Advice on Career Change

[mudgler]

i am 20 this year, graduating with a diploma in biomedical sciences this may. however, i am currently looking into working in the design industry.

i have been sending emails and resumes to many companies for internship, but so far i have only received one reply. i guess this is probably coz i have no relevant experiences at all. i have been trying to work on a portfolio, but nothing much substantial as of yet.

my question is, what should i bring for the interview since i currently do not have a portfolio available? also, is it recommendable for me to go into the design industry or is it too late to be making a career change right now?

 

[popdod]

My advice is stay in biomedical and take design as a hobby.
go and google salary.sg how much art directors/designs can make a month.

If u dont trust that site, u can always google NTU Media & Design..,
how much is their starting salary as compared to their peers in other faculty.

of coz there r always ppl earning higher but r u cream of the crop?

Hard Desigh Truths Bro.

 

[mudgler]

hmm, money isn't a big issue to me as long as i am able to live comfortably in the future (as in not having to worry that i can't pay for rent and bills etc). coz if that mattered a lot, of coz i would have stayed in the science industry without any considerations.

nevertheless, thank you popdod for your insight

 

[kayzelmoo]

I believe if possible, anyone should always do a job that they are interested in. Or you probably will regret in the later part of th stage where you'll always find the work repetitive and you just can't find any determination to advance in th career path.
Believe it yourself, I would recommend even though you have biomedical cert, you can just work in irrelevant industry as long as you work hard for it. Practically, you could find a design firm to work in (Not as intern - pt time/full time), gather experience but try to ace in the company so you could use it for your next job's resume etc.
The gist is to believe in yourself that you can achieve whatever you aimed for.

 

[ItWasntMe]

if money isn't a problem, and you have lots to spare, go take up a design diploma.
learn the basics and your chances of employment will increase dramatically.
in the process, you can also learn, experience and gauge for yourself whether it is the life or career you want it.

 

[mudgler]

itwasntme, i'm sorry if i phrased it wrongly. i don't mean that money isn't a big issue to me now - it is - but i meant that it is not my greatest priority in the future. my goal is to be doing something i like and earning comfortably, as compared to earning lots yet doing something i don't really like. i would definitely pursue a design diploma/degree or upgrade myself by signing up for courses if i do have lots of spare cash now.

kayzelmoo, are you able to recommend any design firms? i'm not sure if i'll be able to apply for full-time coz i'm not sure if any design firms would want to hire me if i do not have relevant experiences. if given the chance, i'll of course rather take up a full-time job than internship!

 

[popdod]

Just to let u know the harsh reality of our industry.

When economics get whacked, our industry will get the impact first.
Coz no $$$ for advertising or marketing, our jobs will get lesser.

If you are into advertising or design, chances of retrenchment is quite high as clients agency-hop from 1 place to another.
Specially when you are doing an account and next moment u know..the account is gone and out u go.

It has nothing to do with ur performance or creativity.
when account is gone, headcount must cut.
basic business survival mode.

to survive in this industry, u must be extremely passionate
and extremely hardworking & committed.


To answer ur question... few or no design/advertising firms will take u in for full-time
when u have no basic trainings in design principles.

Our job is very fast-paced, almost like A&E.
Like ItWasntMe said, go and take part-course to learn the basic software skills.
otherwise you can't perform a basic design job for a flyer.

 

[kayzelmoo]

haha my bad I do web design I've no idea regarding graphic design or anything like that, I think you can try IAHGames, their part time pay is $6/hr. But their graphic design is really demanding because my schoolmate intern at IAHGAmes as graphic designer. We are from NP Business IT.

 

[ItWasntMe]

Unless u have a relevant design education OR your portfolio is out of this world, u probably will not get a chance at good agencies to learn from the best. Even normal agencies will most probably not give u a second look. Like popdod mentioned, due to the fast turnovers for jobs, companies will want designers with some experience. They are not looking for apprentices to learn on the job from scratch. Your best bet would be to try those design companies that are small in size and are looking for interns or juniors. But even then, the salary for full time employment will be lower than normal design grads.

Given your current situation, unless u can build a fantastic portfolio within a few years, your career will be stuck and the money will just probably be able to support your lifestyle. Is work life balance your priority? There's generally none for creatives.

 

[bugmenot45]

If you want to build up your portfolio, can try designing for non-profits -
Creatives For Causes
The Kind Exchange

You can also take up courses at NAFA/Lasalle/Singapore Poly to build up your skills -
Part-Time Certificate Course
LASALLE College of the Arts
http://www.sp.edu.sg/wps/wcm/connec...iploma+(conversion)+in+digital+media+creation

Maybe you can try jobs like these-
Junior Presentation Specialist Contract Job in Singapore - Randstad
It's not purely design work, but at least you get some relevant experience.

 

[dkcm_3d]

Hi

If you need some advise, I am happy to meet you at our studio and share some perspective with you. I will PM you my email.

