One thing I've forgotten to mench lately is that my long course of instruction at PCC is at last concluded, and I'm o-fish-o-ly a degree-holding Graphic Designer.
Yes, I know. w00t and all that.
My next project is finding a job. Right now I'm open to a lot-I can freelance, know QuarkXPress (4-6.5), Adobe InDesign and Creative Suite (up to CS2-got a little beta testing on that), I can news design (see my portfolio online), have done the Sierra Club's Columbia Overlook (and am starting on the next one real soon), and can edit (did technical editing for this here book that's about to be released on IllustratorCS2) . I use Mac OS X regularly but also do Windows (I'm a snob but hardly a religious extremist).
Yes, I check craigslist (who doesn't?).
Second place prize be getting a look around inside some design departments. I'd really like to get an informational meeting with someone at The Oregonian or the Portland Tribune (I've applied to Community Newspapers but nobody's replied) but am still trying to figure out who to talk to about that.
By Samuel John Klein of Portland, Oregon - Graphic Designer without Portfolio, aspiring artist who dawdled too long.
5 comments:
don't apply, show up in person, make them deal with you
You've got a point there, Jim. Problem is, I get reply information that is frequently only an email address, rarely contains a street address, and almost never has personal contact information.
Usually these are from newspapers.
That is not to say I don't have a bit of a network of my own. And I do have irons in the fire. I am looking for more of my daily bread to come from what I was just trained to do.
Thanks for your suggestion. It was a good one.
Well, good luck with the Tribune. They've been cutting staff lately, from what I've been reading. People are calling it a sinking ship, though I wouldn't go that far.
Sam -- go to the placement offices in all of the local universities, they will not let you interview but they will have job postings for their students, that way you can see what companies are hiring -- also, just show up at the local TV stations, sports teams, retail chains, etc., hit them all again in two weeks, and then two weeks after that (most TV stations expect you to show up eight times before they think you are serious) -- don't forget the state and city, most of their departments will need graphics people -- the dean's office of every business school will have a graphics person (and no they will not hire their own graduates, truf war stuff) , as will the president's office, recruitment, and alumni/development offices -- also hit all of the factories and manufactureres, all will publish catalogs on a regular basis -- allow one month for every $10,000 of annual salary you want, if you do not have a position at the end of that then you need to talk to a professional career consultant
Stan:
The Tribune does seem to be on shaky ground. What can you say about a newspaper that is cutting staff, but seeing to it that the staff they're cutting typically produces the best and most readable content?
I still want to get an informational there, at least to get some idea of how a big city paper (admittedly light, but still) does its layout and design, So I'll keep chasing them, but just for research.
Jim:
That was a lot of good info. Thank you for it. I'll cop to something somewhat unforgivable: On graduation I didn't have that much of a plan.
I need to get busy on personal promotional matter. I'm researching what I can make that I can send out to people I just want to know I'm here. TV is enticing, there is some heavy design going on there every day but the Portland TV world is particularly scary (there's a local 'blog, pdxmediawatch, which gives you just some idea. Scary place. Might wind up working for Murdoch, and who wants that?)
And, most shamefully, I have not made any use of my alma mater's (Portland Community College) job placement department.
Fortunately, my skill set is now a hell of a lot more portable than it usedterbe.
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