It's heartbreaking.
When I graduated 2 years ago I wasn't sure where to go from that. I didn't feel ready to apply for jobs or even internships. I felt absolutely stuck. I think what I felt was burn out. I had spent the last 7-8 years of my life going from secondary school, to college and finally university in order to become a graphic designer. And here I was at this point that I could be. I had spent all this time in education learn the skills, expanding as a designer and when I got to that last point, with my degree show finished, my energy and push to get there had fizzled out. You need a big dose of energy to keep you going when you graduate and you see everyone else doing incredibly. So today I wanted to give some advice that comes from what I realised and what I know now helped me keep going.
Keep connected
When you leave university, your main support system kind of disappears. And I'm not talking about family or friends, I mean your tutors and lecturers. When you're at university they are essentially the ones that teach you what you need to know and give you an insight into the real world. But when you leave there's no one. So when you graduate, or try even set it in place before then, find people who are working in the industry that you can go to and ask questions about your next steps. It's so so so beneficial having that up-to-date and insightful knowledge to keep you floating.
Sort your portfolio out
Yes this is a simple step. But make sure that before you leave university you have everything you need for a portfolio! You’ll need final deliverables & development stages from projects to show the progression. Also make sure that with indesign or after effects files that you have all the linked files in case you want to dip back in later on!
Make your own projects
Again, when you leave university, you have no one telling you what you need to be doing or creating. So the best way to do this without having freelance work, commissions or being in a job/internship is to create your own projects. There's so many ways to do this from a social feed to creating products or something else entirely. But it's mainly a to help keep your design skills fresh in your mind, it can also add something totally unique to put into your portfolio. There’s a magnitude of things you could create, but start with your interests & go from there.
Make some money
So as I've stated already not everyone gets into a job or internship right away. It happens but not to everyone. So if you’re struggling, get a part time job & make some cash for the time being. Or see how you can make money from your designs. Either way you need cash & get it sooner rather than later.
Don’t stop learning
When you leave uni you’re not done learning. The creative industry is constantly evolving with it being the digital age. Our outputs change all the time, technology & software is adapted to fit. So keep brushed up on your key skills but also make time to learn things that may set you apart.
Yes this is a simple step. But make sure that before you leave university you have everything you need for a portfolio! You’ll need final deliverables & development stages from projects to show the progression. Also make sure that with indesign or after effects files that you have all the linked files in case you want to dip back in later on!
Make your own projects
Again, when you leave university, you have no one telling you what you need to be doing or creating. So the best way to do this without having freelance work, commissions or being in a job/internship is to create your own projects. There's so many ways to do this from a social feed to creating products or something else entirely. But it's mainly a to help keep your design skills fresh in your mind, it can also add something totally unique to put into your portfolio. There’s a magnitude of things you could create, but start with your interests & go from there.
Make some money
So as I've stated already not everyone gets into a job or internship right away. It happens but not to everyone. So if you’re struggling, get a part time job & make some cash for the time being. Or see how you can make money from your designs. Either way you need cash & get it sooner rather than later.
Don’t stop learning
When you leave uni you’re not done learning. The creative industry is constantly evolving with it being the digital age. Our outputs change all the time, technology & software is adapted to fit. So keep brushed up on your key skills but also make time to learn things that may set you apart.
Get out
Kind of connected to the first point of "Keep connected" another good thing to make sure you do is hit up events and conferences. This can lead you to make friends or connections with those in the industry that can give you that advice but it can also lead you to opportunities. When I graduated, I went to Ladies, Wine & Design nights, Drink & Draws, and GDFS. It's great to be exposed to creativity and people at these events but even better, it can usually be a good time to just chill, eat food and drink.
& lastly…
Stay passionate!
Leaving the world of education can be overwhelming, scary & like being smacked in the face, especially if you have a slow start. Being turned down for jobs & internships can take their toll & deter you from continuing. But keep going! Stay driven to work as a designer, keep making things & be open to opportunities if it’ll push your forward.
I hope you enjoyed this post. It was built up from one of the posts I made for The Design Weans takeover I did last month. If you fancy seeing the entire collection of posts check out the instagram profile here: The Design Weans. And let me know what you thought of the illustrations I've created for this blog post via my iPad and procreate as well.
