Tips for Graphic, Web, and Game Design Candidates

“Employers want job candidates with multiple skill sets,” stated Melissa Eriksen, Account Director, at Aquent when we recently had a chance to sit down and talk about the job market for new graphic design graduates.

“Forget being just a layout person or working only in print. Demand for those positions is down because so many things are switching to web. You need to have web experience too. Employers definitely appreciate web developers to have a good eye for design, and their designers who offer web development experience.”

What types of programming languages should new graduates be familiar with when looking for a job?“HTML, Java, Javascript, C++, PHP, Ruby On Rails, and Joomla are some of the languages our clients are specifically asking about. You should do enough programming to be able to show what you can do and to have an understanding of how different programs can/should be used. 3-D modeling is a niche capability that I’ve been getting requests about lately.”

Besides actual work experience, what else can recent grads do to help their chances of finding a job?“Graduates should have some type of internship that is relevant to their field. They should also look at participating in professional associations like:
Milwaukee Interactive Marketing Association and Business Marketing Association. You can also do meet up groups. Anything to meet other people in your field will help you grow professionally and help in your job search.

Does it help to have a creative resume?“If you are a truly creative person you should have a resume that reflects that creativity. It also helps to have a basic resume available in case you need to email it to someone who can’t receive attachments or a job site that doesn’t allow you to attach a resume. If you are a programmer who happens to be applying for a web developer job, a creative resume probably isn’t needed.”

Any tips for a portfolio?“An updated online portfolio is a must have for any candidate. Try not to simply just rely on class work. Paid freelance projects, projects done for free, or projects just for fun all can help enhance the portfolio of a student or recent graduate. As much as possible, it helps to tailor your portfolio to the company and/or position to which you’re applying. For example if you’re applying for a print production position include some web samples – but make sure the majority of what you show is print-related. Include a variety of samples of techniques and programs.”


Thanks Melissa for taking the time to give some great advice!
To search for jobs through Aquent click on this link:
http://aquent.us/find-work/index.htm?specialty-find=&location-find=mrkt_0881

Ev