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The Electric Artist

The interview...

Graphic design and web design firms are corporate offices and they can attract some very big players to their corridors and boardrooms. Many of the richest men and women in the business world have visited a design firm at some time.

Big deals are laid on the table there, and big budgets are discussed daily.

Graphic design colleges, on the other hand, are treated by the students and faculty as ‘art school’, and the standards of dress and behaviour are typically bohemian. Ripped jeans, nose studs, purple hair and even teddy bear pyjamas can be the order of the day.

The problem is that ‘most’ graphic design graduates head off to their interview at the big city design firm still dressed for college. Yet by putting yourself in decent clothes – smart casual, not necessarily a suit – and removing the nose ring for the occasion, you are automatically two-thirds of the way up the list of the applicants they receive.

All it takes is a little applied logic, and putting yourself in the shoes of the person on the other side of the table, to see what dressing down can do for your chances.

And this is JUST ONE EXAMPLE of how you can improve your chances of Getting a Job in Design.

For more, read on...

...so you've graduated!

Think about this for a moment; you’ve just spent 3 or 4 years slogging your way through a college degree – all those assignments, assessments and hurtful critiques on your precious work – and now all you need to do to make that hard work pay off is get a job!

...as a graphic designer!

That's a LONG time and a LOT of effort you've put in. Are you going to give up now?

Imagine if someone offered you a million dollars to run – and finish – the New York Marathon. Assuming you’ve never run a marathon in your life, how would you go about it?

Would you say, “yeah okay, sure”, and then turn up to the race in everyday jeans and loafers and start running when the rest of the runners did? And then hope that you got to the other end?

Or would you give the event the consideration it deserved?

I don’t know about you, but the first thing I'd do would be to ask a veteran Marathon runner what I had to do to make the finish line, then train my a** off to ensure I finished.

MORE to the point, when I ran the race, there’s no way I’d give up with the finish line in sight.

That’s a million bucks at stake!

Completing a college degree is like the first nine-tenths of a marathon, with the ‘getting a job’ part being the last hard slog to the finish.

Don't YOU be among the many ‘runners’ who actually give up with the finish line in sight.

There are thousands of qualified graphic designers out there – just like you – who are working in a copy shop, or even a coffee shop! They're the ones who gave up.

What to wear?

In the above example, turning up to a job interview in ripped jeans and facial piercings is like stopping ten minutes from the end of your million dollar marathon to have a beer with a bud!

Don’t believe me? You think it’s just a matter of personal self-expression to have 50 facial piercings and a green Mohawk when you show up for a million dollar* job interview?

Perhaps there's already a designer working there who dresses worse than you? Or you might feel that if they don’t want you as you are, you don’t want to work for them!

That’s a great attitude to have; once you have a job!

Until then it’s the attitude of an UNEMPLOYED graphic designer.

*You don’t think it’s a million dollar opportunity? At current salary levels, you will AVERAGE $100,000 a year over the next 10 years – and that adds up to a million dollars!

To continue with the earlier example...

My name is Gary Crilley and I’m a graphic designer who has spent spent time on both sides of the interview desk.

I’ve applied for many graphic design jobs in my time, and I’ve also been the employer, sitting on the other side of the desk, where I've advertised for, sorted through, and interviewed graphic design graduates for positions in my company.

In addition I’ve taught graphic design to college students and then followed their careers after they graduated. I have been pleased to see many of my students succeed in landing that perfect job and eventually climb the design ladder to management.

But I have also seen just as many fail, and take up jobs in car sales, in photo booths and even dressed up as chickens outside fast-food establishments.

Do you want to be a chicken?

A proven formula

As a result of over 20 years of study and experience I have created and perfected a proven formula for ensuring that a graphic design job applicant becomes an employed graphic designer and not a chicken!

In the process of researching this formula I have interviewed countless employers and creative directors and asked them;

• What exactly it is that you look for in a graphic designer?

• Under what circumstances would you employ a ‘raw’ graduate?

and a host of other questions.

The answers will astound you!

As a result of this research I have devised strategies to counteract the annoying demand from employers that all applicants have ‘at least 2 years’ experience’, and I have found over 20 strategies to counter their reluctance to hire graduates.

The question is, do you want to know this formula?

Do you want to find out about…

• The creative difference; what it is that separates creative jobs from run-of-the-mill positions...

• The myth of the Success Gene and how ANYONE can get what they want with the right attitude and application...

