Declassified SCAD Survival Guide
Pages
Get Hired
Job Hunting Resources
Where to be Looking
Job Hunting Resources
Type
Search
Link
Places
Type
Creator
SCAD Career Alumni Success Newsletter
Newsletter
SCAD
Google Maps
ASIFA South
Graphic Design Community (Discord)
Lauren Beyer
There are no rows in this table
References
How to use this list
1. Start by joining the various Slack/Discord communities.
These communities usually have a jobs channel with posts about jobs and gigs opportunities that you can check regularly. These opportunities, especially for freelance work, are often time-sensitive. Your chances of getting hired increase when you respond promptly to these posts.
2. Utilize a directory to send cold emails
It's crucial to proactively choose the city where you'd like to pursue your career/job, rather than relying on any company that may hire you anywhere. By pinpointing your desired city, you can focus your job search on specific companies, industry experts, or alumni networks that can assist you in securing employment.
Subsequently, you can initiate cold email outreach to these targeted companies by identifying the studios located in your desired city. To achieve this, you can refer to useful directories such as and
What to be doing aside from job searching
Preparing for interviews
Resources
Job Hunt Tracking
AI Tools
Tips
FAQs
Is it normal not to have a job / internship before graduation?
DD: F*CK YES. IT IS ABSOLUTELY NORMAL. I didn’t get a job before I finish my B.F.A. and M.F.A. If it helps, focus on your school work first before worrying about employment. With your college training, you should be able to easily produce new portfolio work after graduation to increase your chance of employment.
Is it normal to not feel okay about not getting hired before graduation?
DD: Absolutely. It's a common experience, often influenced by seeing peers secure jobs and feeling societal or school pressures to have employment lined up before graduation. This conditioning can instill a deep-seated fear that's hard to shake until you graduate. The important thing to remember is that this anxiety is natural. It's about accepting it and maintaining optimism while you continue your job search journey.
Is it advantageous to relocate to a new city without securing a job beforehand?
Alumni answer: This question is tricky because there is no simple answer, like yes or no. However, it's important to note that recruiters and companies prefer local designers over those needing to relocate. If you move to an area with many companies and studios, like New York, you may have a better chance of receiving freelance work. From personal experience, after I moved to NYC and changed my location on LinkedIn and website, I was contacted by a diverse range of companies for freelance opportunities that I did not receive when I was in Savannah.
Attending various creative events can be an excellent way to establish new connections and expand your knowledge; usually, bigger cities have more events. Moving to a new place without securing a job can be a daunting and challenging experience. However, sometimes, we must move on and see it as a new opportunity to discover more prospects. If you're worried about moving, consider relocating to a city where you have friends and family members you can rely on. When I struggled, having friends nearby provided comfort, guidance, and the strength to keep going.
Recommended Readings
Job Hunting
Freelancing
Barber - The Student Guide To Freelancing.pdf
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