Ready to make that foray into the business world? Wether you are going to work for someone else of start up your own venture here are some tips that you should keep in mind.

Be Prepared for Change

Change is inevitable, and not always for the better. Keep your eye on business cycles. Is the Dow going up or down? These shifts often mean layoffs and budget cuts. If you hear that some huge corporations are laying off large percentages of workers, chances are this will eventually effect you as well. While the news reports people being cut you rarely hear reports of marketing budgets being cut, but these usually go hand in hand. Lowered marketing budgets could mean less money for design if you are freelancing or even layoffs at your agency if their project budgets are cut by the client.

It seems that most major software and hardware gets upgraded on an annual basis these days. Aside from the cost of staying current by purchasing these upgrades, there is also the issue of understanding the new benefits and issues that come with these new technologies. You need to devise a way to stay current with the technologies and understand how make decision not only on when and why to upgrade, but how to learn to use these technologies effectively. It is not always cost or time effective to take a class for every piece of software that gets updated every year. I find it best to subscribe to industry magazines (like MacWorld) that highlights what is new every month on both the hardware and software front, that also give in-depth reviews and tech tips on how to use these new upgrades. When upgrades happen, I usually start with online tutorials or books to help me get acquainted with the new options, then if it is a major overhaul with a lot to learn weight the cost/time benefits of taking a specialized class.

Market trends change with pop culture. Keeping up-to-date with the mass culture will help you create solutions that connect your client with their target audience. Certain styles or celebrities that are hip one moment, can be detrimental to your clients image the next.

Focus on Realistic Goals

Identify jobs that interest you and that you are qualified for. There is nothing more frustrating to a person looking to fill a position that to have to sort through a pile of resumes from people who are clearly unqualified for the position. Try to get as much information about the position as possible before applying. Address every point in the job description with hard and true facts from your personal work experience. The more you can sell your qualifications for the job the better chance you have on landing it.

Research the position before setting the goal. I ask my students to list their goals, 1 year, 5 year and 10 year, if possible. It is amazing to hear how many state that they love designing and developing story lines for video games. So their initial goal upon graduation is to work in the production department for a major game developer, but their 10 year goal is to become the “boss-man” and run the game company. I ask them if they understand what it means to run a game company. Most have no real idea. It involves overseeing sales of the games, watching production, operations and advertising budgets. This position means meeting after meeting after meeting, analyzing profit/loss statements and deciding wether to open more position or lay-off staff in order to maintain the profitability of the company. 0% of this position is spend in creative development. Is that really the position you are striving for? IF so you should switch you major to Business and minor in Digital Media. Even Creative Diectors do little creative development. By virtue of their title, they direct the development of the creative, not create it themselves. Know what you want to do and find the position that best fits that description, then work towards that goal.

Know the pros and cons of freelance and full time before making the final decision. Working full time sounds ideal doesn’t it? Health insurance, vacation pay, 401k, steady work flow. But is it really ideal? Some people do not thrive in corporate environments. Being pigeon-holed into a very specific job duty, working in a cubicle or bull-pen, punching the clock, time sheets, and more. What is the alternative? Freelance. Work when you want, vacation when you want, creative freedom, no boss to answer to. But even this life has it’s cons. You will not only need to be an artist, but also a salesperson and accountant among other responsibilities. The work does not just land on your desk, you have to go out and actively solicit jobs, then when they pay you, takes are usually not taken out which means you will need to save approximately 30% for Uncle Sam, then pay him quarterly.

There is a half way point between these two position; the temp. There are staffing agencies that you can register with that will do the sales footwork for you and withhold the taxes for you. They will call you when they have work for you and offer different jobs some in-house, some work from home. Sometimes they offer you an hourly rate, some times it is a flat rate to complete a specific project. And you always get to accept or reject their ofers. Sound great? In order for them to stay in business they take a cut of the budget from the client before paying you, this can reach up to 50%. But who cares if you feel you are getting paid a fair amount, right? Why let them pay you $20 an hour to work in-house at an agency when you could have done some research and solicit the work from the agency directly and get paid $30 an hour or more?Then there is the fact that the artist who accepts the work gets the work. The more work you deny the less they are apt to call you to see if you are available. They often offer 401k and health benefits, as long as you work a minimum number of hours a month. Now it starts to become more and more like a full time job, reducing the reasons you decided to start working as a temp in the first place.

