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Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I have applied for 20+ freelance design positions today, lets bet I dont get any good responses - why do they all hate graduates? We gotta start somewhere!!


Ok, Rant over...
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Don't let them get you down! I've got a stack of rejection letters when I graduated as well. . . you'll get your break!

    What type of free lance work?

    Happy belated b-day by the way. . . :birthday: (I've been itching to use the b-day cake all day)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've got a Graphic Design degree and am looking for freelance graphic or webdesign work. Unfortunately all jobs and freelance companies only wanna employ people with at least a years experience. How are we supposed to get it in the first place?! :confused:

    It's 4 months since I graduated and I'm sick of working in a bar! lol

    But thanks for the cake :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Try doing some work experience or volunteering your services for free/ cut rates for local businesses etc. This way you at least keep your CV up to date in your area. Also get your CV checked over by a careers advisor to see if you can improve it in anyway to grab a future employer's attention.

    Often if you can demonstrate the talent, the drive and at least a little experience you will get the break.

    Susie :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    None of the businesses round here are interested in giving out work experience! And I am doing work for next to nothing to get the experience but I need money desperately!! I've been at Uni for 3 years and I'm seriously in debt!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    My auntie who has been in the job for 20+ years cant get a job because graduates always come first so it isnt always like that. They would rather have a graduate than an experienced designer!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by *DEVIL*
    They would rather have a graduate than an experienced designer!

    That's not right at all! Where does she live? Cos I have been looking everywhere for design jobs and have seen so many for senior designers!!! I haven't yet seen 1 job for anyone with less than a years experience and loads of the job ads state 'No Graduates'. It's really getting me down now cos I've had 4 rejection letters in the last few weeks, am beginning to think I'll never get a 'proper' job! :(:(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hey hey hey, you have 4 rejection letters and your already getting yourself down??

    I am ina similar situation as yourself looking for a specific job field and applying left right and centre for jobs! I was to be a software developer or a programmer of some sort, failing that i would settle for working as a computer technician (software or hardware).

    But like you i am in the situation where every job i apply for requires at least two years experience. However i aint getting my self down about it. I just keep going to the job centre once a week and seeing what they have going.

    I have a degree in computing and im struggling to get a job too. so i wouldnt get yourself too down, i have got a huge pile of rejection letters in my drawer next to my bed!! The job is out there for yousomewhere but you just havent found it yet!

    Chin up, eh? kid!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanx! It's just getting me down cos I've spent 3 years at uni and am now working in a bar! :( I've printed out copies of my cv to send to 40 local companies! So let's see if I get any responses at all - if not I dunno what to do next. I went to the job centre and they're the most unhelpful bunch of people I have ever met!!

    Hope you find a job soon aswell matey!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Join a recruitment agency, thats what i have recently done. They will go all out to get you the ideal job! i joined on Monday, not heard anything yet but give it time!!!

    Plus with joining a recruitment agency you can almost believe your in league of gentlemen. 'Good morning job seekers!' - ah Pauline.....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    A good way to get expericene is to offer your services on the web. People are always looking for someone to design sites for them. I wanted a website but didn't have the know how so a friend who is looking for a job as a webdesigner did it for me and its ace! He put it on his CV so that people can look at his design skills.

    You might want to do that so that they have something to look at to see how good you are.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanx guys but I have tried all of this! No recruitment agencies are interested cos either they dont have design jobs or they wont take on graduates. The Job centre was very unhelpful. I've applied for about 5 or 6 jobs - that's all I have seen advertised! I have emailed over 30 companies and posted 20 leaflets to companies offering to design them a site, logo, whatever. I've posted my cv to 40 graphic design companies in the area. And I have my own website with my portfolio etc on it so ppl can see what i do. Nothing has worked!! :crying:

    This is why I am so stuck and dunno what to do next!! :confused:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Are you sure you could not get a few months work experience of working for free for preferably a good, well-known design company? Usually they are more than willing to take on someone who is offering their services for free! I have friends who have done work experience in design and they are only 17/18. They wil probably pay for your travel and may give you a small wage, but you could continue your bar work in the evening.
    I think this would be the best way to enhance your CV in order to get a job. Bumblebees web design idea was good too.
    Good Luck x
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I have been asking for work experience but having no luck so far. You're mates prob did their work experience as part of a school/college course and that's much easier to do than get it off your own back. Basically there are just no jobs in the design industry at the mo, we've just been told it's gonna pick up by the end of the tax year. Just wish they'd told us before we left uni! And like I said I have also tried Bumblebee's idea! I'm tearing my hair out! lol :(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    this is exactly why im not gunna waste my time at uni
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Faith
    Thanx! It's just getting me down cos I've spent 3 years at uni and am now working in a bar! :( I've printed out copies of my cv to send to 40 local companies! So let's see if I get any responses at all - if not I dunno what to do next. I went to the job centre and they're the most unhelpful bunch of people I have ever met!!

