TIPS ON GETTING A GRAPHIC DESIGN JOB AFTER COLLEGE

DO NOT rely solely on your graphic design courses to provide you with content to put into your portfolio. Decide what kind of company (Agency or in-house) you’d like to work for, and start producing work aimed at that market. Talk to your professors about what your goals are and ask for their feedback within that context. 

• Get an internship and put the work you’re producing into your portfolio (only if it’s good quality). This proves to potential employers that you have experience working in an environment like the one you’re applying to. 

• Pick up freelance gigs and put the work you’re producing into your portfolio (only if it’s good quality). This is also a good opportunity to learn about how to negotiate for pay, hammer out a contract that protects both you and your client, and to see if a full-time freelance career is something you’d eventually be interested in.

• Go to portfolio reviews with a fully polished portfolio and get feedback from working professionals. Before you have your portfolio reviewed by a professional, have your friends examine it with a critical eye. Have them look for typos or text that doesn’t make sense. 

• Start applying for post-graduation employment or for grad school while you’re still in school. As a student, you have access to valuable resources to get feedback on your portfolio and on how to improve it: your professors and classmates! Use them.