I have so far enjoyed five months of employment as a junior graphic designer with The James Agency. I was extremely lucky in landing where I have and am still not quite sure exactly which celestial bodies aligned the day I was offered a job here.
Identifying as an aspiring designer myself, I want to share a few personal mantras I try to embrace daily. Hopefully these will help you on your journey to landing your dream job.
Be curious
Explore what people are doing in the industry. Find a few blogs you like, peek at your colleagues projects and most importantly ask questions. It will kindle your imagination and fuel a desire to improve your skills.
Get a piece of that humble pie and take your bite out
You’ve studied, you’ve practiced, you’ve sketched, you’ve researched, you’ve done THINGS.
But guess what–the people charged with showing you the ropes will always have done more. If you are someone like me, this can feel intimidating, frustrating, and most of all discouraging. Those feelings while challenging can ultimately be fruitful in your journey. The key is to accept them and remember that you are all still learning. Their mentorship is the single most important asset to becoming a stronger designer.
Be hard on yourself
By this, I mean push yourself to be better. Acknowledge your shortcomings and unrelentingly strive to overcome them.
No one is going to make you improve, that’s up to you. Don’t be The Eagles, don’t take it easy.
Get to work early
Being new to the industry I often feel there is not enough time in my day to absorb the things I need to learn. I have conditioned myself to get to work as early as possible every day. This lets me get started on my work and squeeze every learning moment I can out of each day. You will not learn anything by sleeping in. The good news here is eventually you will be able to sleep more–when you are dead.
Hopefully this helped, maybe it didn’t. Either way, get back to work.
