Artfully Applying: Vol. 1

The path toward a career in design is never the same from one person to the next. It’s common for people to be on one career trajectory and then make a hard pivot toward design. We know this because a lot of those people work right here at Design B&B — I myself studied Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences in college for four years before deciding I would pursue design. As part of our mission to make careers in design more accessible, we’ve created this three-part guide to clear your path into the field.

RESUME

Let’s start with your resume, which should tell a clear, concise, and intentional story about who you are. You don’t want to list out a whole life’s worth of work experience (it’s time to let go of that summer job in high school). Instead, highlight your most applicable, recent work. It’s also okay not to show a recent job on your resume if you feel like it has no relevance. If you’re looking for your first job in design, emphasize your education and how many jobs or positions you’ve held outside of the field inform you as a designer. As you describe your experiences, write with intent. That means no jargon or buzzwords. Use action verbs to highlight the skills you used to accomplish your goals and fulfill job requirements. Reinforce your success with data wherever possible. Take this example:

Before: Responsible for making media kits for company projects

After: Spearheaded the development of the first media kit for all company projects, increasing annual revenue by 12%

RESUME

Let’s start with your resume, which should tell a clear, concise, and intentional story about who you are. You don’t want to list out a whole life’s worth of work experience (it’s time to let go of that summer job in high school). Instead, highlight your most applicable, recent work. It’s also okay not to show a recent job on your resume if you feel like it has no relevance. If you’re looking for your first job in design, emphasize your education and how many jobs or positions you’ve held outside of the field inform you as a designer. As you describe your experiences, write with intent. That means no jargon or buzzwords. Use action verbs to highlight the skills you used to accomplish your goals and fulfill job requirements. Reinforce your success with data wherever possible. Take this example:

Before: Responsible for making media kits for company projects

After: Spearheaded the development of the first media kit for all company projects, increasing annual revenue by 12%

LINKEDIN

On LinkedIn, you can further develop and craft a complete representation of who you are for the professional world. Your introduction is one of the first things people will see. This is an opportunity for you to stand out. Go beyond what you do, telling us why and how you do it. Let people know what drives you and makes you unique.

Here are some prompts to get you started:

Why are you interested in design? Do you have a personal story or mission that ties into the work you do? What are your unique traits and skills? What makes you tick? What is the bigger picture beyond the work you do? Where do you want to be in the future?

PORTFOLIO

First things first. Make sure the work you have on your portfolio is the best demonstration of your abilities — you don’t have to show everything you’ve worked on. Quality over quantity is the rule here.

Your portfolio should also reflect the work you want to do in your career. Go beyond the expected work from your design courses (looking at you, typography booklet project) and showcase self-starter projects that you’re genuinely passionate about. Using a relevant cause or business in your community that would benefit from design is a good way to come up with a starting point for your project brief. A project like this can show your ability to handle real-world restrictions and guidelines.

PORTFOLIO

First things first. Make sure the work you have on your portfolio is the best demonstration of your abilities — you don’t have to show everything you’ve worked on. Quality over quantity is the rule here.

Your portfolio should also reflect the work you want to do in your career. Go beyond the expected work from your design courses (looking at you, typography booklet project) and showcase self-starter projects that you’re genuinely passionate about. Using a relevant cause or business in your community that would benefit from design is a good way to come up with a starting point for your project brief. A project like this can show your ability to handle real-world restrictions and guidelines.

Don’t be afraid to dream up a project that would let you show off your skills and pursue your passions. Some of our team’s unique portfolio projects included 3D candy calligraphy, dinosaur summer camp branding, pet adoption guides, Texas BBQ sauce packaging, and even bird whistle wood carvings. Imagining your ideal clients and creating your dream projects will bring you one step closer to doing that type of work in the future.

Looking for an internship? We’re thrilled to be welcoming two summer design interns to our coop this summer. Apply now.

At Design B&B, we believe in making design accessible. Our creative career search guide is one small part of our company’s mission to create pathways into the design field for all. Stay tuned for Vol. 2, launching soon, made to help you navigate the job search process, and Vol. 3, which breaks down interview best practices.

This article was written by Daniel Aberra, Designer at Design B&B, who coordinates our Columbia TRIO internship program. Daniel did indeed graduate with a degree in Wildlife & Fisheries from Texas A&M. He now leads design directions for a wide variety of clients from Fortune 100 companies to local non-profits.