Professional Practice

The brief has requested for us to set up this blog in order to detail all changes in the development of my practical from GDA Practice one to GDA practice two. Throughout this project we have been taught a number of different techniques to help us to get a good job when we finish our BA we have been taught a lot of skills by Peter Micklewright and also from looking at different resources such as books and the internet. These are the skills i have learnt that will help me to get a job:

End of year show

This show is going to enable me to show off the work which i have done this year, it will help me to understand scheduling and planning things effectively as i will have to help schedule and plan this show, i will have to look at ways in which we can advertise, and plan how each of students in our class can help to make it a success. This will also help me with Budgeting and Quotations as when we plan this we will have a specific budget that we will need to stick to, we will also need to think of effective ways to raise money and budget the show so we use the money effectively so it is kept within the budget and we don't run out. We need to contact supplier's and other business's to bring them to our show. For this show we will need to be organised and prepared and also make sure that each student is putting in the same effort and maximum effort. The end of year show is important in helping us get a job because it will provide us with contacts within the industry, it will make us familiar with suppliers, it will give us a good experience of planning and running an event, it will help us to keep to a deadline as all the work that we create needs to be completed within a certain time limit and before the show. It will also give us an insight into how important it is to get leaflets and letters out on time and also to give contacts enough time so they can keep the time free to attend our show. We will need to make sure all our work reaches the supplier with plenty of time so that if anything does go wrong with the printing etc there will be enough time to fix it. We will need to think of everything from booking the venue to van hire and printers and entertainment.

Creating my CV

In previous lectures Peter Micklewright taught us that your CV is what gives the employer their 'First impression' of you therefore its got to be good. Your CV is your personal profile, it is the first stage to getting noticed by the employer. They will receive so many CVs so you need to make sure yours is noticed. A good CV should only be one page long, if it is longer than one page it would be a good idea to accompany the cv with a front cover page outlining the main parts of the cv and all the important bits, it should simply include a brief introduction of yourself and a brief insight to employment history and qualifications. It would be very good if you had a blog address, a website and a business card to accompany it. It should also be printed in a nice,legible font, it should be spaced nice and evenly and should give a brief insight making the employers want to know more. It should simply be printed on plain white paper and must contain at least an email and a phone number so they have two ways of contacting you, an address would also be beneficial.
Always attach a cover letter to your CV this states what you are looking for and makes your CV more personal to the company. Its a good idea to design your own letterhead, that was you can use this on your cover letter and on e-mails you send. You could also attach some examples of your work to your application. Only a few though. No more than six.
It is also a good idea to write your web address on your CV so that Clients and employers can look at your work on there and it also makes you look more professional.

Creating your portfolio

Online:

'Designers without websites are like hikers without boots' (this quotation is from the book Adrian Shaughnessy's Graphic Design: A users manual) this book suggests that having your own website is very important when job hunting it states that 'it is now obligatory for freelance designers, studios and designers looking for employment to have their own online portfolios.' This is something that i dint realise was so important but after reading this i am considering creating my own website. The book also explains that your website should be brief it should not be too 'self-regarding.' Peter also taught us that this is an easy way to show our work as it means we don't have to transport all our work around too much and we can put the website address on a cv and even on a business card.

Regular portfolio:

'The process of impressing employers or clients with our design skills begins with the design of our portfolios. When we show them we are not only judged on the content, but also on the way we have designed them. A badly designed portfolio sends out a message: bad designer.' This is also a quote taken from the book Adrian Shaughnessy's Graphic Design: A users manual. This is a very true comment. The book states that there are two important aspects to portfolios these are the online portfolios and also the prints. This is because the online work needs to be backed up with some decent, good quality prints and it also shows a variety of different work. This is partically effective for prints such as sceen prints.
Always remember to show your work in context.

 Make sure you show how and where it would be used, this could be using photoshop and simply warping it onto an image. For example for my Shah Perdue project i designed a bag, although i thought it looked amazing it looked even better when i showed it in context. I simply found an image on the Internet and warped my design onto a bag in a photograph, this looked amazing.
　
Targeting employers or clients

Finding suitable employers or clients is very important, also the way in which to target them is too. You must appear to be reliable, efficient, smart and respectable. You should contact them through a letter but then follow the letter up with a phone call. Peter has taught me that when targeting an employer you must be persistent and you must do your research. Research into the company, find out what they like, what they need, what they desire. Look at previous projects they have done and the outcomes. Look on their website, look at what is missing from the company and come up with solutions to their problems. Research the history of the company and also research into the client, look at previous Graphic Designers that have worked for them and what they did for them.
　
Following up, staying in touch, schmoozing

Following up of clients and employers is very important, Peter has taught us that all clients and business's will receive so many applications that it is important to make sure yours sticks out. When you apply for a job you should continuously track your application and don't allow target employers or clients to forget about you .This will also show the employer that you are keen and motivated and that you also are keen to work for the company. This will make you stand out from other applicants and also if something happens whereby the employer does employ someone else there may become another vacancy in the future so its a good idea to keep checking.

Interviews and Portfolio Presentation.

Pete has taught me that the most important thing is organisation. Always turn up 15 minuites early so you have time to breathe and time to relax. Especially if you have rushed around to get there. This will give you time to pull yourself together and calm your nerves but it will also show the employer that you have good time keeping skills, which is vital in this area of working. It will also allow you to see the person that was interviewed prior to you, this will give you an idea of the competition you face. You should of course look smart, but still look yourself. Make sure you have a few different ways to show your portfolio, if you want to show it as a presentation make sure that the employer has the correct facilities before hand and also the correct computer programmes. Make sure your Portfolio is backed up, take a CD and a memory card. You could even create a CD and leave it with the employer so if he wants to look back he can, this will show you are motivated and organised, it will also show the employer you are happy to go the extra mile and do something extra. Also make sure you take some of your work with you so the employer can see your true work, this is because on a computer it wont look as effective as the real thing. This will also show the employer textures and materials you have used and show your works true potential.

At the interview always let the employer know why they should hire you, tell them what you are going to do for the company that's different from anyone else and show them that they need you to work for their company, your work is what will make them hit all their targets.

When you present your work also remember the way that you present yourself is just as important and the way you show your work is too. You should be proud when you show them your work and make the employer see that you are a hard worker and you are happy with the work that you have achieved. This is because if you are not happy with the work you have created you cannot expect someone else to.