the emerging artist’s guide to getting started_blog

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The Emerging Artist’s Guide to Getting Started

Christina Watson and Elizabeth Rosemiller

Rowan University



AbstractFinding a job as a recent graduate has become increasingly difficult. However, there are

many things that can be done in school and after graduation to make finding a graphic design jobeasier. Areas concentrated on are the portfolio, resume, interview and portfolio presentation,internships and work experience, the job search journal, networking, and teamwork withinformation gathered form online databases, books, and interviews. A blog and facebook pagehas been created as a way to further share this information.

Keywords: Graphic design, design, portfolio, job search, employment, recent graduate

The Emerging Artist’s Guide to Getting Started

In the current economic climate of 2010, finding and keeping a job has become a seriousconcern, this is especially true for young people who are nearing graduation from college or whohave recently graduated (Cappetta, Hamm). Often, they find themselves having to compete notonly with other recent graduates but also with seasoned professionals who have lost their jobs and

are willing to take even the entry-level positions that are usually given to people who are juststarting in their field. The question then becomes; how can young professionals who are juststarting out in their field make themselves irresistible to potential employers, in spite of all thecompetition? This White Paper will seek to discover the answer to that question as it pertains tothe art field, focusing mainly on the area of graphic design.

Methods The literary search began in the Campbell library with books on portfolio design, jobsearching, and interviewing for graphic design. Also through the Campbell Library website,online databases were accessed for additional information on the subject of job hunting in thegraphic design field.

In addition to the information collected through traditional book and internet research we

developed two separate interviews that focused on our subject. One was geared toward aseasoned professional with the ability to look back over the course of their career so far. Wehoped that this interview would provide us with helpful insights from these professionals on whycertain things they did in college or immediately afterward helped them to get where they are intheir profession. The second interview was aimed at students that had graduated in the last fewyears. Our hope with this survey was to find if the same activities seasoned professionals foundhelpful still proved effective for the current job market. Both of these interviews focused onsimilar topics. These topics were portfolio preparation and presentation, activities during thecollege career and directly afterward and internships.

Literature ReviewOut of 6 books identified in the Campbell library four were found to be relevant to helping

students become prepared to seek employment in the art world. The books found to be helpfuland relevant are Sara Eisenman’s Building Design Portfolios , Roz Goldfarb’s Careers by Design ,Martha Metzdorf’s The Ultimate Design Portfolio and Paula Scher’s The Graphic Design

Portfolio: How to Make a Good One . After searching through several of Rowan University’sdatabases, the Art Full Text database produced several meaningful articles which include Garrick Hamm’s “Top Ten Ways to Get a Job,” Andrew Cappetta and Lina Soni’s “Finding a Job After Graduation” and Keith Preswich and Ryan Wolman’s “Foot, Meet Door.”



Professor InterviewsThe interview for professors was developed keeping in mind that hindsight is 20/20 and

that the economy, job market, and technology have all changed in recent years. This interviewwas used with the client, Jan Conradi, in order to gain an understanding of how she herself startedher new successful career in the arts. This interview was conducted in person. 6 interviews weresent via email with 0 responses for a 0% response rate of emailed interviews. One professor responded that she was too busy with absolutely no response from the rest of the professors.

Recent Graduate SurveysThe interview for recent graduates was developed to gain an understanding of what works

and what does not work for finding a graphic design job in today’s market directly from thosewho are interacting with it. This survey will generate current data on what employers are lookingfor as well as what current students should avoid. This interview was distributed throughfacebook and through e-mails. Many of those interviewed were former students of our client, andtwo were recent graduates from Moore College of Art and Design. Seven interviews were sent viaemail and facebook with five responses for a 71% response rate or emailed surveys.

Results

Through out the research process we came across several recurring themes with the mostimportant being the portfolio. Other areas to focus on are what to do while still in school, creativeresumes, portfolio organization and presentation, networking, keeping track of your job hunting

journey, what is considered useful work experience, teamwork, and finally what to do once youdo have a job.

