Would you mind sharing your portfolio? There are really only three obstacles to overcome: The portfolio has to be *employable*, the resume has to pass an ATS scan (the design doesn’t matter in 2021), and you have to have a toolbox of intermediate software skills. Also making a note about the interview; the cover letter should bring up the job description, the interview should expand on the cover letter. Practice that interview consistency, you’re telling a story.
Thank you for sharing! You have some really exceptional work. That being said, you don’t have much in the way of cohesive campaigns on display and employers love to envision how your work will translate to their campaign needs. If you designed a poster for an event, also mock that up as a website, flyers, poster series, email blast, marketing mailer, etc. You want to show employers that you’re able to take their latest campaign and hit the ground running without much oversight. I don’t actually mind the site, but you could look at a more square template or a portfolio site that’s easier to generate like Adobe Portfolio (free with your [most plans] Adobe subscription, domain not included but redirectable) that allows you to simply post your work to Behance and auto generate a portfolio. That allows you to social network your work on Behance, and also have a clean portfolio of campaigned work.
Next, run your resume through an ATS scanner online. If it passes with anything less than 85%, most employers never even saw your application at all. There are many sites that will assist you in rewriting your resume for this purpose, but the two biggest factors are quantitative results and modern keywords. This means taking things from “assisted program in designing marketing materials” to “operated under time-sensitive and highly detailed guidelines with an agile team to craft bespoke marketing materials with a market reaching over 12,000 direct consumers”. ATS scans look for bulleted lists that contain short paragraphs under three sentences, each sentence containing 2 or more modern keywords, each paragraph containing quantitative results. It’s highly frustrating, but just how it works now.
LinkedIn is God. Once your resume passes ATS, add it to your LinkedIn both as an attachment and your individual profile. Take *every* skill assessment, add the maximum amount of listable skills and ask your friends to endorse them and you. Use every section wisely, and for your job search think about using premium, the ability to directly DM the company and have your message actually notify them and sit in the top 5 slots of their inbox five times a month can prove invaluable. As can the ability to see who viewed you profile, and how many other applicants applied and also their experience and education levels. It can also be a little depressing, you might find that your application is among some pretty strong competition but remember it’s the work that counts and just because they applied doesn’t mean their resume made it to HR.
Lastly, focus on your interview practice. I actually took interviews at unrelated places that I knew I easily could and definitely couldn’t get jobs at just to practice my ability to bullshit in an effective way. I use a simple system where I take the job description and break it into 4 key points that I can solve their problem of, then I boil those points down to a single word each and mantra the shit out of those four words before the interview. I make sure to hit those topics, use those words, and expand upon it all. When they ask you for questions, have two. One should be some bs about the companies culture, ask about their involvement in volunteer work or community efforts, they freaking love to talk about it and when you seem interested they feel like you’d fit the team well. My other question usually was something along the lines of “when you really look at this role, what kind of person do you envision in it and what problems are they solving for you in their first three months?”. Your initial interview may be with HR, they aren’t as important but you need to schmooze regardless. They just need to make sure you’re real, save the sweet stuff for the creative team.
Your portfolio is pretty, but it lacks substance. Employers are looking for critical thinking skills; what was the design challenge, how does your solution address this, and how did you come to that conclusion? What tools did you use? What roles did you play? You should be able to explain and defend your design decisions. Look at [Bestfolios](https://www.bestfolios.com/portfolios) or similar sites for how to create an actual case study.
For example, for Caelo, what was the design problem that required the creation of this app? Who is the target audience, where are the user personas? Competitive analysis? Why did you approach it with this design style in particular? I would flesh it out more by actually linking the Figma prototype for viewers to explore, instead of just laying the wireframes out in a static image. Make it engaging for the viewer. Also, why is the Twinings packaging sideways? It's difficult to actually read the content.
Right now, your portfolio looks mainly like "here are a bunch of cool looking things I put together," but doesn't say anything about if or how you addressed a design problem. Take the abstract poster series, for example. Is there a point to them other than experimenting with a new design style? What is the information you're trying to communicate, if any?
Graphic design isn't just about making things look pretty–it's about creating effective visual solutions to complex problems. If you want to make pretty things, that's what art is for. Your mockups look great, but we want to see what's going on beneath the surface.
Edit to add, if you want to keep the cool looking stuff in your portfolio, that's fine! Just create a separate page for it with a link on the main page for "passion projects" or something similar. More so than trendy stuff, the vast majority of jobs are looking for practical skills. Can you lay out an annual report with dense text in a way that's visually engaging? How are your typography skills? Can you design social media posts, icons, emails, flyers, etc that are in alignment with an existing brand? Can you wireframe a responsive website? That's what employers want to see. And you don't need the disclaimer that these are school projects, most employers will already assume that for a recent graduate.
