Industry Q&A: graduate edition

At the end of last month, our creative talent manager Alissa Metsnik had a chance to get involved in Shillington portfolio reviews. She’s met with super talented grads who have all managed to put together impressive portfolios just after nine months and answered some burning questions alongside a panel of industry professionals. With the fresh wave of graduates wanting to enter the industry, we’ve asked her to reflect on this experience and to put together some thoughts on the most commonly asked questions.

Portfolios, portfolios, portfolios… The good, the bad and the ugly.

Best portfolios tell a story about the work and the person who created it. Make a pdf – that way, you can control the narrative. The website is good if you need to showcase a lot of moving images, but even in this case, consider having a pdf version. Don’t make your portfolio overly long, but do provide enough detail and context for each project. About 5 – 6 slides per project is probably a sweet spot. Make sure the work you show is of consistent quality. That half-finished project you’re not so sure about is what makes people wonder if you’re really as good as the other three amazing projects in your portfolio might suggest. And whatever you do, do not cut corners. We see it. That ‘Lorem Ipsum’ text or hastily designed website is much more noticeable than you think. Put in an effort. Your portfolio can say a lot about you as a designer and your attention to detail. Make sure your contact details are easy to find. Don’t let it exceed 15 – 20MB; no one likes seeing huge email attachments or downloading unknown Wetransfer links. Finally, make sure your portfolio demonstrates your personality and unique abilities. It doesn’t mean going over the top with the portfolio’s design; just think about what little nuggets of your personality you can leave around. It could be as simple as the self-initiated project you’ve been working on or how you write your copy.

Catching attention as a graduate and the age-old question of self-promotion.

I see lots of graduates being concerned about self-promotion, and there’s almost an expectation of needing to start gaining those followers across every social platform imaginable and filling up the ‘press’ section of your CV as soon as you graduate. In my opinion, graduating is already stressful, and there’s no real need to concern yourself with marketing your skills unless you’re looking to build a freelance reputation in a niche field. If all you’re after is to get your foot in the door into that first job, getting featured in ‘best graduates’ blog articles or having 10,000 followers won’t help as much as you think it might. Instead, focus on actively contacting prospective employers and networking. Create a LinkedIn profile and turn that ‘open to work’ button on. Email designers and studios. Get in touch with recruiters. Seek portfolio advice and go to industry events. If all fails, consider internships — they are an incredibly valuable way to gain experience and will make you infinitely more hireable. Most importantly, learn from rejections and persevere. For every hundred people who say ‘no’, there will be someone who sees potential in you.

Thoughts on networking.

The term ‘networking’ instantly brings to mind awkward small talk and the pressure of trying to come across as more impressive than you really are, hoping to meet someone ‘worthwhile’. If that’s your idea of networking, you’re likely to be very bad at it or avoid it altogether. Instead, let’s change this term to ‘making genuine connections’. All you need to do is go to events you’re curious about and talk to people you find interesting. That’s all. Some of them might be your peers, and some might end up being industry professionals. Just be genuine and always follow up with people you meet. I can’t even fathom how many opportunities I probably missed out on in the past just because I was too scared to email that lovely person who handed me their business card.

That lucrative first job.

Repeat after me — your first job doesn’t need to be perfect. Of course, you should never give up on the agencies you love before you’ve even tried. Make sure you email everyone you think you’d like to work for and be just persistent enough to not be creepy. But, if it’s not working out for some reason, consider other options. Sometimes that less-than-ideal first job can give you the skills you need to get into your dream job a few years later. On the flip side, try not to take the ‘apply everywhere without looking’ approach. It helps to know why you’re applying somewhere and what you’d be looking to gain from this employment beyond the regular paycheck.

Common application pitfalls. 

Those are as simple as 2+2=4 but terrifyingly common. Spell check everything. Do not send blanket copy and paste emails to everyone (it’s more obvious than you think). Spend just a little bit of that extra time making it personal. Please, please, please address it to the right person. If there is a job description, read the job description and then make sure you cover off main points in your email. Keep it short — no one has time to read your entire life story. If you can, make a tailored pdf portfolio for the job or studio you’re applying for. Be friendly and professional. Follow up one or twice if you don’t hear back, but don’t pester people with emails. Don’t be entitled – nobody owes you anything. If you don’t hear back a lot or don’t get responses from the type of places you want to be hearing back from, assume that you’re the problem. It might be brutal, but it’s also freeing as it puts the power back into your own hands. Just keep improving your portfolio, as well as the way you approach potential employers.

Acing interviews.

This one is probably the most challenging part for some and naturally easy for others. Essentially, during an interview, it’s your job to convince whoever you’re talking to that:

1. You have potential.
2. The work in your portfolio is not an accident.
3. You will be nice and easy to work with.

To demonstrate your potential, you need to be as confident in yourself and your abilities as possible while recognising that you’ve got lots to learn. Show passion, discuss your influences, and bring in your self-initiated projects. To show that the work in your portfolio is not an accident, you need to practice talking about your work. Explain your conceptual thinking, how you’ve arrived at the solution you’ve reached, and all the informed choices you’ve made along the way. Showing you’ll be lovely to work with is about demonstrating confidence, being genuine in your interview answers, and being open to receiving feedback. At the end of the day, it’s human interaction, so sometimes there will be chemistry, and sometimes it simply won’t work. That’s perfectly ok. One thing that for sure won’t be your friend during an interview is fear. It’s natural to be nervous, but the more you practice, the easier it will get. Just remember that the person on the other end is not there to judge you negatively – they chose to dedicate their time to you and desperately want you to succeed.

Show you care.

Self-evident but most underrated advice for getting that first job is to show that you actually care. If someone gave you portfolio feedback, implement it and send them an updated version. If you’re interviewing, research the company or a studio and ask informed questions during an interview. Send the follow-up email thanking everyone for their time. Follow up regularly if you get no updates. If going through a recruiter, make sure you respond to emails promptly and take responsibility for making sure you receive some updates. If you receive a disappointing response that you’ve been unsuccessful, reply to this email kindly and express interest in future opportunities. Sometimes ‘no’ is actually a ‘not now’. All these are simple and seemingly unimportant things that really go a long way.

Life post-graduation can be challenging and overwhelming. You’ve been putting effort into your degree or diploma, sweating over projects, rushing to meet deadlines and probably all you want is just to get that job you’ve worked so hard for. But it’s important to remember that you’ve chosen to enter a very competitive industry, and looking for a job should be a job in itself. Take some well-deserved rest and be kind to yourself. Once you’re ready, it’s time to roll up the sleeves and work hard on brushing up your portfolio, self-presentation, and interview skills. If you persevere, take feedback well and keep improving, that opportunity is bound to present itself.

You’re always welcome to get in touch with us. Email Alissa at alissa@​edenmarsh.​co.​uk or navigate to our about page and email anyone else from our team. We’re always here to have more conversations and help where we can.