During School While still in school there are many important things a student can do that can make their

resume more attractive to a potential employer in their field. The first priority of the art studentmust be to produce the highest quality work they are capable of in each of their classes becausethis work will become the basis of their first portfolio. Pieces can always be reworked after theyare submitted for a grade to make them portfolio ready (Conradi, Preswich). Another way to

network in school is to get involved in national and school organizations that are related to astudent’s particular major (Cappetta, Conradi, Mallinson). Becoming friends with other designstudents as well as teachers and in class presenters is a great way to begin networking (Claire).Sometimes, even seemingly unrelated activities may prove helpful as they can provide further networking opportunities, and the possibility of meeting someone who could make use of your design skills (Conradi, Lappin). Day to day classes are also a wonderful time and place tonetwork. Think of teachers, fellow students and in-class speakers as potential leads for jobopenings and as references (Hamm).

PortfolioWhen you prepare your portfolio for an internship or job interview, keep in mind that this

is a very different process than creating a portfolio for a college interview. You should develop

four different types of portfolios, argues Metzdorf. The first is a portfolio that is meant to bedropped off to a potential employer for a short period of time and be able to stand on its own; itshould not require you to be there to explain the organization or presentation. The second is a

portfolio that you keep for yourself to show to a prospective client or employer at a moment’snotice. The third is a portfolio that is meant to be left with a client or possible employer after youhave met with them; expect this portfolio to be out of your hands for an extended period of time.The fourth portfolio is one that is structured in such a way as to make it able to be mailed to a

possible client or employer and will have to be able to stand up to traveling and the possibility of getting tossed around in transit. Figures 1 and 2 show examples of two different portfolio



structures that are suitable for mailing. Figure 1 shows a system of folders and envelopes that are“available in air express size” states Metzdorf. Figure 2 is an example of two lightweightclamshell boxes that “fit perfectly in a standard air express shipping carton” and will “providesupport and help protect your art” during transit, Metzdorf explains.

Figure 1 (Metzdorf, p. 71)


Any portfolio that you build should have excellent craft, meaning that all elements should be “clean and straight”, said Scher. The case itself should be “simply designed and convenient.”(Scher, 155) Avoid any portfolio cases that are decorative, your work needs to be the main focus.(Scher, 155) Figure 3 shows an example of a simple and effective portfolio format, made up of a

presentation book and plain black carrying case.




Different sources give different numbers of how many pieces should be included in a portfolio, ranging anywhere from five to twenty. A good number to follow is no more the twelve pieces; never “pad” a portfolio with extra work that is not of good enough quality (Eisnman 15).It is much better to have only a few very strong pieces in a portfolio then to add weak piecessince a portfolio is only as strong as the weakest piece. Quality of portfolio pieces is much moreimportant than quantity; quality should be consistent throughout a portfolio (Goldfarb 134). Your

portfolio can be organized into visual sections. Work from all of the different areas of design youchoose to focus on should be grouped together; for example all typographic works should begrouped together, and package design should be organized in a separate group.

As a recent graduate, be sure to include a variety of pieces in a portfolio at this point(Conradi, Lappin). As you gain experience, you will be able to develop a portfolio that is morespecialized for a particular type of job. Be sure to include sketches and thumbnails in the back of the portfolio in order to show you are capable of a solid design process (Goldfarb 132, Eisenman45). Sketches outline the problem solving and thought process of an artist and some employersmay want to see sketches as well as hear an explanation of how a design was decided on; be

prepared to discuss each piece in a portfolio (Preswich). When designing a portfolio and choosingmaterials for presentation, be practical. Portfolios need to be lightweight for shipping andcarrying, a size that is easy to carry on public transportation and through buildings, and possiblyinexpensive as well since multiple portfolios are needed (Eisenman 38). A well-designed

portfolio does not have to be an expensive portfolio or overly complicated. Employers prefer simple portfolios that just show the designer’s work, do not make them complicated (Keeler,Mallinson). Be prepared to rework portfolios for each interview depending on the type and styleof work a company does.

ResumeWhen the art school graduate starts looking for a job, he or she must present themselves a

little differently than an individual entering the business or health care sector. As a designer your resumes must be well designed, do not use a traditional resume (Eisenman 47). The artist’sresume should be seen as a part of a designer’s portfolio. This resume should include thedesigner’s personal logo, and a letterhead format that should be applied to any printed

correspondence the designer uses. This letterhead and logo system functions as the artist’s visualidentity. The style of the resume should make sense within the entire portfolio presentation andmust simultaneously be a stand alone piece (Goldfarb 118). Figures 4, 5, and 6 show an exampleof a working identity system. Figure 4 is an artist resume, figure 5 is a business card, and figure 6is an envelope for mailing correspondence. Each piece of this system has an underlying structurethat all other elements are organized around. These pieces show how visual continuity is created

by placing the artist’s logo, and contact information, in a similar format throughout the entireidentity system.