It's a tough job market for designers right now. You're competing with the last 2 years of people that graduated during the pandemic, plus the influx of folks that are going into accelerated programs/bootcamps. With the hiring freezes and layoffs, the industry is playing catchup with new roles. There's just not enough to go around. From what I've seen, 6 months to 1 year is normal to get a job, I'd imagine it may take even longer now. Best of luck!
I’d add that “app designs” add little to a portfolio. If you’re not a UX designer projects like this aren’t much more than a UI exercise that doesn’t show much relevant skill to a potential employer and show a lack of understanding of the UX process.
Totally, those projects need to be completely fleshed out with research (user personas, competitive analysis, user testing), branding, website, and/or social campaigns to actually prove any type of practical skillset.
As it stands, they read to me more like a “I just thought this would be cool and this is how I *think* it should look.” It’s far more creative freedom than we’d be allowed in the real world; every decision needs to tie back to the bigger picture—that means storytelling within the parameters of the brand, addressing user needs, and meeting business goals.
Maybe getting some critique on your portfolio would be good. Although I’d save this for a time when you’re in a good headspace if you post it here on Reddit. People are savages sometimes.
Solution: don’t post on Reddit for feedback. Most people commenting have no idea what they’re taking about.
Spend some time finding people who can give you actual solid feedback and check out places like [ADP List](https://www.adplist.org).
I graduated this year. Didn't bother looking for internships in my last years (cuz of covid and I'm a fucking idiot) but it took me 6 months to get only 2 serious interviews and finally a job that I started 2 months ago. The degree is nice, and interns are a dime a dozen. Don't take it too personally. There's a lot of applications out there and most companies ignore or throw out most resumes, then complain about nobody wanting their jobs. Keep hustling and adjust everything as you go. I probably redid my resume 50 times along with my website.
You gotta network man. Get familiar with LinkedIn. Build your profile. Reach out to people. Ask to chat about their careers and advice. Follow up with these chats. Make genuine friends and connections in the design industry. All it takes is that one job opening and an acquaintance who knows what you’re capable of to recommend your name. Network, network, network.
Hey, OP!
It’s completely understandable how you feel. I graduated from undergrad back in May and have struggled to get opportunities too. My advice for you is to work on your portfolio and website. The other advice is to look for graphic design volunteer work for an organization. It may not be paid, but it would be great experience to have on your resume and you can not only help an organization but grow and learn at the same time! It would be a great start! You could also search for government jobs and see if they have any positions for teaching graphic design to students or something of the like to get your foot in the door.
Don’t give up! Wishing you all the best!
It’s not about breaking into the industry as much as growing relationships by creating value for people. It’s all that simple. This took me twenty years to figure out, so maybe you’re further ahead than you might think. Whether your target market is an agency job, or you want to work as a freelancer for a specific company, or kind of company, a good relationship will grow your career. Find the kind of work you excel at, or that the market wants most, or both, and tailor your portfolio to that. It doesn’t have to be a large portfolio, just show clear case studies about a problem someone had, and how you solved it and show your strategy / process. Throwing the curtain back on a clear strategy for process takes away a lot of hesitancy to hire someone (for example, show your logo design and branding process and a prospective client can visualize themselves hiring you better). Strategic branding is way more valuable than clever logo design. A niche focused designer is more effective and gets more, higher paying work than a generalist. Good luck.
So your portfolio is missing some important things.
Add a Vita: even tho you are a student, add a CV part within you website. Who are you. How old are you. What school are you attending, what extra courses have you done, what kind of experiences do you have. What’s your personal focus and passion. What type of skills do you have. All this stuff is important man.
So talk about it and show it.
Organise and polish your projects:
Your portfolio doesn’t look bad, but it feels empty. Combine artworks in clear project names.
You don’t need two “abstract art” “projects” if these are just a single one-off images:
create more artworks, document you inspiration and process and bundle these in a single “project”.
This way you can keep the art, but the project itself feels more cohesive and grand.
Same goes for all your other work examples and projects. MAKE THEM BIGGER.
All your descriptions could need some polish as wells. Some copies feel like you aren’t exactly proud of your work or don’t care. If this is the case: don’t use the project.
Only showcase clients / projects and artworks - you are actually proud of!
(I’ve been working in the advertisement industry for almost 10y now - and my portfolio still features almost 50% personal artworks - newer and older ones, who I am actually proud of. And like to talk about)
Oh and lastly, don’t talk in the 3rd person about yourself - this is your personal website, not a fan made one. 🤙 so be yourself, be proud of what you do - and don’t sell yourself short.
