Navigating the Transition: From Design School to the Design Industry
Such a big transition coming your way. So many decisions to make that will affect all aspects of your life and career. Decisions about where to live: back home, new city, big city, small town? Decisions about where to work: big creative firm, small firm, client side, agency side, corporation? Continuing on where you interned? Going freelance?
When they all hit at once it can be overwhelming. So let’s consider how to make the right decisions for the right reasons.
Where to live
Whether you are from a smaller town or from NYC or Chicago or Pittsburgh, etc, there will be an opportunity for you to mine your home market for jobs. Having a “home base” can give you a little cushion as you dive into the process. There’s a little less urgency as you figure things out if you’re not paying rent.
If you are from a smaller market and plan to move to a big city, make sure you have a realistic sense for what it will cost you to live there. This excellent salary guide from RobertHalf.com (https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/insights/salary-guide/marketing-and-creative) gives you a good sense for how much you can expect to make relative to your title and the location you choose.
As you search for your first job it’s important that you understand what your baseline expenses will be so you’ll know what salary you will need to make. Consider rent, utilities, food + clothing, student loan payments, healthcare and a little something for living and exploring, as immovable. That number will help you understand what your salary needs to be. It’s important that you have a salary discussion sooner than later so you don’t go too far down a road to nowhere. If this potential job pays $45k and you know you need $70k to live in Pittsburgh, then the conversation can come to a close. Avoid putting yourself in a position that compromises you financially. That’s a hard one to recover from.
Where to work
Lost in all this activity can be the consideration you give to a specific job offer. It’s tempting to jump on the first one that comes your way - and that can certainly be the right move! But it can also set you up for a rough start to your career. Make sure you ask a ton of smart questions (about salary/benefits, work process, reporting structure, review and raise schedule, and culture), and that the work they do aligns with your skills and interests. One of the biggest, most common complaints I hear from my students when things don’t work out: I should have listened to my gut. If something inside is telling you that this situation is “off” and it doesn’t feel right, listen to that. Are there work/life boundary concerns? Can they describe your position and responsibilities in detail? Does the process seem rushed? Or too drawn out? Hopefully it goes smoothly and there is a great fit - your portfolio hits home and you feel comfortable with the personalities in the room. But stay aware. One of the great benefits of an internship is that you are able to sample a culture firsthand. You can decide what works for you and what doesn’t.
Full time vs freelance
You may start to consider a career as a freelancer if the job search gets frustrating. My advice: start your career “inside” at an established creative firm or company and learn how the business works first. It can be surprisingly frustrating for a young designer to thrive as a freelancer right out of school. You need to understand how the creative world functions, how to get and retain clients, how to think strategically and present ideas with authority and confidence (not to mention how to live in the “pay gaps” when your receivables are still sitting out there at 60 days!). And that’s not even considering how to run a small business and plan for taxes, quarterlies and all the complexities surrounding studio expenses and software licensing. Learn the business on someone else’s dime. Your time will come.
You will never forget this time in your life. It’s fun and exciting and scary as can be. But be intentional through this process and take the long view.