Figure 4 (Rosemiller, personal identity system)



InterviewStandard interview practices apply here (Eisenman 39). Before any interview applicants

should do some research on the company they are interviewing with (Hamm). Be aware of whattype of work the company does and their image in the community. Does the company have awell-known, famous piece of work? If so, then be able to talk about this piece (Hamm). Next,even if you are interviewing for a job that is not ideal, use the interview as practice and as a way



to expose your work which also ends up being a free portfolio critique by an experienced personin your field (Eisenman 40, Mallinson). As a new graduate you will probably make mistakes; thisis another learning opportunity (Preswich). Immediately after each interview sit down and write athank you letter to the person who interviewed you; a short, sincere note thanking the person for their time and any helpful comments will help you stand out among other potential candidates(Goldfarb 118). All written communication with potential employers should be formal, wellwritten and edited, including emails (Goldfarb 119).

Internships, Jobs, Work ExperienceMost students want to have a great summer internship with a great, well-respected design

firm in a big city while in college (Cappetta). Internships do provide good experience, look niceon resumes and provide potential portfolio pieces; However, any job held while in college can

potentially count as experience for an entry-level design position since many entry-level positionsdon’t involve design work (Cappetta). Freelancing right out of college is also an option for graduates who may not be able to find a full time job (Goldfarb 125). Though interviews it wasdiscovered that freelancing is increasingly common for a graduate’s first job to be an unpaidinternship (Keeler, Brown, Lappin). Another increasingly popular and useful option for recentgraduates, according to our interviews, is an internship after graduation. Companies are turning to

this option as a way to test drive new designers and their work without the financial risk associated with actually hiring the designer (Conradi, Keeler).

Journal After graduation you may not find a job right away, especially in a suffering economy. In

order to keep track of a lengthy job search, develop a journal or notebook for recording the process including the names of companies contacted, the date, who was spoken to, their contactinformation, important details from the conversation and when to follow up with the company(Eisnman 46). Expenses related to a job search may also be tax deductible; one more reason tokeep meticulous records of the job search as well as all expenses incurred. According to the JobSearch Deductions article on H&R Block.com, itemized expenses over two percent of incomerelated to a job search may qualify as an itemized deduction. To qualify, a graduate must have

had a job or internship while in college and be seeking a job in the same field as the college job or internship. Expenses that qualify for deductions are employment agency fees, fees related toresume preparation, printing and mailing, and travel expenses: air fare, car mileage, meals andlodging.

Networking Networking is important for anyone in any field. Take advantage of any and all

opportunities to get to know people working in the design or art field (Hamm). Keep in touchwith professors and fellow students after graduation (Claire). Go to any events with speakers inyour field and talk to the speaker afterward to create more connections (Conradi). Keep in contactwith your fellow students and professors after graduation (Claire, Keeler). Social networking sitescan connect you to friends of friends in the design community and let you digitally share artwork.

A professional headhunting or employment service can also be helpful if network connections donot turn up any potential jobs (Goldfarb 117).

Teamwork The importance of effective teamwork should never be underestimated. As a member of a

design team it is essential to both be respectful of, and work well with, others; a strong work ethicis needed to get projects complete on time (Goldfarb 147). Before you can be completelysuccessful in working with others in a team you must understand yourself and how you

personally interact with others (Johnston). Based on the experience this team has had in design,



the best way for a design team to work together is for the team to first understand the project as awhole. They must be able to understand the processes that they will have to go through to solvethe design problem they have been presented with. Then, the team must be able to break the

project down into smaller tasks, and know which members of the team should be assigned whichtasks. The members need to be able to go work on their own to develop their parts of the project,

but then they must all be able to come back together as a whole. When they come together, eachmember must be able to present their work confidently, and be able to accept constructivecriticism (Hamm). For teams to be successful they must “understand and respect” the other teammembers as well as set and commit to the goals of the team (Johnston). This part of the design

process is called a critique, and is vital for the project to be able to move forward and to cometogether cohesively and effectively.