Some recent article about what we do.
http://www.tinyisland.net/STLife_Edit.jpg

BBC News - David Kwok's Tiny animated ambitions

 

[dilphinus]

i am 20 this year, graduating with a diploma in biomedical sciences this may. however, i am currently looking into working in the design industry.

i have been sending emails and resumes to many companies for internship, but so far i have only received one reply. i guess this is probably coz i have no relevant experiences at all. i have been trying to work on a portfolio, but nothing much substantial as of yet.

my question is, what should i bring for the interview since i currently do not have a portfolio available? also, is it recommendable for me to go into the design industry or is it too late to be making a career change right now?

Dude, it's pretty obvious you don't have the passion or talent. If u did, even if you don't study design, you would have a decent portfolio, from doing artwork in your free time.

Those who don't study design or art, but have passion in it, would have spent a lot of time painting or doing design work or learning softwares like photoshop, illustrator, indesign, 30 max, etc. And the would have something to show despite not having any paper qualifications on the subject.

You have no relevant skills to offer to a design company, why would anyone pay you when you can't contribute? U want to learn, go to a school and do a course. Internships are for those who have basic understanding and knowledge, for them to have a taste of how the industry is like, and also for them to brush up their skills. Why would any company pay an intern to shred paper, make photocopies or make coffee?

 

[bugmenot45]

Patrick Chia, Pann Lim and Edwin Low, all accomplished Singaporean designers in their own rights, will share their passion and struggle, their first big break and their thought on receiving the President’s Design Award, the ultimate endorsement of their work. Come, be inspired. Find out what it takes to be a designer. Suitable for students in Secondary Four, junior colleges, polytechnics and art/design institutions.

Edwin Low, Supermama
President’s Design Award 2013
Design of the Year for Singapore Icons

Hello Design! : Design is now recognised as a key differentiator that plays
important roles in propelling innovation and success in many industries.
However, the myopic view of the term 'design' as purely beautiful sketches or
fantastic mockups often present it as a fuzzy theory to many. Hello Design!
seeks to give credit to the most misunderstood term and present a
perspective of design as one of the most relevant field one can pursue -
whether he/she ends up as a designer or not.

Patrick Chia, Founding Creative Director, d.lab
President’s Design Award 2013
Designer of the Year

Hello! Are you sure you want to be a designer? : Patrick Chia will share
his journey as a designer and his thoughts on what are the prerequisites and
what is installed for the designer of the future.

Pann Lim, Creative Director, Kinetic Design and Advertising
President’s Design Award 2013
Designer of the Year

Hello, what does it take to be a Designer? : Join us as award-winning
designer and recipient of the 2013 President’s Design Award Pann Lim talks
about his professional journey and accomplishments.
Following that, we invite Pann’s former Lecturer and Mentor, Temasek
Polytechnic’s School of Design Director Lim Chong Jin, to join Pann for a
dialogue session discussing the merits of a Design education, the
opportunities in the Design industry and their unique student-teacher bond
that led to Pann’s success.

http://www.designsingapore.org/SDW/...aspx?eID=b58825ed-8887-44f0-8318-684005825bb1

 

[b0h3mian_summer]

I have started years ago, graduated from NAFA, and went into the Advertising industry, started as a designer, then to Junior Art Director, etc. After a few years.

I quit.

Coz, my health started to fail. I simply unable to take the super long nights, working on endless job bags, forever neverending pitches, sipping red bull/coffee to keep myself awake at 2am, 3am.

But at least, I have tried. I had no regrets.

You are still very young, and whatever what others told you, are their side of the story. BUT if you have noticed, the stories all point out to a consistent thing. It is NOT romantic at all.

Whatever your reason may be, I would suggest instead of trying to get jobs, do ask around shamelessly for some "walkabouts" in agencies, studios. Some may accommodate you and show you around for a short while. I did that when I went into NAFA, and it helped me a lot.

Now? I just design for a hobby, I do the occasional side jobs. Not doing design for a full time job at all. But I still like design, I would identify typefaces on fliers, keep myself updated by reading magazines and blogs, go to festivals and arts markets, and did my own merchandise and sold them. It's for fun.

Liking it, and doing it for a living are entirely different things. For example, liking to drink coffee, knowing how to make lattes and cappuccinos, is very very different from opening a cafe.

Good luck

 

[b0h3mian_summer]

Unless u have a relevant design education OR your portfolio is out of this world, u probably will not get a chance at good agencies to learn from the best. Even normal agencies will most probably not give u a second look. Like popdod mentioned, due to the fast turnovers for jobs, companies will want designers with some experience. They are not looking for apprentices to learn on the job from scratch. Your best bet would be to try those design companies that are small in size and are looking for interns or juniors. But even then, the salary for full time employment will be lower than normal design grads.

Given your current situation, unless u can build a fantastic portfolio within a few years, your career will be stuck and the money will just probably be able to support your lifestyle. Is work life balance your priority? There's generally none for creatives.

Hey, you still doing design?

