frustration~ should i quit for the industry?

[kokonut]

hi all,

First of all sorry for my english is not great and just wanna to share the story.
i have been working in web and graphic design for more than 7 years and have been working for some blue chips clients (bank,listed comp) and also having a chance to manage a group of designers (um...about 15)..... but coz of some reason i have left the business for 3 years and now i couldn't get a decent job not even a job USD2k/month.... am i really that bad??

[LeadMagnet]

I have no idea, show us the kinda of thing you show to employers.

[kokonut]

o well since a lot of work are in hard copy .... can check this out here for some recent creation :(

LogoSauce™ - kokonut

[d3niss3]

they seem quite good and not really bad.

well, i think you just need to work as freelancer if you can't get a good job. don't lose hope. You can always improve your skills!

[LeadMagnet]

Yeah, your skills are not bad. Perhaps it's just how you present yourself to employers. Try to get someone who knows about these things to look over your CV to make you look more impressive, and perhaps work on your interview technique.

[zumojuice]

Well a decent website is an obviously no-brainer - if you are even slightly web-based, employers would expect one. Useful to point people to in interviews and on applications.

I think the other aspect is the market - the creative industries has bottomed out. With the recession (thanks Mr Bush!) the US and UK has feeling a bit of the pinch and the creative industries are the first to feel it, because people cut their marketing first. This means that creative jobs are likely to be under threat all over the shop and I expect quite a few people to lose jobs this year (hopefully not be, since I am in house).

The only areas still active in the UK (so the US may be similar) is retail and in house, so play to those strengths. But if you have a job and can ride out the storm, that might be best rather than get frustrated at the lack of job - because at present, most of it won't be in your hands!

If you do decide to go on, make you self a website, design you cv (have a shiny PDF version that's beautifully designed and then a word version too, since some agencies will still ask for this) have a web pdf of work samples and keep it changing every few months. Nothing you're showing in the web folio or in your 'solid' one should be more than 3 years old. Three years out of uni and employers wouldn't want to see uni work still there, and the same applies all the way through. You might have an amazing piece of work for a huge client some 4 years ago but is it still relevant ? Your portfolio should reflect where you are now and want to go more than where you've been.