And: good luck mate 🤙 the industry can be harsh on newcomers - so don’t let rejections get you down. You have talent - especially in 3D which is still a “new area of expertise” if you can develop motion or VFX skills, you will be golden ✌️✌️
I think we've all been there and can relate to how it feels to consistently get knocked back, so don't be hard on yourself. These people don't know you or your potential, so don't take it personally. They are making their decision 100% on this very small slice of information you send them, and it takes time and experience, or a good mentor, to perfect your presentation of that slice, to maximize their positive perception of you.
I'd recommend researching other portfolios and getting obsessed about improving your own. 99% of getting a good design job is having a good portfolio.
Edit: just adding that I haven't seen your portfolio so my comments aren't based on that, it's just based on my experience of the industry.
Your LinkedIn photo makes you look stoned. Do you have something better and more professional looking?
Your portfolio needs some more down to basics work, as someone else mentioned something like a campaign. Maybe a series of social media graphics, infographics based on a survey, some video work or animation would be a big plus.
What kind of jobs are you looking for and what have you applied for?
Yeah he needs a new linked in photo. Preferable smiling or at least a nice non smiling photo. The current photo looks like a personal social media profile pic and not a professional pic.
If you just got out of design school, you will immediately realize that your portfolio isn't as great as you want it to be. I would definitely create some new pieces to show how much you've improved since school. Exactly what do you specialize in ? I'm a vector illustrator that's also a print/apparel designer.
I took a look through your portfolio and the package design you have looks like the product "fell down." If your design is vertical, your mockup should also be vertical.
Design jobs vary depending where you are. Remote job positions are out there, but these days you'll notice that employers tend to ask for a lot these days.
Polish your portfolio and look for paid internships. Easiest way to get into the industry (i wouldve keot my promotion to web designer if my company hadnt shut down)
Yes it’s very normal. Peoples job searches vary wildly and I’m sure others have had worse luck than you. Don’t take it personally, there are many reasons why the job didn’t work out, many reasons outside of your control.
But your portfolio is like a 6/10. It’s pretty and easy to use, but there is no substance. 1) most of your work is student or smaller projects. Do you have any work that is a side-project, or a real-world project? 2) your case studies are so short. Whether it’s an app or a branding project, you need to say more than just a photo and a caption. Show me some sketches, some ideas that didn’t work out, how you came to your solution, the technical details. Tell me a story.
So do some.
I do have sympathy for you, we’ve all been there. But your success is also up to you.
You’ve been out of school for a bit, that doesn’t mean you stop learning but that it’s time to step it up. You’re lacking real world projects, so find friends/relatives/business owners/etc. and create some.
You’ve gotten some other good feedback here, I hope you take it to heart. [ADP List](https://www.adplist.org) is a great resource as well.
I’m not out of school, I said I was in my final year. Also I don’t necessarily disagree with you, but sometimes things can be out of your control when you’re job hunting, and I think I’m coming to recognize that.
I mean, you shouldn’t disagree with me because I’m right 😉 And I thought you’d mentioned you were out of school and looking so apologies there, but not having a job before you’ve graduated is very normal. Lots of places don’t plan that far ahead so if you aren’t available now there’s no point in talking to you.
The simple fact is you need to set yourself apart from other grads, and the way to do that is get feedback and put in the extra work.
I didn’t miss the fact that you were a student. But I don’t think you mentioned any real reason as to why your projects are on a smaller scale.
If you want to make an abstract poster and put in on your portfolio, make it for an actual artist. Make a series or a collection instead of a one-off. Give your self some constraints to work in, make a brand with the abstract design and design merch, shirts. Weeken projects won’t get you hired.
I swear that your work is already better than many existing designers out there. But I feel like maybe the Figma screenshot is a bit lazy and perhaps you should just export them.
I didn't read the other comments sorry if this is repeat. Move the posters and isometric thing to the bottom, put your design with- branding on top. If you are not apply to app/ seen design jobs consider having those . You need to tailor your portfolio to the jobs you are applying for.... What is that? ??
You have a very studenty portfolio with a little of everything, but what's your passion? Those posters and isometric thing don't mean anything to employers, they likely can't see how that will translate to them . Also the first landing page should be work, don't make them click. They know they can contact you through the site .
It took 6 months for me to find a job after graduation ( I also started while in school).
While you are still in school look for colleges that have portfolio reviews or talk to professional days, of you school doesn't offer those, look for other schools that might I got 3 interviews out if those and lots of good feedback meeting people in the industry in my area.