    Hope you find a job soon aswell matey!

    Faith, I feel exactly the same. Five months since the university close, and I'm still licking those 1st class stamps clinging onto that remote bit of faith. (No pun intended as that's your name as well).

    From my Excel spreadsheets I've compile my stats as regards to my job hunting:

    Number of jobs applied for: 80
    Number of responses: 28
    Number of rejection letters: 6
    Number of interviews: 2
    Number of job offers: 0

    Also, I'm sending unsolicited letters/CVs off to local engineering/IT companies. So for, I've sent off 43 of those.

    The people who respond (the figure '28') are the ones who got back to me with an application pack in the post. Apart from that and the rejection letters, the response rate is quire dire.

    Maybe I should have given up education when I found out that I had 9 A-C GCSE passes back in 1995. Most jobs only require 5 A-Cs.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm actually starting to worry now... seeing all these people at Uni graduating with a hard earned degree/hnd, and finding it extremely hard to find any work. I live with Mr Mons above, and see him daily filling out application forms - FFS Emplyers give graduates a chance!

    I _was_ hoping to train as a commercial pilot, as anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm addicted to aviation and anything that starts with Boeing or Airbus (yeah call me a freak if ya wish :p ) - Due to those bloody afghans attacking the US last year all the airlines have pulled out of sponsorship on training pilots. To fund Pilot Training myself would cost atleast £100,000 in this country... and atleast £60,000 in the US - Such a shame :(

    Anyway to all you graduates searching for jobs, I wish you the best of luck, please keep us upto date if you do get a job !
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well we're not alone Monserrat - none of my friends from my course have a design job....most are either temping or doing bar work like me! It sucks that we've spent 3 years of our life and a hell of a lot of money learning and working hard and it was all a big waste of time!! I'll never be able to pay all my student debts off at this rate!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Faith, I'm expecting a phone call within the next hour regarding a job interview.

    This will be of interest to you because it cropped up through one of my unsolicited letters. I notice that you are doing the same. By sending out these letters and CVs, it means that the targeted companies will have you on file when a job vacancy arises. You will be able to 'catch' out the vacancy before it gets posted into the local rags or the job centre.

    I'll let you know what happens when I recieve the phone call this afternoon. My mum did suggest me to go tempting for a while, but I'll see what becomes of this first.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I had 3 replies from all the letters I sent out to local companies! All of them said that they're very impressed with my work, etc but don't have any jobs to offer me! The other 30-odd companies didn't even bother to reply at all! I'm working in a bar in the evenings which is something I really don't want to be doing but I need the money, and it gives me chance to do a little bit of freelance work during the day. Still need a proper job though!!!

    Good luck with the phone call matey!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Right, I got the phone call 15 minutes ago and confirmed an interview on Friday 10:00am. It will be deskbound sales job where I'll give quotes based on inventories that customers calls for... (if I get the job that is!!)

    It is very rude when people don't reply to the letters especially when you make the effort to place them in A4 envelopes, unfolded. 45x 1st class stamps and 45x A4 envelopes is not cheap! Out of the 45 unsolicited cases, I've had 3 replies, one being this interview.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Faith have you ever thought about getting into a design agency rather than going freelance? there are plenty of them around and most need new ideas to be brought in.

    I've just started in one, doing sales, although I am thinking about doing some exams in either marketing or design....can't decided which route to go down.

    It is annoying looking for jobs I have every sympathy with you. keep trying and you will get somewhere. It took me just over a year to find this job. I spent the time temping through agencies etc. Must have had about 20-30 interviews and applied for hundreds of jobs. I got a couple but just didn't likethem when I went for the interviews. Now I keep getting letters back saying they're offering interviews to ones I sent off for just before getting this one. Damn annoying...had nothing for ages and now i can't get enough. grr....!

