This reading was of course another great read. Helped put a lot of things in perceptive for me. One, something I hate to admit, but I like being in school because I can use being a “student” as a crutch to not expand my wings and fly into the design world. I’ve always been nervous of not being seeing as the student anymore, but the mastered designer. Good thing for me that the learning never ends! As Adrian Shaughnessy put it, “They don’t tell you this in design school, but the reason you go to school is to learn how to learn… In my experience, a graduate fresh from school takes between six to eighteen months to become a contributing member of a studio – and that is with careful shepherding and plenty of attention”. So, I guess the trick is to never lose the mindset of a student, but continue on with the confidence of a designer.
Next, there are pros and cons to every job and even in a con situation there are still many things that you can learn and take with you on the next experience. The great thing about being a designer is that no matter what we do in design we are contributing no matter how small or big. So, find what works best for you in the moment. It’s okay if you have to take a less creative road to finish paying off the school loans, but hey you’re paying off the loans! If you’re paying attention, growing, learning, there will always be opportunities to switch it up in the future.
Then my favorite (not) and always daunting, interviews. Shaughnessy says there are no bad interviews. Again, if you approach it as a learning experience; a chance for you to learn something that will help you next time, the easier they will become. It is also means it never being a waste of time showing your portfolio. Because if you don’t click at one place you never know they might refer you to someone else. Because sometimes it’s not just about talent, but about the personality fit.