• 21 strategies to PROVE to potential employers that you can do the job asked of you...

• The GREAT BIG PREJUDICE; how the art of hitchhiking affects your chances of getting a graphic design job...

• How you don’t have to go to the ‘right school’ to get the really good positions...

• The one big thing that employers of graphic designers are REALLY looking for...

• 5 effective strategies to find that elusive unadvertised job...

• 20 ways to make your portfolio irresistible to employers...

• 10 ways to destroy your chances at a job interview...

• 10 Lateral thinking ideas that may or may not work, but are probably worth a try...

Here’s a few facts to consider;

• You’ve just graduated,
• You have a good qualification but no experience,
• You’ve spent 4 years getting to this stage,
• There are THOUSANDS of graphic design positions advertised,
• For every job advertised there are at least 20 applicants (rivals),
• You're now in competition with last year's graduates who are still looking, plus designers with a year or two of practical experience under their belt,
• Thousands of graduates just like you will be successful in getting a graphic design job in the next few months,
• But tens of thousands of qualified graphic designers will miss out and have to wear the chicken suit (okay maybe not, but you get the point).

Those were the facts, and here are a few conclusions;

1. Some of your graduate peers will get jobs but the majority will not. Which camp are you in?
2. You’re now in competition with last years’ graduates who didn’t get a decent graphic design job and who have spent a year honing their job hunting skills
3. If you were one of 40 applicants for your dream job, what makes you so sure you won’t be one of the 39 who miss out?
4. You’ve spent four years getting to this point… do you want to trip now at the final hurdle?

If I could show you a way to almost guarantee that you shift from the HAVE NOTS (a graphic design job) to the HAVES (a graphic design job) would you be interested?

...so you're not getting the recognition you deserve!

Think about this a moment; you’re working as a graphic designer (or in a related job), but this isn't exactly what you pictured when you trained, right?

Others are doing great things for wonderful employers, while you're stuck with trivial, meaningless tasks.

Sometimes you grab the first job that comes along after graduation, unaware that it's a Black Hole for budding designers – newspaper layouts, food ad layouts, desktop publishing assistant on Office software... the list goes on.

You were happy to get a job right? And besides, it's just a stepping stone to greater things, right?

Unfortunately, with a year or two of laying out a newspaper under your belt, in many cases you've actually damaged your Resume, and your portfolio is fast becoming out of date.

You spent 3 or 4 years slogging your way through a college degree – all those assignments, assessments and hurtful critiques on your precious work – and now all you do is food ad layouts?

That's a LONG time and a LOT of effort you've put in. But don't give up now!

What to wear?

In the job interview example above, a graduate turning up to the interview in ripped jeans and facial piercings is like running a marathon for which only finishing will net you a million dollars, and stopping ten minutes from the end of to have a beer with a bud!

Don’t believe me? You think it’s just a matter of personal self-expression to have 50 facial piercings and a green Mohawk when you show up for a million dollar* job interview?

Perhaps there's already a designer working there who dresses worse than you? You might think that if they don’t want you as you are, you don’t want to work for them!

That’s a great attitude to have; once you have the perfect job!

Until then it’s the attitude of an UNHAPPY or UNDEREMPLOYED graphic designer.

*You don’t think it’s a million dollar opportunity? At current salary levels, you will AVERAGE $100,000 a year over the next 10 years – and that adds up to a million dollars!

My name is Gary Crilley and I’m a graphic designer who has spent spent time on both sides of the interview desk.

I’ve applied for many graphic design jobs in my time, and I’ve also been the employer, sitting on the other side of the desk, where I've advertised for, sorted through, and interviewed graphic design applicants for positions in my company.

In addition I’ve taught graphic design to college students and then followed their careers after they graduated. I have been pleased to see many of my students succeed in landing that perfect job and eventually climb the design ladder to management.

But I have also seen just as many fail, and take up jobs in car sales, in photo booths and even dressed up as chickens outside fast-food establishments.

Do you want to be a chicken?

A proven formula

As a result of over 20 years of study and experience I have created and perfected a proven formula for ensuring that a graphic design job applicant becomes an employed graphic designer and not the food ad layout guy or chick, or worse, a chicken!

In the process of researching this formula I have interviewed countless employers and creative directors and asked them;

• What exactly it is that you look for in a graphic designer?