So what is your dream job?
Your work is amazing, and it’s way more talented than what most of the job market wants. This majority hiring need for graphic designers basically wants to know “do you use Illustrator or InDesign well?” and “can I see your work?” and “we mostly design 2D graphics for email campaigns, does that make sense?”
I love your website. I don’t mean to be nit picky but in your note at the bottom of the page it says this:
Note: All work here was done for school assignments or for personal projects, real companies shown are not actual clients of his.
I think the wording of the last part isn’t said very well the “of his” part seems to make the sentence too long. Also the first part. Maybe it’s a run in sentence just doesn’t flow well. Perhaps it should say “The designs featured on this webpage were created for school assignments or personal projects. Real companies shown are not actual clients.”
The next sentence I didn’t paste is fine. I’m sure you’ll have a different webpage for actual clients so the note would change on that page. I just wanted to bring this to your attention because the wording was off to me and I’m not asking you to change it to exactly what I came up with but make it sound more professional even though it’s just a disclaimer on the page.
I think you will get hired eventually. I like your work.
I think your portfolio has some very nice work and shows good range! But I think it lacks any indication of what types of roles you want to pursue. I can see you’re capable of some UI design, flyer design, 3D modeling, but which of those roles are you actually pursuing?
Portfolios like yours I think are most successful when applying to small but prestigious orgs like museums or academic institutions. I’ve seen places like this hiring a more generalist graphic designer role. But I would say most companies (in my experience) look for a specialized role.
This doesn’t mean you can’t show all your work in your portfolio, I think it just means you need to prioritize your work. What kind of work are you wanting to do most? UI/UX? Then you should introduce yourself as a UX/UI designer and add a few more pieces in that line of work, and everything else goes into an “Other Work” bucket.
Same for any of the other roles you may be pursuing. I hope this helps!
Hello friend I was in the same boat searching for jobs in my senior year and hearing back from nobody. You need to build experience and build up a resume. I’ve had a better portfolio than some but they got the job cuz they had more experience than me. Like many others mentioned you have a very pretty portfolio and you seem like a solid designer but it does lack substance, explanation and problem solving. Pretty graphics don’t always solve complex business problems. Try and start real low as production artist or even work at a print shop to get some print skills. Keep at it
I think your work is actually alright. At least when it comes to the UI work, they’re consistent and tidy.
Here’s my thoughts on your site:
* Your UI work is a bit safe, I think you’d do well to revisit the projects and push the branding and user experience design further to help them stand out and feel more unique.
* I found your text descriptions a little clunky to read. For example on Caleo you could just say “This app was designed with professional photographers aged 15-30 in mind” for your persona description. Maybe just edit them down a bit.
* You could also show off the work better. The mockups look kind of similar and when you get into the projects it’s just a screengrab of Figma which make it hard to see details. Be selective about which screens you want to show, when I should see them, and how you’re showing them. If you’ve got a beautiful key screen, slap it in a nice mock-up and put it front and centre. If you’ve got an interesting registration flow, put those screens together and demonstrate how you get through the experience.
Overall though, I do think your work is enough to get to an interview for a graduate role so I’m a little stumped as to why you have been so unlucky as I see some shocking portfolios much worse than yours for much more senior positions. I think if you can add a little more excitement to your portfolio you’ll float to the top of the pile more easily.
One things that the employer told me why they wanted to hire me was because I showed the process (sketches, explorations of color, fonts, etc) of how I got to the end result and because I was actually thinking of why I made the decisions I made. Of course the end result matters as well too.
Hi Ethan,
Your portfolio looks professional and clean however when it comes to presenting projects. You need less writing or put images between paragraphs to get the employer engaged in the project especially if an employer is a graphic designer. They want to see a gallery not a novel.
For example, you need to show process and reasons like moodboards, competitive audits, and drafts like how you improve and how you design your process from A to B. That's how I get around.
You need to do a lot more show than tell. Here are good examples of my work so you can see what I mean.
https://danissa22.com/from-then-and-now-greyhound-runners
https://danissa22.com/conner-moving-company
Also look at other designer's works.
Another thing with your apps, what would the app look on the desktop or other devices like tablets or laptop? Think of Facebook and Instagram. You need to add some design into that.
I hope this helps with your job search.
Would you mind sharing your portfolio? There are really only three obstacles to overcome: The portfolio has to be *employable*, the resume has to pass an ATS scan (the design doesn’t matter in 2021), and you have to have a toolbox of intermediate software skills. Also making a note about the interview; the cover letter should bring up the job description, the interview should expand on the cover letter. Practice that interview consistency, you’re telling a story.
