Hey #designtwitter. I’m legit worried about the challenges facing both new and recent graduates.

Please can we crowdsource some great advice in this thread for any designers who are looking for their first roles...

I’ll collate on this Medium post: https://medium.com/@robinhowie/so-youre-looking-for-a-job-in-design-efb12bc4d493?source=friends_link&sk=9aa219d3ae1706188c93b4cdc37bc445

First impressions really count. We receive lots of internship requests... most of which are sadly copy and pasted emails that are sent to lots of studios... It goes miles if you personalise that first contact, demonstrate that you are already engaged in a studio and their work.

When I first graduated I didn't ask for internships directly... Instead, try asking for portfolio feedback or advice. A studio might not have internship or job opportunities but you may be surprised with their generosity in other forms. Meeting people is fun to, even if on zoom!

Another tip... Get into detective mode and find a real person to contact (rather than a [email protected])... make a connection as its easier to follow up with... those generic email addresses aren’t always checked regularly

(CV 1 / 4) Let's chat CV’s for a second… Most studios around degree show time get *a lot* of emails… Every detail you present matters to stand apart from the crowd. Honestly, a lot of graduates CV’s can do more damage than good! Think critically and approach them as a designer.

(CV 2 / 4) Don’t just do a CV because your parent/tutor recommends them! Think really carefully about your cv’s content, listing out your part-time jobs is only so helpful... What do you want to *tell* a studio.

(CV 3 / 4) We get sent a lot of portfolio’s with a CV as a separate pdf; is that necessary? If it feels appropriate to have two documents then they should still look and feel complimentary!

(CV 4 / 4) And please please please… for the love of design, think very carefully before launching yourself into an infographic of what software you know how to use! There are so many crimes against design in my inbox.

@paolo_felton @benbrookbanks @AlanDyeNB @gradiate @lexmakesthings @alex_woolley @jamie_ellul @millsustwo @morramadesign @basilsafwat @GaReth_Rutter @marc_atkinson