Earlier today as part of my regular job I was reviewing job applications for a Senior Graphic Designer position. While some of the applications were quite decent, there were so many bad ones that I gained a LOT of insight into what NOT to do when applying for a graphic design position.
There were 20+ applications to sort through and I was surprised at how many made it so easy for me to eliminate them from the running. So to help prevent aspiring graphic designers out there from making these same mistakes, I thought I’d present my top 5 job application tips! All of these were based on actual employment applications I reviewed! Amazing!
1. Check your spelling.
Especially paragraphs where you write about how much experience you have at proofing things for print. I kid you not!
2. Don’t set your resume in Arial.
Good designers should be aware of the message their typeface choices send. Arial is clean, modern and legible typeface, yes, but it’s also a weak default option. Choosing Arial just shows me how design-ignorant you are. Out of all the other great options there are out there, you chose a default font in MS Word, and a much derided one at that. (Exception: web based or email applications: your choices are limited here.)
3. Leave out the wanky stuff.
“I’m a forward-thinking success-motivated individual who seeks out dynamic interpersonal… blah blah blah…” NEXT.
4. Show me your work.
At least give me a link to some of your work online or include some portfolio pieces within a PDF. Your resume might read really well, but that doesn’t convince me you have a good eye for design. Oh, and if you do have a website portfolio showing your work, make sure the site isn’t completely broken.
5. Consider the content of your portfolio.
Don’t fill up your portfolio with weaker projects. It looks better to show 5 strong examples than 35 questionable ones. Where possible, explain your role in each project. Did you design that logo, or just put it on a red background and make it into a banner? Did you design and code your website from scratch, or apply your logo to a template? Thought processes and design rationales are excellent, just keep them concise.
And… maybe it’s best that you leave out that uni project you did for illegal amphetamine product packaging. I’m sure it was really cool for your classmates, but now I can’t help but think you’re a druggie who’s going to steal our laptops to pay for your meth.
Remember that this is all about convincing me that you’re effective at visual communication. The best thing you can do is imagine yourself in the place of the interviewer and consider all the messages your job application sends.
Okay, now go out there and land that design job!
“3. Leave out the wanky stuff.”
Ack! Need to revise mine again! Sure, I’m not applying for a graphic designer position, but that one I can see apply to practically almost ANY resume (with maybe a few exceptions that I can’t think of at the moment).
To be fair, that’s my personal preference, and other firms will view it differently. If the statement is honest and sincere then it should stay, but too often, in my opinion, it reads as if they are trying too hard and faking it.
Good point. I kind of also think that the rules – well, guidelines – for resumes changes so fast and so much that it makes it all the more difficult on tailoring the resume properly for whichever appropriate field.
Good tips Trev. I’ll definitely keep them in mind for future applications.
Thanks for the tips- and that great periodic table!
I’m having a horrible time with resumes…
Speaking of fonts- did you design the one for LSotW? Did you make a complete alphabet? I love it! Since, if you did make the whole alphabet, it’s yours, can you think of a similar free-use font? It’s hard to find nice ones!
Hi Lisa, The LSotW typeface is Structia, but I altered the relative sizes and spacing and gave it a custom texture. A good free alternative might be Public Gothic Square.
Ah, this is a great list. I have experienced everything you have listed when reviewing portfolios as well.
I wanted to drop you a line that’s longer than a tweet and tell you thanks for your kind words about my recent ramblings. I truly believe that there’s a side of the professional creative fields that people not in them don’t realize. To them it’s fun – to us it’s a job, how we pay bills and feed kids. It’s a lot harder than people realize.
Thanks for dropping me a line. Very much appreciated. Keep up the great work!
Completely agree. There are always a lot of behind-the-scenes factors that come into it, and everything has to align to allow a project to succeed both creatively and financially. I wish I could tell you about some of what goes on!
It’s MUCH easier to view a finished product and see how you would have done it better. Heck, I do it with my own work. Thanks again for your comments.