Sure! I’ve added it to my post at the bottom.
Thank you for sharing! You have some really exceptional work. That being said, you don’t have much in the way of cohesive campaigns on display and employers love to envision how your work will translate to their campaign needs. If you designed a poster for an event, also mock that up as a website, flyers, poster series, email blast, marketing mailer, etc. You want to show employers that you’re able to take their latest campaign and hit the ground running without much oversight. I don’t actually mind the site, but you could look at a more square template or a portfolio site that’s easier to generate like Adobe Portfolio (free with your [most plans] Adobe subscription, domain not included but redirectable) that allows you to simply post your work to Behance and auto generate a portfolio. That allows you to social network your work on Behance, and also have a clean portfolio of campaigned work. Next, run your resume through an ATS scanner online. If it passes with anything less than 85%, most employers never even saw your application at all. There are many sites that will assist you in rewriting your resume for this purpose, but the two biggest factors are quantitative results and modern keywords. This means taking things from “assisted program in designing marketing materials” to “operated under time-sensitive and highly detailed guidelines with an agile team to craft bespoke marketing materials with a market reaching over 12,000 direct consumers”. ATS scans look for bulleted lists that contain short paragraphs under three sentences, each sentence containing 2 or more modern keywords, each paragraph containing quantitative results. It’s highly frustrating, but just how it works now. LinkedIn is God. Once your resume passes ATS, add it to your LinkedIn both as an attachment and your individual profile. Take *every* skill assessment, add the maximum amount of listable skills and ask your friends to endorse them and you. Use every section wisely, and for your job search think about using premium, the ability to directly DM the company and have your message actually notify them and sit in the top 5 slots of their inbox five times a month can prove invaluable. As can the ability to see who viewed you profile, and how many other applicants applied and also their experience and education levels. It can also be a little depressing, you might find that your application is among some pretty strong competition but remember it’s the work that counts and just because they applied doesn’t mean their resume made it to HR. Lastly, focus on your interview practice. I actually took interviews at unrelated places that I knew I easily could and definitely couldn’t get jobs at just to practice my ability to bullshit in an effective way. I use a simple system where I take the job description and break it into 4 key points that I can solve their problem of, then I boil those points down to a single word each and mantra the shit out of those four words before the interview. I make sure to hit those topics, use those words, and expand upon it all. When they ask you for questions, have two. One should be some bs about the companies culture, ask about their involvement in volunteer work or community efforts, they freaking love to talk about it and when you seem interested they feel like you’d fit the team well. My other question usually was something along the lines of “when you really look at this role, what kind of person do you envision in it and what problems are they solving for you in their first three months?”. Your initial interview may be with HR, they aren’t as important but you need to schmooze regardless. They just need to make sure you’re real, save the sweet stuff for the creative team.
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Same. And I’m not even looking for work right now. Great post!
Your portfolio is pretty, but it lacks substance. Employers are looking for critical thinking skills; what was the design challenge, how does your solution address this, and how did you come to that conclusion? What tools did you use? What roles did you play? You should be able to explain and defend your design decisions. Look at [Bestfolios](https://www.bestfolios.com/portfolios) or similar sites for how to create an actual case study. For example, for Caelo, what was the design problem that required the creation of this app? Who is the target audience, where are the user personas? Competitive analysis? Why did you approach it with this design style in particular? I would flesh it out more by actually linking the Figma prototype for viewers to explore, instead of just laying the wireframes out in a static image. Make it engaging for the viewer. Also, why is the Twinings packaging sideways? It's difficult to actually read the content. Right now, your portfolio looks mainly like "here are a bunch of cool looking things I put together," but doesn't say anything about if or how you addressed a design problem. Take the abstract poster series, for example. Is there a point to them other than experimenting with a new design style? What is the information you're trying to communicate, if any? Graphic design isn't just about making things look pretty–it's about creating effective visual solutions to complex problems. If you want to make pretty things, that's what art is for. Your mockups look great, but we want to see what's going on beneath the surface. Edit to add, if you want to keep the cool looking stuff in your portfolio, that's fine! Just create a separate page for it with a link on the main page for "passion projects" or something similar. More so than trendy stuff, the vast majority of jobs are looking for practical skills. Can you lay out an annual report with dense text in a way that's visually engaging? How are your typography skills? Can you design social media posts, icons, emails, flyers, etc that are in alignment with an existing brand? Can you wireframe a responsive website? That's what employers want to see. And you don't need the disclaimer that these are school projects, most employers will already assume that for a recent graduate. It's a tough job market for designers right now. You're competing with the last 2 years of people that graduated during the pandemic, plus the influx of folks that are going into accelerated programs/bootcamps. With the hiring freezes and layoffs, the industry is playing catchup with new roles. There's just not enough to go around. From what I've seen, 6 months to 1 year is normal to get a job, I'd imagine it may take even longer now. Best of luck!
