Presents
Design Career Kick-start your career Land your dream job Studio survival Climb the career ladder Earn more money ARTS15 2013
Making your mark in the design industry
PRINTED IN THE UK
E ssential resources
Your definitive guide to
£7.99
Changing direction
Welcome It’s tough to be a designer in 2013: budgets are tighter, studios smaller and the job market more competitive than ever before. Meanwhile, the evolving digital landscape is fast changing any ‘traditional’ career path almost beyond recognition. So how can you get ahead? To make your mark on the design industry you need to keep one eye on the bigger picture while navigating the minutiae. Whether you’re just starting out, climbing the career ladder or looking to switch disciplines entirely, this special issue from the makers of Computer Arts brings you all the expert advice, tips and guidance you need to get your next big break and carve a successful career in design. Julia Sagar Editor, Computer Arts Presents 4
06 Kick-Start your career
08 10 11 12 14 15 16 18 21 22
Design your career path Learning on the job Craft a winning graduate résumé Finesse your graduate folio Boost your job search with social media Case study: Louise Ormerod 22 world-class agencies Be more employable Case study: Tom Mac Design career lifecycles
26 Land your dream job
28 31 32 34 36 37 38 39 40
utstanding applications O Websites to help your search Make your CV sparkle Nail every interview Case study: Chris Morris What they’re really asking Skype interviews Case study: Michael Bierut Is the offer right?
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Contents
74 Earn more money
76 78 79 81
42 Studio survival
46 48 50 51 52
Tricky situations Dealing with a bad boss When to say no Design studio etiquette Design a winning workspace
Supercharge your salary How to negotiate Case study: Kate Lester Supplement your income
84 changing direction
86 88 89 91 92
Reinventing your career Give your CV a facelift Case study: Jose Gomez Four ways to retrain How to sell your studio
52 Grow your design career
94 Essential resources
54 56 58 59 60 61 62 64 65 66 68 70 71 72
96 Essential resources for design career success 97 Introducing the rest of the Computer Arts Presents series
Map your next move How to get promoted Get more from LinkedIn Improve your portfolio Work on bigger projects Case study: Lee Davies Boost your popularity Case study: Karan Singh Survive management Beating stress Evolve your freelance career Joining forces Case study: Leandro Castelao Work better as part of a team
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Win your dream on a budget Landjob your dream job
Land your dream job T
here might be more designers than jobs in the creative industries, but don’t bin your Pantone swatch book just yet. There will always be opportunities for talented creatives: you just need to know where to look for them. Whether you’re a freelancer, full-time designer or recent graduate, with the right mix of craft, graft and design savvy, an opportunity to land your dream job will eventually present itself. And when it does, you need to be ready to grab it with both hands. In this chapter we explain how to make your dream job a reality. From where to look and how to utilise the power of word of mouth to perfecting your CV, what to wear and nailing those awkward interview questions, the following pages will ensure you’re in the best position to win your dream job.
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studio survival
studio survival A
wkward office moments – they happen. Maybe you’ve been sucked into studio gossip or accidentally hit send on an inappropriate email; perhaps you didn’t realise the conference call had started when you made that joke – or the issue might be more serious. From bullying bosses to credit-stealing creative directors, the studio can be a minefield of potentially thorny issues, so in this chapter we bring you some expert tips for safely navigating these sticky scenarios. Of course, we can’t stop you getting into uncomfortable situations in the first place. But we’ve covered most of the classics here, so whatever tricky encounter you next discover yourself in, you should find a solution over the following pages.
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climb the career ladder
Climb the career ladder W
hether you’re climbing the rungs of the design industry in-house, or want to grow your reputation as a freelance creative, you need a solid game-plan. Long and short-term goals will help shape your career, and there are countless other things you can do to improve your professional standing along the way. This chapter covers everything from how to distil your creative interests into an action plan of achievable goals, to what to do to survive your first month in management. By the time you finish, you’ll be brimming with inventive ideas to propel your creative career forward.