• Under what circumstances would you employ a ‘raw’ graduate or someone who has spent the last two years in a newspaper or laying out food ads?

and a host of other questions.

The answers will astound you!

As a result of this research I have devised strategies to counteract the annoying demand from employers that all applicants have ‘at least 2 years’ experience’, and I have found over 20 strategies to counter their reluctance to hire graduates.

The question is, do you want to know this formula?

Do you want to find out about…

• The creative difference; what it is that separates creative jobs from run-of-the-mill positions...

• The myth of the Success Gene and how ANYONE can get what they want with the right attitude and application...

• 21 strategies to PROVE to potential employers that you can do the job asked of you...

• The GREAT BIG PREJUDICE; how the art of hitchhiking affects your chances of getting a graphic design job...

• How you don’t have to go to the ‘right school’ to get the really good positions...

• The one big thing that employers of graphic designers are REALLY looking for...

• 5 effective strategies to find that elusive unadvertised job...

• 20 ways to make your portfolio irresistible to employers...

• 10 ways to destroy your chances at a job interview...

• 10 Lateral thinking ideas that may or may not work, but are probably worth a try...

Here’s a few facts to consider;

• You’ve got a good qualification,
• Your experience doesn't help you to get a better job,
• But you've been working in the industry, no matter what sector,
• There are THOUSANDS of graphic design positions advertised,
• For every job advertised there are at least 20 applicants (rivals),
• You're now in competition with this year's and last year's graduates who are looking for that perfect job, plus designers with a year or two of relevant experience under their belt,
• Thousands of job seekers just like you will be successful in getting a great graphic design job in the next few months,
• But tens of thousands of qualified graphic designers will miss out and have to wear the chicken suit (okay maybe not, but you get the point).

Those were the facts, and here are a few conclusions;

1. Some of your peers will get jobs... but the majority will not. Which camp are you in?
2. You’re now in competition with another year or two's graduates who may or may not have better skills than you, many of whom have spent a year or more honing their job hunting skills
3. If you were one of 40 applicants for your dream job, what makes you so sure you won’t be one of the 39 who miss out?
4. You’ve spent many years getting to this point… do you want to trip now at the final hurdle?

If I could show you a way to almost guarantee that you shift from the HAVE NOTS (a decent graphic design job) to the HAVES (a decent graphic design job) would you be interested?

...so you want to get the recognition that your experience deserves!

You've worked in the industry for years...

You've taught yourself a whole lot more than you could possibly have learned in school...

You KNOW you can do the job better than any darned graduate...

But nobody will give you a chance to prove it!

It's frustrating, I know. You apply for graphic design jobs that you KNOW you can do justice to, but something is preventing you from getting that 'real' job in design.

It's possible that you're almost there... but just lack a few 'finishing touches'. Let's look at the above job interview example again...

What to wear?

As an experienced 'designer' you might think that your appearance has nothing to do with the hiring decision, and perhaps you even consciously dress like a graduate.

In the job interview example above, a graduate turning up to the interview in ripped jeans and facial piercings is like running a marathon for which only finishing will net you a million dollars, and stopping ten minutes from the end of to have a beer with a bud!

Don’t believe me? You think it’s just a matter of personal self-expression to have 50 facial piercings and a green Mohawk when you show up for a million dollar* job interview?

Perhaps there's already a designer working there who dresses worse than you? You might think that if they don’t want you as you are, you don’t want to work for them!

That’s a great attitude to have; once you have the perfect job!

Until then it’s the attitude of an UNHAPPY, UNEMPLOYED or UNDEREMPLOYED graphic designer.

*You don’t think it’s a million dollar opportunity? At current salary levels, you will AVERAGE $100,000 a year over the next 10 years – and that adds up to a million dollars!

My name is Gary Crilley and I’m a graphic designer who has spent spent time on both sides of the interview desk.

I’ve applied for many graphic design jobs in my time, and I’ve also been the employer, sitting on the other side of the desk, where I've advertised for, sorted through, and interviewed graphic design applicants for positions in my company. (And by the way, I don't have a graphic design qualification!)

In addition I’ve taught graphic design to college students and then followed their careers after they graduated. I have been pleased to see many of my students succeed in landing that perfect job and eventually climb the design ladder to management.

But I have also seen just as many fail, and take up jobs in car sales, in photo booths and even dressed up as chickens outside fast-food establishments.

Do you want to be a chicken?