Once You Have An Art JobContinue networking with coworkers and clients. This may be helpful in the future if you

are starting a new company or moving to another job. Along with networking, be nice toeveryone since you never know who will later be your boss or who will be working with atanother company when looking for a job (Hamm). The design field is a small community, andyour attitude while working with that community is very important so do not complain; especially

when completing the mundane tasks of an entry-level position (Hamm). No one wants to hear about how boring your job is, chances are that they have already been in that position; try toremain positive that you will have better responsibilities soon and keep in mind that this is notyour dream job (Cappetta). This is just the first job in a long career and will provide theknowledge and experience necessary to obtain a better job in the future (Hamm). Always goabove and beyond the expectations of others and always find something to keep busy (Hamm).Have confidence in everything you do (Hamm). Finally, in everything you do, includingmundane tasks like picking up the mail, prove just how valuable you are; you want your employer and boss to wonder how they ever made it through a single day without you (Hamm).

Analysis Now that we have presented a long list of what is important for design students and

recent graduates lets make some sense of it all. So here is what should help you out.

During School While still in school take all design assignments seriously (Preswich) as if you are

completing a project for a client even if the project is an aspect of design that you do not see as part of your dream career path. This will help ensure you have the best possible, as well as avariety of work to put in your first portfolio after graduation. You can also rework assignmentsafter they are turned in to create even better portfolio pieces (Conradi). Make sure you getinvolved in campus activities and organizations (Cappetta, Conradi) that will provide experience,networking opportunities, and also look great on a new graduate’s resume. Even hobbiesunrelated to your major can provide valuable connections in the local community. Our client met

people in a volunteer theater group before getting her first job that needed a freelance graphic

designer (Conradi). So even if your hobbies are not related to your major they can still providenetworking opportunities in addition to having fun and taking a break from classes andhomework.

PortfolioOne of the main aspects of the job search that sets the art and design professionals apart

from the rest of society is the artist’s portfolio. The portfolio sets you as an artist apart from other artists. It consists of your intellectual property and shows examples of the quality of work a clientor employer can expect from you. Now that you are past college portfolio reviews and you are not



design. Any office job that involves answering phones and taking messages or using officeequipment such as copiers and fax machines will be valuable to employers. Even retail positionscan provide customer service skills that will be helpful in any career. These are all valuable skillsto help get a foot in the door. When unable to find a full time position or while in the process of looking for one freelancing provides an opportunity to get paid experience, get your name andwork into the community and get more potential portfolio pieces for future interviews. If you doget an internship it will be helpful as well (Brown, Lappin). Internships provide experience,confidence to design without a professor's oversight and portfolio pieces that are not classassignments (Keeler, Lapin). Internships may also be available within your school (Lappin).Internships before and after graduation can both lead to paid positions (Conradi).

Journal As you begin your first job search after graduation make sure you keep records of where

you filled out applications and sent portfolios. Use a simple notebook to create a journal of whereyou applied and when, who you spoke to and their contact information, and when to contact themagain. Keep records of any continued contact and details of conversations (Goldfarb 116). You donot want to accidentally contact the same company repeatedly and not remember doing so. Thiswould be embarrassing and leave a negative impression, both of which should be avoided. Today

many applications are submitted online and sites require user names and passwords for repeatedaccess, keep track of these as well. The journal can also be used to keep track of all receiptsrelated to expenses incurred during a job search for possible tax deductions. Make sure you writedown your car’s mileage before and after driving to interviews; also make sure you get a copy of the sales slip for that expensive lunch interview (HR Block).

Networking You will need to begin networking (Conradi, Cappetta, Hamm) with others in and out of

the design community early in your school career. It is important to get involved in clubs andnational organizations for your major as well as non-related hobbies. Keep in touch with teachers,fellow students and any in class speakers after graduation (Claire, Keeler, Mallison). There islittle value to networking if you do not maintain and use these connections that may provide

valuable references and inside information during your first and subsequent job searches. Sitessuch as LinkedIn and facebook make keeping in touch easier then ever before. Also try going toevents in the community whether they are presentations or exhibitions and speaking to artists anddesigners. Any way you can think of to meet and keep in contact with others will be beneficial toyour career now and in the future.

Teamwork The ability to work as part of a team is necessary in the design field. Designers work in

teams on larger projects or when time is limited. Always have confidence in your work; if youdon’t have confidence in your design then someone with more confidence will sell his or her design to the team instead. Be able to sell your work to your peers. Take the time to learn aboutyourself as an individual and how you interact with others, then figure out others’ work habits

and how that effects the group as a whole. Understanding yourself and others can greatly improve productivity and cohesiveness of groups (Johnston).