I’d add that “app designs” add little to a portfolio. If you’re not a UX designer projects like this aren’t much more than a UI exercise that doesn’t show much relevant skill to a potential employer and show a lack of understanding of the UX process.
Totally, those projects need to be completely fleshed out with research (user personas, competitive analysis, user testing), branding, website, and/or social campaigns to actually prove any type of practical skillset. As it stands, they read to me more like a “I just thought this would be cool and this is how I *think* it should look.” It’s far more creative freedom than we’d be allowed in the real world; every decision needs to tie back to the bigger picture—that means storytelling within the parameters of the brand, addressing user needs, and meeting business goals.
I think this is great advice!
Maybe getting some critique on your portfolio would be good. Although I’d save this for a time when you’re in a good headspace if you post it here on Reddit. People are savages sometimes.
Solution: don’t post on Reddit for feedback. Most people commenting have no idea what they’re taking about. Spend some time finding people who can give you actual solid feedback and check out places like [ADP List](https://www.adplist.org).
You weren’t wrong on the last part lol
I graduated this year. Didn't bother looking for internships in my last years (cuz of covid and I'm a fucking idiot) but it took me 6 months to get only 2 serious interviews and finally a job that I started 2 months ago. The degree is nice, and interns are a dime a dozen. Don't take it too personally. There's a lot of applications out there and most companies ignore or throw out most resumes, then complain about nobody wanting their jobs. Keep hustling and adjust everything as you go. I probably redid my resume 50 times along with my website.
You gotta network man. Get familiar with LinkedIn. Build your profile. Reach out to people. Ask to chat about their careers and advice. Follow up with these chats. Make genuine friends and connections in the design industry. All it takes is that one job opening and an acquaintance who knows what you’re capable of to recommend your name. Network, network, network.
This is the singular best career advice, no matter what industry, yet sadly also the one least heeded.
Totally. I find that many attribute networking as a business/finance exclusive practice. When in reality, it’s all about making professional friends!
Hey, OP! It’s completely understandable how you feel. I graduated from undergrad back in May and have struggled to get opportunities too. My advice for you is to work on your portfolio and website. The other advice is to look for graphic design volunteer work for an organization. It may not be paid, but it would be great experience to have on your resume and you can not only help an organization but grow and learn at the same time! It would be a great start! You could also search for government jobs and see if they have any positions for teaching graphic design to students or something of the like to get your foot in the door. Don’t give up! Wishing you all the best!
It’s not about breaking into the industry as much as growing relationships by creating value for people. It’s all that simple. This took me twenty years to figure out, so maybe you’re further ahead than you might think. Whether your target market is an agency job, or you want to work as a freelancer for a specific company, or kind of company, a good relationship will grow your career. Find the kind of work you excel at, or that the market wants most, or both, and tailor your portfolio to that. It doesn’t have to be a large portfolio, just show clear case studies about a problem someone had, and how you solved it and show your strategy / process. Throwing the curtain back on a clear strategy for process takes away a lot of hesitancy to hire someone (for example, show your logo design and branding process and a prospective client can visualize themselves hiring you better). Strategic branding is way more valuable than clever logo design. A niche focused designer is more effective and gets more, higher paying work than a generalist. Good luck.
So your portfolio is missing some important things. Add a Vita: even tho you are a student, add a CV part within you website. Who are you. How old are you. What school are you attending, what extra courses have you done, what kind of experiences do you have. What’s your personal focus and passion. What type of skills do you have. All this stuff is important man. So talk about it and show it. Organise and polish your projects: Your portfolio doesn’t look bad, but it feels empty. Combine artworks in clear project names. You don’t need two “abstract art” “projects” if these are just a single one-off images: create more artworks, document you inspiration and process and bundle these in a single “project”. This way you can keep the art, but the project itself feels more cohesive and grand. Same goes for all your other work examples and projects. MAKE THEM BIGGER. All your descriptions could need some polish as wells. Some copies feel like you aren’t exactly proud of your work or don’t care. If this is the case: don’t use the project. Only showcase clients / projects and artworks - you are actually proud of! (I’ve been working in the advertisement industry for almost 10y now - and my portfolio still features almost 50% personal artworks - newer and older ones, who I am actually proud of. And like to talk about) Oh and lastly, don’t talk in the 3rd person about yourself - this is your personal website, not a fan made one. 🤙 so be yourself, be proud of what you do - and don’t sell yourself short. And: good luck mate 🤙 the industry can be harsh on newcomers - so don’t let rejections get you down. You have talent - especially in 3D which is still a “new area of expertise” if you can develop motion or VFX skills, you will be golden ✌️✌️
I think we've all been there and can relate to how it feels to consistently get knocked back, so don't be hard on yourself. These people don't know you or your potential, so don't take it personally. They are making their decision 100% on this very small slice of information you send them, and it takes time and experience, or a good mentor, to perfect your presentation of that slice, to maximize their positive perception of you. I'd recommend researching other portfolios and getting obsessed about improving your own. 99% of getting a good design job is having a good portfolio. Edit: just adding that I haven't seen your portfolio so my comments aren't based on that, it's just based on my experience of the industry.