A proven formula

As a result of over 20 years of study and experience I have created and perfected a proven formula for ensuring that a graphic design job applicant who can do the job becomes an employed graphic designer and not a desktop publisher's assistant, or worse, a chicken!

In the process of researching this formula I have interviewed countless employers and creative directors and asked them;

• What exactly it is that you look for in a graphic designer?

• Under what circumstances would you employ someone who has never been to college?

and a host of other questions.

The answers will astound you!

As a result of this research I have devised strategies to counteract the annoying demand from employers that all applicants have ‘a suitable qualification’, and I have found over 18 strategies to counter their reluctance to hire 'unqualified' designers.

The question is, do you want to know this formula?

Do you want to find out about…

• The creative difference; what it is that separates creative jobs from run-of-the-mill positions...

• The myth of the Success Gene and how ANYONE can get what they want with the right attitude and application...

• 21 strategies to PROVE to potential employers that you can do the job asked of you...

• The GREAT BIG PREJUDICE; how the art of hitchhiking affects your chances of getting a graphic design job...

• How you don’t have to go to the ‘right school’ to get the really good positions...

• The one big thing that employers of graphic designers are REALLY looking for...

• 5 effective strategies to find that elusive unadvertised job...

• 20 ways to make your portfolio irresistible to employers...

• 10 ways to destroy your chances at a job interview...

• 10 Lateral thinking ideas that may or may not work, but are probably worth a try...

Here’s a few facts to consider;

• You’ve got some skills,
• You've got some experience,
• You've been working in the industry, no matter what sector,
• There are THOUSANDS of graphic design positions advertised,
• For every job advertised there are at least 20 applicants (rivals),
• You're in competition with graphic designers with college degrees and diplomas,
• Thousands of job seekers just like you will be successful in getting a great graphic design job in the next few months,
• But tens of thousands of graphic design applicants will miss out and have to wear the chicken suit (okay maybe not, but you get the point).

Those were the facts, and here are a few conclusions;

1. Not everyone working as a graphic designer has a college degree or diploma
2. Graphic design is a 'results' occupation, with more in common with acting and writing than biochemistry, and if you can do the job, there are ways to get the job
3. If you were one of 40 applicants for your dream job, what makes you so sure you won’t be one of the 39 who miss out?
4. You’ve taught yourself so far, which has to be harder than having others teach you… so do you want to trip now at the final hurdle?

If I could show you a way to almost guarantee that you shift from the HAVE NOTS (a real graphic design job) to the HAVES (a real graphic design job) would you be interested?

Full Money Back Guarantee

That’s right, if you’re not completely, one hundred percent satisfied that the information in Get a Job in Design isn’t everything I say it is, I will give you your money back, no questions asked. (And you can keep the downloaded book – there’s no self-destruct sequence or password time-out or anything like that.)

You’re asking yourself now, how can I give you the merchandise and then offer your money back, no questions asked, and let you keep the merchandise?

Simple answer is that I believe in my product. I have sold thousands of copies of this book (at $47) and only a very, very small handful have ever asked for their money back.

I have also received hundreds of testimonials like these…

I'd been looking for work for eleven months and thought I'd never get a break. But after reading this (book) I realised all the things I was doing wrong. My third interview with my newfound knowledge and I was offered the position!

T Acor , Graphic Design Graduate - now Graphic Designer

After reading this book I realised exactly where I was going wrong. I wasn’t even getting interviews. But I’m getting them now, and although I haven’t got a job yet, I’ve received positive feedback and I’m filling in my ‘knowledge gaps’. It’s only a matter of time now...

Becca Dayton, Designer

Bonus book #1 with Get a Job in Design

The 33 Biggest Mistakes of Amateur Graphic Designers will show you all the ways in which UNTRAINED and UNTAUGHT designers, desktop publishers and 'amateurs' are giving themselves away EVERY DAY.

This 74 page book has been compiled by experience and through interviewing employers, clients and professionals in the design and computer graphics industry.

Are you an amateur or a professional? This book will give you a starting point from which to begin your training.

Value: $27

Bonus book #2 with Get a Job in Design

This little book will show you a few alternatives to spending 3 or more years training in order to be a 'qualified' graphic designer...

You will learn of the many thousands of successful graphic designers who never went to college!

You will learn what they know that you don't, and how you can acquire their knowledge.

This book may well save you years of pointless training and could have you earning good money much sooner than you expect.

Value: $27