Advice For Junior Designers

You’ve made it. From your first day in drawing class, stumbling through Illustrator tutorials, staying up all night to complete your senior thesis, to now being hired for your very first salary job, you are finally joining the long-awaited real world.

Stop and applaud yourself. You’ve done well so far.

However, don’t think the road ahead is what school was. I know you’ve heard this a million times, but it’s true. You can trust me. I’m cool, man. You’re a focused beam of light approaching it a prism that can send you in many directions. Be open. You’ll find yourself creating what the next 20 years of your career look like in your head before you even sit down at your desk. Pull back on those reins and let Uncle Andy give you some advice.

But first, a little background so you understand my perspective. I’m 26. I graduated from Auburn University (with honors 💅🏻) with a BFA in Graphic Design at 22. I worked at a small design studio in Auburn my junior and senior years. I then worked for a mid-size ad agency, then a fashion designer and most recently, a tech startup.

I was you and I remember it well. I picked up some knowledge along the way. My tips:

You’re going to work on bullshit and that’s ok.

That’s right. You’re not designing album art for whatever alt emo band you just discovered, nor create an immersive visual experience at SXSW (for now). You’re going to work on what trickles to the bottom. It sucks, but it’s better to accept it as an opportunity to learn and prove to your leads that you give a shit and can grapple anything thrown at you. Typically, your supervisors are busy. They need to handle the bigger stuff. They need you to step up and handle what they ask of you with no worry in mind. Enough of this and you’ll be looking like the next candidate to step up from the minors when a new position is opened. Don’t expect it to fade after your junior years, though. It lessens, yes, but shit work comes in even to the higher ups. At the end of the day, it needs to be handled. Choose to mire in it or get it done.

Keep up your hobbies.

Your other creative outlets pay dividends to your soul and to your creativity. Aforementioned, you will work on the marine snow (dead bio matter) that sinks to your scavenging hands and it’s important to still task yourself with making cool shit on the side. I made Big Mac™ digital banners for a year. A year. That was sobering. I wasn’t content, obviously. I took on freelance work that kept me challenged and sharp. It was varied, too. Each project brought new challenges. Old designers who don’t have hobbies are like estranged family you don’t like sitting next to at Thanksgiving because they mouth breathe rather than provide interesting conversation.

Take your vacation!

We have a weird instinct as young professionals that taking vacation is “lazy”. Your company has given you this time. Take it off and enjoy it. If your boss gives you shit, then she’s a dickhead. You don’t live to work. Plus, don’t answer emails. Don’t answer calls. Separate yourself completely. The macho mentality of working until your marriage is ruined, or whatever, is not one you should align yourself to. My first year in the industry, I didn’t take vacation. Not one day. Nothing. Do you know who the only person is that acknowledged that? Me. Not my boss, or creative director or CEO–just me. I could’ve enjoyed some time away, but instead thought I’d prove how good of a robot I am and not take any time off. Yay, I worked more.

Make friends.

Your skills will get you to the 80 yard line, but your connections will push you in the end zone. Design communities are often close-knit and being prevalent among them increases your face time with people who may be able to help you down the road. Of course, don’t be gross and sleaze your way into the company of influencers. Be humble. Be yourself. Of career types I’ve seen so far, designers are often very modest and straight forward. We are not a peacocking bunch. Brown nosing is for account people and summer interns.

Stay challenged.

As weird as it sounds, you never want to domineer design. You never want to be a master. Forever be the student. Keep learning. Accept work that’s scary. When you work within the confines of comfort, you soften and your resolve fades. It’s like the sinewy dude at the gym who ONLY is ever on the elliptical. We get it, man. You’ve got great, great legs that taper from accentuated calves to perfectly defined hamstrings, but your rotund abdomen tells me you haven’t tried a sit up in a minute. A tool box that offers only one useful tool subjects the others to rust.

It’s ok to talk about money.

It’s not easy to talk about, but it’s necessary. It’s your life and wellbeing to take care of–not your company’s. Don’t be afraid to talk money with those looking to hire you or promote you. Plus, the way you handle yourself in that conversation speaks about you as a person. However, don’t be greedy. At your junior stage, you’re pretty much the design equivalent of Magikarp. You flop around, splash and take time to level up. Thus, you will be paid as such. It’s up to you to gain experience and add value to your company.

Jump ship at the right time, but not often.

There will come a time when you are ready to leave or level up your career. Sometimes, the only way to move up is to move over. You will want a better title, pay or work load that you aren’t currently receiving. You will hit the ceiling of your current company and look for a higher one at another. Jump ship. Remember what I said about your life and wellbeing are up to you? You have to make change for yourself and not seek it in others. Just be sure it’s truly a beneficial move. Don’t do it too often, though. Flakiness is appreciated by none and is an opportunity repellent. Design heads don’t want to see commitment issues. They want to see dedicated people who care about reducing clutter rather than earning money to buy it.

Your junior days will be hectic and turbulent in both good and bad ways. You will quickly learn the reality of working in the industry and be forced to adapt. While you’re here, learn as much as you can from anybody that will offer you consultation. Know that you’re in the passenger’s seat right now, but will be able to drive soon enough. Quality experience is the most important thing you can gain. It’s not a salary, awards or even connections. Your experience can never go away. Salaries fluctuate. Awards fade in glamour. Connections can become distant. What you lock away as valuable in your head is what lays the foundation for a bright future.

— — —

Questions, suggestions, additions? Let me know what you think. These points are general, but ones that took time to see true meaning in.