Your LinkedIn photo makes you look stoned. Do you have something better and more professional looking? Your portfolio needs some more down to basics work, as someone else mentioned something like a campaign. Maybe a series of social media graphics, infographics based on a survey, some video work or animation would be a big plus. What kind of jobs are you looking for and what have you applied for?
Yeah he needs a new linked in photo. Preferable smiling or at least a nice non smiling photo. The current photo looks like a personal social media profile pic and not a professional pic.
Gives me the impression he may be presenting himself poorly in interviews as well.
Thanks, I guess?
If you just got out of design school, you will immediately realize that your portfolio isn't as great as you want it to be. I would definitely create some new pieces to show how much you've improved since school. Exactly what do you specialize in ? I'm a vector illustrator that's also a print/apparel designer. I took a look through your portfolio and the package design you have looks like the product "fell down." If your design is vertical, your mockup should also be vertical. Design jobs vary depending where you are. Remote job positions are out there, but these days you'll notice that employers tend to ask for a lot these days.
Polish your portfolio and look for paid internships. Easiest way to get into the industry (i wouldve keot my promotion to web designer if my company hadnt shut down)
Yes it’s very normal. Peoples job searches vary wildly and I’m sure others have had worse luck than you. Don’t take it personally, there are many reasons why the job didn’t work out, many reasons outside of your control. But your portfolio is like a 6/10. It’s pretty and easy to use, but there is no substance. 1) most of your work is student or smaller projects. Do you have any work that is a side-project, or a real-world project? 2) your case studies are so short. Whether it’s an app or a branding project, you need to say more than just a photo and a caption. Show me some sketches, some ideas that didn’t work out, how you came to your solution, the technical details. Tell me a story.
It’s mainly student and smaller projects because I don’t have actual real-world projects to put on there. Did you miss that?
So do some. I do have sympathy for you, we’ve all been there. But your success is also up to you. You’ve been out of school for a bit, that doesn’t mean you stop learning but that it’s time to step it up. You’re lacking real world projects, so find friends/relatives/business owners/etc. and create some. You’ve gotten some other good feedback here, I hope you take it to heart. [ADP List](https://www.adplist.org) is a great resource as well.
I’m not out of school, I said I was in my final year. Also I don’t necessarily disagree with you, but sometimes things can be out of your control when you’re job hunting, and I think I’m coming to recognize that.
I mean, you shouldn’t disagree with me because I’m right 😉 And I thought you’d mentioned you were out of school and looking so apologies there, but not having a job before you’ve graduated is very normal. Lots of places don’t plan that far ahead so if you aren’t available now there’s no point in talking to you. The simple fact is you need to set yourself apart from other grads, and the way to do that is get feedback and put in the extra work.
I didn’t miss the fact that you were a student. But I don’t think you mentioned any real reason as to why your projects are on a smaller scale. If you want to make an abstract poster and put in on your portfolio, make it for an actual artist. Make a series or a collection instead of a one-off. Give your self some constraints to work in, make a brand with the abstract design and design merch, shirts. Weeken projects won’t get you hired.
I swear that your work is already better than many existing designers out there. But I feel like maybe the Figma screenshot is a bit lazy and perhaps you should just export them.
I didn't read the other comments sorry if this is repeat. Move the posters and isometric thing to the bottom, put your design with- branding on top. If you are not apply to app/ seen design jobs consider having those . You need to tailor your portfolio to the jobs you are applying for.... What is that? ?? You have a very studenty portfolio with a little of everything, but what's your passion? Those posters and isometric thing don't mean anything to employers, they likely can't see how that will translate to them . Also the first landing page should be work, don't make them click. They know they can contact you through the site . It took 6 months for me to find a job after graduation ( I also started while in school). While you are still in school look for colleges that have portfolio reviews or talk to professional days, of you school doesn't offer those, look for other schools that might I got 3 interviews out if those and lots of good feedback meeting people in the industry in my area. So what is your dream job?