Once You Have a JobYou will probably not land your dream job immediately after graduation (Cappetta) so be

prepared to work in any aspect of design including those which are not your favorite or even havea job that is not related to your degree at all in order to pay the bills as one of our interviewedrecent graduates does. Students and graduates should treat internships as seriously as a full time,

paid position because it could likely lead to a real job. Design firms are now using post



graduation internships to see if designers will work in their team without the financial obligationof hiring and training (Conradi). Go above and beyond in everything you do (Hamm) which willshow those above you that you are hard working and responsible, traits that will help earn moreresponsibilities (read: promotion) and a chance to work on bigger, more important projects. Alsoconsider multiple jobs. Sometimes to truly pursue the creative path of your dreams you will needto have the job that pays the bills and remain an artist on the side (Claire).

DiscussionThis project was meant to help discover how students and graduates of art school can

help prepare themselves to be competitive in the job market. The research for the project wasgathered through online databases, books about finding jobs in the art field, and surveys that weredeveloped specifically for this purpose. During the research several points were mentionedrepeatedly. Get involved with organizations while you are still in school. For a designer, gettinginvolved in the campus publication is a great way to get practice for your career. Make the effortto network with any professionals you meet, as well as your fellow students, or fellow interns. Dothe highest quality of work you possibly can, and rework any pieces that need it. The work youdo in school will become your first portfolio, so it has to be excellent. Develop an artist’s resumethat visually fits with the presentation of your portfolio. Remember that your resume is your

introduction to potential employers, so make sure it is well designed. Consider it as another portfolio piece, and the first sample of your work that anyone will see.

For the FutureBeyond the White Paper, this project included the development of a facebook page and a

blog, both of which are in their earliest stages. We are currently writing a proposal that will besubmitted to the Chair of the Graphic Design department, Susan Bowman, outlining our plan for this new facebook page. The facebook page, called Emerging Artists at Rowan, will begin byimpacting the Rowan art community. The plan is that it will spread from there, to include the restof the Rowan student body, and eventually to reach out to the Glassboro community as a whole.As the facebook page grows, it will be used to encourage subscribers to become more involved inart exhibitions at Rowan. This page can also be used to help Rowan art students to start building

their network. The blog, titled The Emerging Artist’s Guide to Getting Started, will be usedmainly to disseminate the information that was gathered for this project. It will show this paper,the interviews that were conducted, and information on all of the databases and books that wereused so that others can do further research if they wish. The ultimate goal for the blog is to assistany students or graduates who are looking for ways to become competitive in the art field.

This project aims to have a much larger impact than this group and our client. With theaddition of the facebook page, and especially the blog, this information is likely to reachindividuals far outside of the local community.



Works Cited

Brown, Katie. Personal interview. 27 Oct. 2010.

Cappetta, Andrew, and Lina Soni. "Back to School Special: Finding a Job after Graduation." Art Papers 26.5 (2002): 8. Art Full Text . Web. 9 Nov. 2010.

Claire. Personal interview. 17 Nov. 2010

Conradi, Jan. Personal interview. 27 Oct. 2010.

Eisenman, Sara. Building Design Portfolios . Gloucester: Rockport Publishers, 2006. Print.

Goldfarb, Roz. Careers by Design . New York: Allworth Press, 2001. Print.

Hamm, Garrick. "Top Ten Ways to Get A Job." Creative Review 22.9 (2002): 24-26. Art Full Text . Web. 9 Nov. 2010.

"Job Expenses You Can Take as a Tax Deduction." Tax Tips & Calculators . H&R Block, 2010.Web. 17 Nov. 2010.<http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/tax_tips/deductions_credits/job_searches.html>.

Johnston, Christine A. Strategic Learning . 2010. Print.

Keeler, Anna. Personal interview. 8 Nov. 2010.

Lappin, Kelly. Personal interview. 6 Nov. 2010.

Metzdorf, Martha. The Ultimate Portfolio . Cincinnati: North Light Books, 1991. Print.

Mallinson, Chris. Personal interview. 8 Nov. 2010.

Preswich, Keith, and Ryan Woolman. "Foot, Meet Door." Applied Arts 25.4 (2010): 18. Art Full Text . Web. 9 Nov. 2010.

Scher, Paula. The Graphic Design Portfolio: How to Make a Good One . Ed. Candace Raney. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1992. Print.

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