How can I boost my chances of getting my foot in the door? Been struggling as my cv is based on freelance with indecent artists
Replies4
- Hi Jassiya, tailored applications can help stand out: switch up your email copy, the projects you choose to showcase... But it's definitely a competitive industry, so the more you stand out with your own creative edge the better. I've found that self-initiated projects show the best kind of passion and dedication: at interview stage I'd always end up getting asked about my own creative projects. These could be anything artistic: a side hustle as an artist, an online art magazine or community, volunteer design work...
- @Jassiya Omer that’s a great question because the answer will vary depending on who is looking at your portfolio.In your situation I think that it should be important to show your competence as a very good designer, so that would be things such as:
- knowing how to work successfully with typography and grids
- Knowing about aesthetically pleasing colour combinations
- Knowing about how to use space and balance designs so they appeal to the eye
- Knowing how to take information and interpret it into powerful and clear designs
Then it would be a case of having relevant work for your target clients / industry, e.g. if you want to work in fashion then have projects relevant to that industry.You are young so you may or may not be clear on the type of industries that you want to work in, there are both advantages and disadvantages of focusing early on in your career, an advantage is that in a few years you will become established as one of the leading designers in that area which will increase your value, a disadvantage is that you may cut off opportunities in other areas that are growing. It is a personal choice that you have to decide, and I had to grow into new industries over time like finance, tech, retail, etc.I think that above all your portfolio needs to be what Seth Godin calls ‘remarkable’ it should leave an impression when the person viewing it has seen it and they will be compelled to contact you to find out more.Do not be afraid to put your personality into it, although you will probably be working on projects that limit your creativity when you first start out, unless you are working for a very forward thinking company, or your style is very attractive and unique.Also a portfolio is something that keeps evolving over time and as you learn more and improve then that will show in your work, so keep practising often, get lots of inspiration and research from the best designers and agencies out there.Only show your very best work in your portfolio, so between 8 - 16 projects should be more than enough, in many cases under 10 projects will be enough to show how good you are as a designer.I hope that helps, and let me know if you need any more info. - @Brian Grant thank you for your feedback this gave me a really good perspective!Just another question real quick… what qualities or aspects would you think are critical for a strong portfolio??
- Hello Jassiya,I can relate to your situation as earlier in my career I worked with clients such as: Playboy, Babestation, and a number of adult actresses.It is not an obstacle, and many people are intrigued to find out more, however you must think creatively to build your client base.The most important thing is to never lose sight of what you can offer the client / company in terms of adding value to their business.I had to devise a strategy that meant I had to be noticed in other ways than through conventional human resources departments, I had to work on creating a personal brand of my own and creating work that was eye-catching and attracted the attention and new clients.It is important to decide how you want to position yourself as a designer, what type of clients would you love to work with?In my case it was fashion, music and entertainment, so then it was a case of finding those companies and clients that were already in the areas that I wanted to be in.Another way is to discount or get rid of your rates drastically for a while (to get your foot in the door) and gain the necessary experience by working with clients. Be careful though… some clients will take advantage so make sure that the work you are doing could be used and leveraged to gain new clients.You could also do test projects and give them to clients and cost your portfolio, I have gained clients by redesigning their website for free and they have been so impressed that they have given me work and paid for the previous work.You don’t have a link to your portfolio on your Dots homepage, this is a wonderful opportunity to link to your work to show what you can do.As a graphic designer you have a wonderful opportunity to provide value in terms of merchandise, products, branding to add value for others and build your reputation.Tap into your networks of friends, acquaintances, etc. Work on projects for them and build your ‘official CV’ that way. This will help with recruiters.Also remember that a number of design recruiters are not experts in design, they have to stick to corporate procedures and can only tick boxes, so in many situations they cannot see beyond what goes on a CV.Follow companies and designers on social media that you are interested in, look at what type of work they do, what do they like? can you add value or improve on what they are doing? does your work fit in with what they are doing? Message them, comment on their posts, make suggestions, study their culture and vibe, build relationships over time.Keep going, create amazing work, keep up-to-date with new software, and ways of working that will make it easy for you to fit into a company’s way of working.If you have any questions let me know, and good luck!!B.
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