Know Your Craft

Become an expert at what you do. Read every technical manual, book and magazine you can that directly influences your career goal. When possible, attend seminars and trade shows. Learn to listen and ask questions that are applicable to your career path so that you better understand the roles and responsibilities of the position to which you have applied. The more you know the more valuable you are.

Do not sell yourself on points that are in contrast to the position that you are applying for. If you are applying for a position as a designer, do not sell youself as a designer who can problem solve technical problems with viruses and networking. Chances are you will find that you will be expected to do both jobs simultaneously. Why can’t I connect to the internet? I can’t send e-mails. I think I have a virus. You will find more and more of your time solving fellow employees problems and having less and less time to focus on solving the creative problems for your client.

Take pride in your work. Never show something that you do not want to see produced. If you promise a client you will show them 5 designs and have only come up with three that you really like, you are obligated to show them 5 regardless. Do not just crank out 2 mediocre designs, hoping they will not like them, and try to focus them on the three you like. Chances are they will like one of the designs you do not and will want you to produce it. If this happens it means that you have not done enough research and have not spent enough time brainstorming. It is not fair to the client to show them something that you know to be mediocre. And if mediocre work gets produced, how happy will you be to put it in your portfolio. If you are not going to put it in your portfolio, why work on the project in the first place? I attack every project the the attitude of “This will be my best piece yet!” and “This is one for the award books!”

Keep Your Resume and Portfolio Up To Date

You never know when a business cycle will take a down turn. be ready. If you have been keeping your eye on the business world you may see it coming. But you never know when a crazy pilot will decide to try to land a plane on the 60th floor of a financial building. Wether freelance or full time, with the completion of every project it is worth the hour or two investment to include it into your print and online portfolios to keep them up to date. I have seen many artists work for years at a position they thought was secure to suddenly find themselves on the street and needing to try to put together a portfolio relevant to the work they had been producing the last few years, but not having access to the files and samples any more.

Show and say only what is relevant for the position to which you are applying. Omit the fluff. If you are applying for a web developer position does it matter that you know Tae Kwon Do or how to play guitar? Will that help you land the job? Maybe, if the agency has a major karate studio or guitar manufacturer as a client, but chances are it is just fluff. It may be good for them to know that you can design logos and packaging, bit if web development is only 20% of your portfolio you will not be as desirable as other applicants.

Be prepared to work as a team member.

Wether freelance or full time employee, everyone works on a team. The teams just differ in the way they work and who is on them. As a full time graphic designer you will probably work with a team of other designers and be managed by an Art Director. As a freelancer, your clients becomes your team members, and depending upon the size of the company, the size of the team will change.

Learn to take constructive criticism. It is a tough thing for designer to do, listen and accept comments others make about your work. You may not like what other people are saying about your work, but sometimes what they are saying may be a better idea or lead to a better execution. The ability to listen and accept will not only make you a better team player, but will also help advance you in your career and to grow as an artist.

Develop An Appreciation for Production & Programming

Fully understand what it takes to get a job completed. Wether you are responsible to the actual coding or preparation of the print mechanical, an understanding of these processes will help you to communicate with the people who do this as well as give you the ability to develop concepts that will be able to be produced. Not everything is easy to produce, but knowing the technical possibilities and the personalities of your team members (their willingness to go that extra mile) can only help you in completing every project successfully.

A small mistake in one step usually leads to a bigger problem down the road. By not understanding the full scope of the creative strategy as well as the technical possibilities and limitations you open the door to develop a concept the client may want that will either un-produceable or not cost effective to produce.

Take production meetings seriously (even if others don’t). You will gain respect and contribute to the success of the project.

Plan Ahead.

You will become the invaluable team member is you are the one who understands the scope of the project and what needs to get done when and where, and are able to help other team members understand and stick to the strategy/timeline.

Focus on Issues that Impact Your Health

Every industry has it’s health issues, know yours. Here are a few we battle in the field of design:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Back Pain
• Eye Strain: Fluorescent vs incandescent
• Toxic Chemicals: Spray Glue