Graduation is an enormous accomplishment for design students across the board. It’s a day where all your hard work, sleepless nights, weekends spent in the library, and excessive caffeine consumption are celebrated alongside family, fellow classmates, and friends.
It’s also the day you realize the real world is waiting for you right around the corner, and you’ve got to find a job.
While some programs teach students how to get hired out of design school, others seem to leave that out of the curriculum.
Read on to learn the six things you can do to increase your chances of landing a job after graduation.
1. Put Effort in Your Applications
Filling out job applications is not exactly at the top of the list of ‘Most Exciting Things to Do.’ But, as we’re sure you know, it ranks high on your priorities.
Applying for jobs requires intentional energy and effort. We recommend choosing where you apply carefully, rather than fill out 20 applications daily.
Start by picking out, say, 10 companies you could see yourself working for. Then, do a little investigating. Find out who founded the company, what their current challenges look like, what services/products they offer, and who their competitors are.
Use this information to gauge whether or not you’d be a good fit. Are your skills a match for the company's efforts?
Show your interest in them by following them on social media and building a relationship with them. That way when graduation rolls around, a relationship with your potential employer is already established.
We don’t recommend asking for jobs via direct message (DM) or even email. Relationships are not built on what you can get out of another person. Focus on setting the foundation first.
Be yourself, be genuine, and show the potential employer that you want to build a relationship.
2. Get Uncomfortable, and Network
Networking, while intimidating, is absolutely necessary—especially if you want to try to secure a job out of design school.
The friendships and connections you make with other creative individuals are vital, even more so after graduation. It’s important to keep these connections going and continuously expand your network.
One of the best ways to start getting your name out there is to attend design meetups and networking events.
Now, we know what you’re thinking: “I’m not a designer yet!”But if you’re in design school, guess what? You’re a designer.
Don’t wait to “be” something to attend meetups and events. Just through networking alone, you learn from other designers of all experience levels, make important connections, and start to build a reputation as a designer.
And hey, you never know which conversation could be the one to kick off your design career.
Get uncomfortable, and go network.
3. Work Towards Your Dream Job
We’re just guessing here, but you probably have your sights set on landing your dream job. But here’s the thing: you probably won’t land it right out of school. It could happen in the near or distant future, but if it doesn’t happen right out of school, don’t get discouraged.
Your first job doesn’t have to be at a big-name, globally-renowned agency. Because no matter what your first design job looks like, we guarantee you will learn something from it.