Opinion
reading materials and up-to-date job
listings on their sites.
They also hold regular careers events,
which you need to be at. I’ve employed
people directly from those events. There
are countless events like this throughout
the year, so make sure you identif y them.
Tr y Eventbrite and Meetup.
Studiously trawl job listings. Also invest
in researching company, brand and
business websites – make notes and take
names. Having an order of preference is
also useful – think about who you’d like
to work for and why.
LinkedIn is your friend, as is social
media generally. LinkedIn is a professional
network so it carries some weight if you
connect politely and have a story to tell.
Use Twitter to demonstrate you are a
decent human with opinions and ideas.
If I meet you at a careers fair, I’ll
subsequently find you on Tw itter, because
that’s where I begin to understand you
personally. Follow big names in design,
share and comment on their content; the
same applies to prospective employers.
BE TACTICAL
You’re likely to come across job titles such
as UX designer, interaction designer and
innovation architect. Few of these jobs
will ever be labelled graduate or junior.
Many will ask for experience but don’t
be deterred: they’ll often be suitable for
graduates, particularly those with a good
showcase of work. Your experiences and
skills are more valuable and relevant than
you might think – getting your first job
is more about you and how you come
across than your apparent abundance or
lack of work experience.
Remember: always enquire, even if no
jobs are advertised. This shows that you’re
keen and gets your name on the brain list
for future vacancies. And if you come
across well, you could even land yourself
an initial meeting or get another contact
you can reach out to.
SHOW YOUR WORK
Always have a portfolio on hand. This
should be a showcase of the work you’re
proudest of and most confident about,
whether that’s ev idencing your universit y
Align your skill set with what the
company you’re applying to is looking
for – this means tailoring your CV.
Drawing out particular aspects guides
the reader and offers a hierarchy to the
information you’re presenting.
Companies often want to know what
you can bring to the team. Being hired
is down to the balance of your skills and
who you are as an individual, combined
with how you can enhance or build on
existing company culture.SUMMING UP
Remember that inter views won’t always
go your way. Don’t feel disheartened if
that’s the case; knock-backs are valuable
and can be used to your advantage.
Also, don’t feel as though you have to
go for something i f you aren’t com for table
with the role. Essentially, don’t force
yourself to take any old position. The
right one is out there, waiting for you.projects’ design and process, your designs
that have made it into the real world or
work you’ve done in your own time just
for fun. The most important thing,
however, is that you demonstrate how
you respond to a brief, consider outcomes
and iterate on ideas.
Community platforms such as Dribbble
or Instagram can help you gain a
following, are great for amplifying your
voice and are often the best way for you
to collect evidence and showcase your
desig ns. Wrapping up your deg ree show?
Capture that. Working for a couple of
weeks at an agency? Capture that. Work
experience or training course? Capture
that. Capture everything.BE UNIQUE
If you want to work in design, an active,
demonstrable interest in the field is
essential. Seek out and discuss a wider
range of topics from across experience
design practice. If you don’t know what
I mean by that you should probably start
there but the important thing is that you
have your opinion. Who are you? How do
you think?PROFILE
Caynes is principal designer at Foolproof, a global
product and design company that has worked with
some of the world’s biggest brands.
w: http://www.foolproof.co.uk