A Graphic Design Student's Guide to Freelance

Chapter 8

Moving Forward

Getting a Job

You should be proud of yourself for getting this far and accomplishing so much. Think about it. You started your own freelance graphic design business, photographed your work, networked with professionals, and put your portfolio together. All that's left for you to do is to land a job and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

In this chapter we're going to focus on three components that will help you accomplish this task. We're going to start by building your résumé, talk about strategies to prepare you for an interview, and discuss the art of negotiating a salary. Finding a job can be an emotional time because you are likely to face a few bumps in the road along the way. But hopefully all your hard work will payoff, and you'll land a job quickly.

One of the biggest annoyances that I hadn't considered when I started looking for my first job is that companies were interested in talking to me, but they were six to nine months away from being in a position to hire me. I believed that if I worked hard in school, developed my graphic design skills, and graduated with a degree in design I'd find a job quickly and easily. I learned that there's a big difference between finding a job and starting a career. I feel confident that each person reading this book is capable of finding a job, but finding a job to launch your career can be a bit trickier.

Before we get into the particulars, I just want to tell you from experience that I believe it's important for ...