I actually came upon this thread when I was looking at my inbox. We last talked about design back in 2008

 

[Computeron]

I have started years ago, graduated from NAFA, and went into the Advertising industry, started as a designer, then to Junior Art Director, etc. After a few years.

I quit.

Coz, my health started to fail. I simply unable to take the super long nights, working on endless job bags, forever neverending pitches, sipping red bull/coffee to keep myself awake at 2am, 3am.

But at least, I have tried. I had no regrets.

You are still very young, and whatever what others told you, are their side of the story. BUT if you have noticed, the stories all point out to a consistent thing. It is NOT romantic at all.

Whatever your reason may be, I would suggest instead of trying to get jobs, do ask around shamelessly for some "walkabouts" in agencies, studios. Some may accommodate you and show you around for a short while. I did that when I went into NAFA, and it helped me a lot.

Now? I just design for a hobby, I do the occasional side jobs. Not doing design for a full time job at all. But I still like design, I would identify typefaces on fliers, keep myself updated by reading magazines and blogs, go to festivals and arts markets, and did my own merchandise and sold them. It's for fun.

Liking it, and doing it for a living are entirely different things. For example, liking to drink coffee, knowing how to make lattes and cappuccinos, is very very different from opening a cafe.

Good luck

same i also graduated from NAFA.. tried agencies.. 1st few days of work busy like hell till chickenpox - too heaty n stress. when my chickenpox is about to gone, i called back office from home said i quitting.

now at the age of 31 with a baby.. its damn hard for me to change field.. so now work as an in-house designer in a gd company. less stress. knock off at 6pm.

 

[bugmenot45]

now at the age of 31 with a baby.. its damn hard for me to change field.. so now work as an in-house designer in a gd company. less stress. knock off at 6pm.

That's why I always recommend people to work in house.

 

[ItWasntMe]

Hi summer!
Yap, still doing design, but now working in-house.
haha.. Couldn't take that kind of agency lifestyle too. Really leave you with no personal time.
In the end you feel burnout and the passion becomes a chore.

When I reflect on it, what I've gained are improvements to my software skills, creative thinking, very fun and nice colleagues, experience in working with various industries' clients, bad health, blaming the way the industry is run, plus lots of rants.

Its definitely no romantic love story, but I love the creativity involved. I love the thinking process, creating nice artworks, and sharing ideas with other creatives.

For those looking at changing fields, marketing is actually a good place to go into.

Hey, you still doing design?

I actually came upon this thread when I was looking at my inbox. We last talked about design back in 2008

 

[mudgler]

Dude, it's pretty obvious you don't have the passion or talent. If u did, even if you don't study design, you would have a decent portfolio, from doing artwork in your free time.

Those who don't study design or art, but have passion in it, would have spent a lot of time painting or doing design work or learning softwares like photoshop, illustrator, indesign, 30 max, etc. And the would have something to show despite not having any paper qualifications on the subject.

You have no relevant skills to offer to a design company, why would anyone pay you when you can't contribute? U want to learn, go to a school and do a course. Internships are for those who have basic understanding and knowledge, for them to have a taste of how the industry is like, and also for them to brush up their skills. Why would any company pay an intern to shred paper, make photocopies or make coffee?

do not slam me for not having an interest or passion or talent when you don't know my story.

i have been interested in arts from young but i have been brought up such that i shouldn't be interested in arts, but rather go for more "practical" jobs like r&d, medicine, law, business, etc. it is only after 3 years of studying biomed that i realise i prefer design over anything else.

the thought of making a portfolio never came across my mind, until recently when i decided to begin to take design more seriously. i do know how to use photoshop and illustrator, also a little of indesign, but my lack of experience made me unsure if i am adequate enough for design firms to hire me.

also, i am currently hired as a graphic designer intern, so thanks but no thanks for being so quick to put me down.

 

[b0h3mian_summer]

Hi summer!
Yap, still doing design, but now working in-house.
haha.. Couldn't take that kind of agency lifestyle too. Really leave you with no personal time.
In the end you feel burnout and the passion becomes a chore.

When I reflect on it, what I've gained are improvements to my software skills, creative thinking, very fun and nice colleagues, experience in working with various industries' clients, bad health, blaming the way the industry is run, plus lots of rants.

Its definitely no romantic love story, but I love the creativity involved. I love the thinking process, creating nice artworks, and sharing ideas with other creatives.

For those looking at changing fields, marketing is actually a good place to go into.

Haha, I was working in-house 3 years ago too

It was fun la..agency days. I still remember during my first day, my AD pulled me to one corner and said "This will be very tough, you must tahan!"

Ominous signs indeed. But I never regretted my foray into that industry

I have design classmates who changed to being AEs. Even though they need not do the artworks, but they are always being summoned back to the studio to oversee at odd hours. There was once a friend had to go back to office at 11pm+ (during our gathering dinner), to go back to check the artwork. Coz the Full page ad was due, and the price was wrong *_*

How things have changed hor? back then, everyone using Freehand. Now is Illustrator liao!