who do the hiring don't usually know much about design so they look at things like credentials. After all, what does a person in HR know about design? They can't tell if your portfolio is good or not.

My advice would be to go back to school and get a 4 year degree. With your current education, I'm sure you could skip a couple of years with advanced standing.

I don't mean to discourage you. It's definitely possible to get a job without a degree. However, the BEST jobs are usually reserved for the most qualified people. A degree will help. It won't guarantee anything, but it will definitely help.

My daughter just graduated from yorku B of Design. She found it to be a glorified graphic design program. She is very versed in web, graphic(not her style but can do), costumn design(liked the most). She is very creative and is going in to business on her own sewing items, clothes, web design(did a yorku web site during the school year), has done magazine editing for a fashion magazine, video editing and press kits for friends in bands. As you can see her B of Design encompasses all design not just one aspect of it. Makes her more marketable. She is spending the summer up in Grand Bend at a studio selling her wares for the summer.

[ramoose]

Well lo and behold, I check my email and theres a reply from somewhere I emailed a week ago, 10min from where I live, asking me to come for an interview on Friday.

Good luck

[gruegoo]

My daughter just graduated from yorku B of Design. She found it to be a glorified graphic design program. She is very versed in web, graphic(not her style but can do), costumn design(liked the most). She is very creative and is going in to business on her own sewing items, clothes, web design(did a yorku web site during the school year), has done magazine editing for a fashion magazine, video editing and press kits for friends in bands. As you can see her B of Design encompasses all design not just one aspect of it. Makes her more marketable. She is spending the summer up in Grand Bend at a studio selling her wares for the summer.

Hey congrads! I hear this year's grad show was really strong.