In this post, I’ve attempted to share the tips and advice I was looking for in the final year of my degree. There’s a lot more I could add to this; I don’t think I could put comprehensive advice into one post. It’s relevant to students doing their degree now, to new graduates, and to graphic designers early in their career.

When I graduated in July, I found that the advice on the web for job-seekers in graphic design didn’t come close to fulfilling what I was looking for. That’s because graphic design, as a discipline, is changing a lot. I don’t believe it’s just about web and print design anymore. Technology is changing things fast, and it looks like it’s only going to accelerate. In addition to graphic design being a changing discipline, the infrastructure of jobs and employment is changing. So I found it particularly difficult to find some really useful and relevant advice meant especially for new graphic designers.

While you are doing your degree, it’s helpful to see it for what it is: a means to an end. The end is getting a job (this includes further academic research, which also leads, I hope, to some kind of employment, in a university or elsewhere). Getting a job is just the beginning. It’s easy to lose track of this when you’re working for your degree; three or four years go by extremely fast, and before you know it, you’re plunged unceremoniously into the cold water of the real world.

The real world is tough, and sometimes cold, perhaps especially tough for graphic design graduates because the market is saturated, competitive, and hard. There are more qualified graphic designers than there are vacant jobs. There are things you can do in preparation to make the transition less painful.

Here are some things I wish I’d known:

1. Despite what everyone says, your attitude is the most important thing (more important than your portfolio)
OK, a good portfolio is important. Make sure you pick your best pieces, and display your best pieces professionally. However…

… cultivating a good attitude is more important than a good portfolio. Mentally prepare yourself for hardship. In job interviews, expect rejection, and be humble and persistent. If you’re humble and persistent, you can work through most rejection and small failures; with hubris and pride, you will find the process dispiriting and get discouraged faster. Only the lucky few get jobs soon after graduation, and it doesn’t have much to do with talent. A good portfolio helps get a job, but having a great attitude will see you through rejection, and help you through other stages in your career as well.

While you’re still studying for your degree, try not to care too much about your grades. Use the time to explore your interests within graphic design to the end of the web and beyond. Aim to learn.

2. Pay attention to the industry outside your graphic design department
I found that my university department had a very strong and specific graphic design philosophy. This is one of the things that makes Reading a great place to study graphic design. But I think this has pros and cons.

It’s important not to forget the big picture: the creative industry as a whole. Think really carefully about what you’re interested in most. If you’re more interested in images, photography, and illustration than typographic book design, then find a way to learn about this interest outside of the studio. Learn what you can on your course, but remember that your university department is preparing you to join a large, multi-faceted, changing industry.

Finally, realise that feedback is largely opinion: someone marking your work is one individual, someone else may respond differently.

3. Be proactive in learning during and after your degree
You are doing a degree to learn. When you are doing a project, if something in particular interests you, for example, coding the HTML of a website, explore this interest further. Read as much as you can about coding a website in CSS and HTML. Take your interest as far as you can. Find out what the recent developments in website design are and follow them closely; aim to be an expert.

4. Treat project briefs like exams
Read the project brief ten times. Make sure you really understand what your examiners want from you. Scribble all over them and underline words and phrases. If it’s a vague brief, as briefs in your final year will be, try to narrow your ideas down to about three or four. Save every good idea you generate to put into your work-file.

As you work through project briefs, ask for feedback from as many people as possible. Extensively research all of the explicit and implicit questions in each practical project, and learn as much as you can from each one.

5. Try not to get too focused on what your classmates are doing
It’s important to answer a brief in your own voice. At the same time, get feedback from as many people as you can. Try to identify your specific skills and strengths and work to them.

If your classmates get jobs faster than you, don’t let that get you down; just keep trying.

6. Don’t pigeonhole your interests too quickly
Think about what you enjoy doing most, but don’t try to limit yourself. For example, don’t apply exclusively for editorial/magazine design jobs. It might not be until after you graduate that you work out what you’re really interested in doing.

Aim to try everything and find out what you like the most.

7. Relax and be yourself in job interviews
I’ve found that employers have sharper sight than you do when it comes to knowing what you want. So in an interview, relax and be yourself as much as possible. Try to work out if you would genuinely like to work for them. Interview your employer as much as you are interviewing them.

8. Academia and graphic design
Graphic design is finally gaining credence in the academic world. There are some great MA degrees at Reading in history and theory of graphic design, and some other MAs that meld the academic with the practical (for example, a MA in Typeface Design also requires a long dissertation). The RCA has an interesting research unit called Design Interactions.

That said, a lot of interesting research is done outside universities. But I think that typeface design, for example, requires supervision and support from experts.

9. Inform yourself with smart magazines, books, and of course, blogs
A basic staple for design culture is:

Eye Magazine, the International Review of Graphic Design. Founded by Rick Poynor, this magazine is the strongest argument for print available. The sentences are as well-crafted as the pages. The articles are generally smart, well-written, and thought-provoking commentary on graphic-design related issues.

Design Observer, similar to Eye Magazine, but without the delicious smell of ink and the smooth feel of coated paper.

Typography Papers The publication is beautiful, inside and out. I’d recommend this to any smart, thinking, curious person. “This occasional, book-length work is edited and produced at the Department of Typography, University of Reading, and is now published by Hyphen Press. It publishes extended articles on its subject, exploring topics to the length to which they want to go. Its scope is broad and international, its treatment – serious and lively.”

In addition, I’d recommend TechCrunch for technology news, ReadWriteWeb for tech and web trends and occasional very interesting articles, and Publishing 2, a very smart blog written on the theme of technology’s impact on media.