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Earn more money
Earn more money G
iven the rocky global economy, you might not be expecting a salary increase any time soon. Earning potential probably wasn’t your number-one reason for pursuing a career in design anyway – at least you have a job, right? Wrong. Now that the worst of the recession is over, full-time vacancies are on the rise, and so are salaries. And as the digital economy continues to expand there are even more opportunities to improve your marketability. Yes, competition is fierce. But if you want a bigger pay cheque there is action you can take; starting with ensuring you’re being paid what you’re worth in the first place. From how to develop the most in-demand skills to the fine art of negotiating a pay rise, the following pages are packed with top tips for increasing your earning power.
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Contributors
Special thanks to... A selection of contributors to The Design Career Handbook
Paul Wyatt Writer and creative director With several awards to his name, Paul produces branding, websites, video documentaries and DVD creative for clients such as Virgin Media, the BBC, Studio Canal and Cadbury. www.paulwyatt.co.uk Garrick Webster Design writer and editor Garrick is a freelance editor, journalist and copywriter who is also a previous editor of Computer Arts. His interests include crime fiction, comic books, tropical fish and ice hockey. www.memories-book.co.uk Terry Lee Stone Writer and strategist Los Angeles-based Terry is a writer and creative strategist who teaches the business of design at Art Center College of Design and at Lynda.com. www.terryleestone.com
Design Career Future Publishing Ltd, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW Phone 01225 442 244 Fax 01225 732 275 Email computerarts@futurenet.com Web www.computerarts.co.uk
Editorial
Julia Sagar Editor julia.sagar@futurenet.com Jo Gulliver Art editor jo.gulliver@futurenet.com Luke o’neill Illustrator luke.oneill@futurenet.com Ian Evenden Production
Contributors
Michael Burns, Rob Carney, Nick Carson, Tom Dennis, Kerrie Hughes, Karen Lewis, Sammy Maine, Damian McGee, Terry Lee Stone, Garrick Webster, Anne Wollenberg, Paul Wyatt Cover printer Philtone Text printer William Gibbons Paper Solarispress 75g text Cover Precision Special Gloss 250gsm Typefaces Idler, Helvetica Neue (T1)
Advertising 0207 042 4122 Charlie Said Ad sales director charlie.said@futurenet.com Laura Watson Senior sales executive laura.watson@futurenet.com Julian Tozer Account manager julian.tozer@futurenet.com Ross Arthurs Senior sales executive ross.arthurs@futurenet.com
Marketing Philippa Newman Group marketing manager philippa.newman@futurenet.com Alexandra Geary Marketing executive alexandra.geary@futurenet.com Print & Production Mark Constance Production manager Vivienne Turner Production co-ordinator Nola Cokely Ad production manager Circulation James Ryan Direct marketing executive james.ryan@futurenet.com Daniel Foley Trade marketing manager daniel.foley@futurenet.com Richard Jefferies International account manager richard.jefferies@futurenet.com Licensing Regina Erak Licensing director regina.erak@futurenet.com Future Publishing Limited Declan Gough Head of creative and design Nial Ferguson Managing director of technology, film and games Dan Oliver Editor-in-chief Paul Newman Senior editor Steve Gotobed Group art editor Robin Abbott Creative director Jim Douglas Editoral director Subscriptions 0844 848 2852 www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Distributed by Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT Tel: 0207 429 4000
Future produces high-quality multimedia products which reach our audiences online, on mobile and in print. Future attracts over 50 million consumers to its brands every month across five core sectors: Technology, Entertainment, Music, Creative and Sports & Auto. We export and license our publications.
Anne Wollenberg Journalist Having shunned office life, Oxfordshirebased Anne writes for Computer Arts, Computer Arts Collection and many other publications. She occasionally leaves the house in search of more biscuits. www.annewollenberg.co.uk
© Future Publishing Limited 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. The registered office of Future Publishing Limited is at Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW. All information contained in this magazine is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. Readers are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this magazine. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage.
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TOm Dennis Design writer and editor Ex-Computer Arts staffer Tom has been writing for the magazine and its sister titles for more than five years, editing, commissioning and interviewing the likes of Neville Brody, Stefan Sagmeister and David Carson.
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