Done with College, Now What?

Students that come out of design school can seem overwhelmed by actually becoming an adult and taking on a brand new career. For those that aren’t ready to leave the warm comfort of academia, it can be a daunting challenge. Economic times are rough, the job market is in a downturn, and landing that dream position seems far-flung. What are recent graduates supposed to do? Where should they start looking? How can they acquire the career that got them interested in design in the first place?

Boom Phomvongkoth is an Art Institute of Portland graduate. Though he did not just recently enter the industry, he knows what challenges face those going into the apparel industry. He is currently an apparel designer at the adidas Group in the basketball division.

Justine: “What made you decide to go into apparel design?”

Boom: “I wanted to make better uniforms than what I had seen before.”

J: “How did you go about getting into the industry?”

B: “I had to get a degree. I found the Art Institute. I just happened to walk in and check what they had available for degrees and liked that there were sportswear designers.”

J: “Sum up your overall experience.”

B: “Great. I learned a lot from all angles of design, patterns and development. Got me prepared. I only wish there was more computer illustrator training.”

J: “What did you end up doing right out of school?”

B: “I applied for a position with a company called Shirts and Skins. I knew about them from my internship during school, but I knew the owner from working at The Hoop basketball club.”

J: “How did you get into your current position?”

B: “I was looking around on the adidas website and applied.

J: “And your current position is…”

B: Quite smugly: “Basketball apparel designer. I was lucky to work at Shirts and Skins so I didn’t have to accept an assistant designer position.”

J: “Where would be the best place and what would be the best course of action you would recommend to fresh-faced, bright-eyed grads looking for a job?”

B: “Uh,” laughing, “I have no idea. Network. Take advantage of school. There are great resources there with the teachers and stuff. Internships can always lead to something good.”

J: “When you look for potential candidates to fill positions on your team, what are you looking for?”

B: “I think overall, passion is the most important to me. How can you do something that you don’t love? Obviously if they have a degree, either in apparel design or graphic design. The other thing is experience. But I think passion is more important.”

J: “What are critical qualifications and skills necessary for a design position?”

B: “Besides having a degree and experience?” takes a swig of water, “Talent and attention to detail. It’s also important that the person be able to work under deadlines. I’d have to be shown something that I haven’t seen before.”

J: “What would you tell students just graduating students entering the work force?”

B: “Take whatever you can get. Its not likely that you’re going to become an ‘apparel designer’ right out of school. Get your foot in the door. Take internships, assistant design jobs, technical designer jobs – whatever. Once you’re in, you can decide what you want to do and where you want to go.”

There is light at the end of the tunnel. As far as finding a job in a market like this one, there are a few options. Job fairs are always a good idea. The Internet is a valuable resource for job hunters. 24 Seven Inc. is a website dedicated specifically to talent recruitment for leading names in fashion, beauty, and advertising among other things. The site at www.24seveninc.com is a helpful resource when looking for job listings around the country for free lance as well as permanent positions and has handy guides for writing resumes, cover letters, as well as a guide for the average income of specific positions; useful for when you negotiate the pay for that dream job.

Other ways to get your name and designs out there can include online portfolio sites like Coroflot and Qfolio. Coroflot, www.coroflot.com, allows your portfolio to be accessible to head hunters and potential employers as well as members of the design community. It is a great place not only to network and share your talent, but also to get feedback from fellow designers.

Graduating from college is a huge step in becoming a responsible member of society, and can be intimidating. Starting your career in a brand new place full of people you don’t know is scary. But what was the point of four years of school full of late night sewing sessions, cramming for midterms, and all the blood, sweat, and tears? Post-university is the beginning of the rest of your life and with the right skills and persistence as well as a good dose of trepidation, the rest of your life can be all that you’ve ever dreamt of.