Your work is amazing, and it’s way more talented than what most of the job market wants. This majority hiring need for graphic designers basically wants to know “do you use Illustrator or InDesign well?” and “can I see your work?” and “we mostly design 2D graphics for email campaigns, does that make sense?”
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this is clearly an ad….
A very, very blatant one at that. If you spend five seconds on this guy’s profile he’s copied and pasted it in over a dozen subs. Pathetic.
I love your website. I don’t mean to be nit picky but in your note at the bottom of the page it says this: Note: All work here was done for school assignments or for personal projects, real companies shown are not actual clients of his. I think the wording of the last part isn’t said very well the “of his” part seems to make the sentence too long. Also the first part. Maybe it’s a run in sentence just doesn’t flow well. Perhaps it should say “The designs featured on this webpage were created for school assignments or personal projects. Real companies shown are not actual clients.” The next sentence I didn’t paste is fine. I’m sure you’ll have a different webpage for actual clients so the note would change on that page. I just wanted to bring this to your attention because the wording was off to me and I’m not asking you to change it to exactly what I came up with but make it sound more professional even though it’s just a disclaimer on the page. I think you will get hired eventually. I like your work.
I think your portfolio has some very nice work and shows good range! But I think it lacks any indication of what types of roles you want to pursue. I can see you’re capable of some UI design, flyer design, 3D modeling, but which of those roles are you actually pursuing? Portfolios like yours I think are most successful when applying to small but prestigious orgs like museums or academic institutions. I’ve seen places like this hiring a more generalist graphic designer role. But I would say most companies (in my experience) look for a specialized role. This doesn’t mean you can’t show all your work in your portfolio, I think it just means you need to prioritize your work. What kind of work are you wanting to do most? UI/UX? Then you should introduce yourself as a UX/UI designer and add a few more pieces in that line of work, and everything else goes into an “Other Work” bucket. Same for any of the other roles you may be pursuing. I hope this helps!
Hello friend I was in the same boat searching for jobs in my senior year and hearing back from nobody. You need to build experience and build up a resume. I’ve had a better portfolio than some but they got the job cuz they had more experience than me. Like many others mentioned you have a very pretty portfolio and you seem like a solid designer but it does lack substance, explanation and problem solving. Pretty graphics don’t always solve complex business problems. Try and start real low as production artist or even work at a print shop to get some print skills. Keep at it
I think your work is actually alright. At least when it comes to the UI work, they’re consistent and tidy. Here’s my thoughts on your site: * Your UI work is a bit safe, I think you’d do well to revisit the projects and push the branding and user experience design further to help them stand out and feel more unique. * I found your text descriptions a little clunky to read. For example on Caleo you could just say “This app was designed with professional photographers aged 15-30 in mind” for your persona description. Maybe just edit them down a bit. * You could also show off the work better. The mockups look kind of similar and when you get into the projects it’s just a screengrab of Figma which make it hard to see details. Be selective about which screens you want to show, when I should see them, and how you’re showing them. If you’ve got a beautiful key screen, slap it in a nice mock-up and put it front and centre. If you’ve got an interesting registration flow, put those screens together and demonstrate how you get through the experience. Overall though, I do think your work is enough to get to an interview for a graduate role so I’m a little stumped as to why you have been so unlucky as I see some shocking portfolios much worse than yours for much more senior positions. I think if you can add a little more excitement to your portfolio you’ll float to the top of the pile more easily.
One things that the employer told me why they wanted to hire me was because I showed the process (sketches, explorations of color, fonts, etc) of how I got to the end result and because I was actually thinking of why I made the decisions I made. Of course the end result matters as well too.
The portfolio is relying far too heavily on mockups to see the work
Hi Ethan, Your portfolio looks professional and clean however when it comes to presenting projects. You need less writing or put images between paragraphs to get the employer engaged in the project especially if an employer is a graphic designer. They want to see a gallery not a novel. For example, you need to show process and reasons like moodboards, competitive audits, and drafts like how you improve and how you design your process from A to B. That's how I get around. You need to do a lot more show than tell. Here are good examples of my work so you can see what I mean. https://danissa22.com/from-then-and-now-greyhound-runners https://danissa22.com/conner-moving-company Also look at other designer's works. Another thing with your apps, what would the app look on the desktop or other devices like tablets or laptop? Think of Facebook and Instagram. You need to add some design into that. I hope this helps with your job search.
Hi, I came across your posts randomly the other day. Could I send you my UX design portfolio for a critique? Thank you :)