Impressive but we'd rather choose someone else

[ficali]

So I'm a senior in college majoring in graphic design and I'm finishing up in May (yay?). As a result of that I've spruced up my website, resume and have been applying to numerous places. The most common response that I've gotten is "You're resume is impressive but we'd rather choose someone else". This has been given to me from Harvard, MFA,

Comments

[ficali]

(It's also my experience that the high-profile companies also tend to be high-maintenance and how they treat people can degrade as they start getting into the mindset of "there are a thousand people begging to have your job," which I've found to be more hassle than they're worth.)

This is an excellent point I haven't considered. I do realize that they are high-profile companies but I suppose working for a smaller company is better for relations.

Thank you for the advice. I haven't yet responded to them because I always I assume that they won't respond due to the high levels of email they get... especially the high-profile places. I mean having them say my resume/portfolio is impressive is something right? But its kind of discouraging because if its impressive then hire me damnit! =X

I'll try following up though, I just am afraid of sounding pushy or something that might through them off x.x

and thanks for the site suggestions, Craig's list I am familiar with but not the others.

[amanda_now]

Don't be discouraged! It's probably mostly related to a lack of real world experience, which is something they may assume depending on your age/current education level/portfolio etc. This is almost definitely true if you are still in college. Have you posted your resume and portfolio here to be critiqued? I received very helpful information from here years ago that has been invaluable

[ficali]

Well I do work for an in-house studio that's student run on campus and I've also been the project manager there for at least 1.5 years. Which I thought would put me into a better position than those who may have just graduated without having any experience at all.

I also thought it might be because I'm going to college in another state from my home state and I'm applying to jobs in my home state....

I haven't posted my resume and portfolio here yet, since my website is not quite completed. Its live, but I still have to tweak somethings.

I just wanted to make sure there was something that I wasn't doing that gave them the wrong impression.

[amanda_now]

Anything student run on campus is going to be considered academic work and not professional work regardless of technicalities. Freelancing on your own after graduation will be the best way to add post-academic "real world" experience/pieces in your portfolio

[foutu]

1. lower your standards.
2. don't expect an in-house job right now.
3. apply at any design places that do work that doesn't make your eyes bleed.
4. keep freelancing because jobs you get at this stage probably won't give you much portfolio fodder. hey newbie can you resize and colour correct these pictures i need them two months ago thank you!!!!
5. if you're still not having any luck, use your downtime to learn web design and front-end development if you don't already have a good grip on those.

[proveuarehuman]

this so much!!

[airemay]

Yes to this.

Also, think outside the box. Check out non-profits. They are a good place to do freelance work. Look at jobs that combine graphic design with other duties.

[glamour_junkie]

Just to add: Harvard, the MFA and Disney World have different aesthetics, and are likely to have an unspoken absolute requirement for work done for companies "on par" with themselves already.

If you're determined to work with high-profile companies like Disney, do some research on the huge list of vendors that work FOR Disney, for example.

Those vendor companies or design firms are more likely to take a chance on a young designer than the high-profile company itself. If you find one and do work for them (freelance or in-house), that makes your portfolio not only fuller with non-academic work, but also populates your portfolio with work that's very relevant to the high-profile company.

(I say this as a person who's worked for companies peripheral to Disney and Mattel for years. Doing work for those companies got me in the door to do freelance for both those companies themselves, and OTHER companies who work with them.)

Good luck!

[ficali]

Thank for your insights!