    But there is a job out there for you. Don't dispare and keep looking. Good luck :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Kazbo
    Faith have you ever thought about getting into a design agency rather than going freelance?

    that's what I'm trying to do! I sent 30-odd letters to design agencies trying to get a job and have applied to quite a few....but they all want at least a years experience. I'm only doing freelance cos I can't get a job with an actually design company. I don't wanna do freelance but it's the only option at the mo. :(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Faith


    that's what I'm trying to do! I sent 30-odd letters to design agencies trying to get a job and have applied to quite a few....but they all want at least a years experience. I'm only doing freelance cos I can't get a job with an actually design company. I don't wanna do freelance but it's the only option at the mo. :(

    Okies...sorry I mis read you earlier....:)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Right, I've just got back from the interview. I seem fitted for the job and the panel (two people) were 80% sure of taking me on. Then they told me that three other people are yet to be interviewed. This means that the start date for the job is pushed back to the Monday after next (Nov 25th). I now have to wait until the end of next week before I have results.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well good luck matey! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, really hope you get it! :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Monserrat
    Right, I've just got back from the interview. I seem fitted for the job and the panel (two people) were 80% sure of taking me on. Then they told me that three other people are yet to be interviewed. This means that the start date for the job is pushed back to the Monday after next (Nov 25th). I now have to wait until the end of next week before I have results.

    Good luck mate, hope you get it :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Faith,

    I had the same problem when I finished uni. It took me over a year to get a job - sorry! Of course I temped in the meantime as a receptionist but the money of course wasn't as good as a graduate job. Did you do a sandwich year? I found it so frustrating that all the jobs I wanted wanted experience, but no-one would bloody well give me any! In the end, I took a job in the field I wanted, but not doing exactly what I wanted. A year and a half later I used that experience to finally get the job I'd wanted when I left uni. So hang on in there & take anything you can! Someone will give you a break some time.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by barbie
    Faith,

    I had the same problem when I finished uni. It took me over a year to get a job - sorry! Of course I temped in the meantime as a receptionist but the money of course wasn't as good as a graduate job. Did you do a sandwich year? I found it so frustrating that all the jobs I wanted wanted experience, but no-one would bloody well give me any! In the end, I took a job in the field I wanted, but not doing exactly what I wanted. A year and a half later I used that experience to finally get the job I'd wanted when I left uni. So hang on in there & take anything you can! Someone will give you a break some time.

    Thanx for the reply Barbie :)
    I didn't do a sandwich year, my course didn't offer that. Which is a pain cos at least that could of counted as experience. I've been doing bar work since Aug cos I thought it'd just be temporary, but I'm going to try and get some temping work this week since it looks like it's going to be for a while longer!! I'm doing freelance in my spare time so I'm hoping that I can count this as 'experience' when it comes to applying for jobs!
    It's crap that there's so many of us in the same boat after leaving uni! :(
    Ta for everyone's replies though, makes me feel a little better :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Funnily enough, I DID do the placement year. It was good experience and relavent as well, but it still wasn't enough. The first job interview I went to this year was in Shrewsbury back in August. There were 9 candidates, and two job positions vacant. Two weeks later, I got the rejection phone call. "Even though I was full qualified and had enough experience, the only reason why I was superceeded was the fact that another candidate had more experience than I did."

    Its always experience isn't it?!

    I'm not sure whether is was a good thing or not, but with my latest job interview (Fri 15th), I wrote a letter yesterday just thanking for the opportunity to have this interview and the fact that I'm disabled will pose an advantage because this company deals with disabled people only. They're interviewing one more candidate tomorrow, and (as of last Friday) there were a couple of other people in the pipeline.

    Thanks Faith, Kazbo and Barbie for sharing your stories here, regarding experience.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Graphic design experience?????

    Just been reading your posts and thought i would drop u a line

    I did GD at uni but dropped out to take up a position at a design studio, it was'nt all it was made out 2 be and now I work 4 a bank AHHH! anyway I keep myself busy be doing freelance design, its taken me ages to get off my arse and get on with it but now I feel a little bit more focused. Im looking for someone with the same idea to help out and get me a bit more motivated. Drop me a line if you are interested ? info@tastii.co.uk

    Later

    mark
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