UKH

Basically, I graduated last year as BA hons Product Innovation

ever since i have been trying to get any kind of work experience thats design based, i have had one placement that was in November/December so had some extra money for christmas (thank god)

but im stuck now, every job i apply design wise... graduate scheme, placement or otherwise i seem to be either under qualified i.e. dont know enough about the software they use... or im not a specialist in one field?

give a recent example, I have a good grasp of Maya 3D CAD software for photo realistic rendering, i applied for a job, but the wanted someone with Rhino 3D CAD knowledge, in interview i explained that the software was essentially the same and it wouldn't take me long to adjust .... didn't get job.

Anyway i now have little idea of what direction i want to take. Should i specialise? if so what in?

Are there any designers (graphic or product or industrial) who could give some advise?

In reply to killianmurphyjade:

A freind of mine, who was a teacher of Geography and IT, decided to change career. He did an MSc in GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and when he started to look for work came across the exact same problem.

After a while he began to adjust his CV to fit the job being applied for. He would then download the relevant software and tutorials and learn what he needed to.

This strategy began to work and, as the work was all freelance / contract lasting only a few months, he soon picked up many skills becoming a sort after contractor. One of those skills is coincidentally using various CAD design software.

Obviously this strategy is a bit high risk and requires, according to my friend, putting in days and days of self learning and having to buy many books and other resources.

Software producers are better at providing non commercial versions of their software that can be downloaded and learnt.

I do sympathise with graduates and understand, at least my friend understands, how difficult it can be.

Try to specialise and not be too diverse. Be good at what you know. Also, whatever you learn and skills you develop, there will be times they are not the right ones. It sucks but that's life, so my friend tells me. You learn VBA, they want VB. You learn C++, they want Java. You learn PostgreSQL, they want MySQL etc....

Don't give up, perservere. Some employers are not very good at seeing the potential of an individual and some are excellent. My friend is now in a good full time permanent job as technical manager for a large geospatial company.

Think about the positives; you've got a shed load of time to climb and based in Stoke there's lots of your doorstep.

Good luck

Cheers.

Rich.

In reply to killianmurphyjade:

The CAD thing is a bitch. You can't win, so don't waste too much time trying to. If you get a chance to use other systems then take them. If you are unemployed then maybe get yourself round to your local college and see what deals they have that might allow you to get a feel for other CAD systems. At least then you tell interviewers that you have tried them and you've made an effort.

Why most companies seem to want CAD Ops with degrees anyway is anybody's guess. Degree-qualified design staff should be applying brain power and the CAD system provides a way of expressing that but is not the main purpose.

You shouldn't be specialising. That only puts you in a worse position. Multiplying the situation with the CAD.

Have you got a good history of work placements and industrial experience? If not, is there somewhere that will take you for one unpaid day per week to do something relevant?


(I am noticing Aberdeen is looking better for jobs than most places.)

Cheers for the advice so far, all is appreciated

Thankfully CAD is not my only skill, I'm actually got very good at adobe illustrator (vector graphics) and have always played around on photoshop (bitmap graphics), I am ok at prototype modelling, and the general process leading up to prototyping

I even have some project management abilities having managed the expansion of the university climbing wall badly at first but it was a steep learning curve and I got the project finished kind of. The contractor seemed to have disappeared well at least the work got finished first.

As for the CAD programs. I now can use Maya, Rhino and AutoCAD hopefully this will be enough lol

And yes Stoke is excellent. Shame I can't afford to get out all the time haha. getting a placement around here would be ideal but it all comes down to the 'who you know' thing

Cheers again and thank you to any future responses =)

In reply to killianmurphyjade: Get as much exposure to different CAD systems as you can - Solidworks, Autodesk Inventor and probably others do student versions and low cost trainee versions - pester the resellers (Solid Solutions, NTCADCAM etc for Solidworks, not sure about Autodesk stuff) - highlight that you might be going in to a company with existing 2D CAD and that they might get a full sale out of you turning the company on to their product. Get your head round the basic design workflows in each of the different types of CAD - bottom up, top down etc, this is more important than being a Solidworks/Inventor whiz, switching should be fairly straight forward. Read up on the machining/production methods of the industries you want to work in and understand how the guys on the shop floor will build the stuff you design - this will give you an edge over CAD monkeys who have no interest in getting their hands dirty. I'd pick a technician/machine op with an interest in CAD over a graduate with no practical understanding any day of the week to create a buildable design.
Put together a decent portfolio of your renders / photoshop/ illustrator/prototype work - possibly as a website (google provides sufficient hosting space free). In a small company, having someone that can do that stuff well can be a godsend, but only if they can design stuff that can be built, a large number of clients aren't interested in spending on viz work!
Email, send letters and phone people daily (aim for 20/day and treat it like a job and research who to send it to) - the more people you contact, the more chance of hitting the "I don't need, but I know a man who does...". 90% won't reply, which is gutting, but you will pop up on people's radars. I get 4 or 5 emails a week, including ones from Europe, so you're in a tough market and I sympathise! Get as much criticism on your CV from people in industry as possible and be ruthless with it, but don't bullshit - it will be spotted.
Figure out if you're happy to work freelance (look in to stuff like umbrella companies (PLanIT is one used by a guy I use)to sort out payment etc. Small companies might be nervous about taking someone on full time, but if you can show a credible freelance plan, they might go for it.
Email me if you like and best of luck.
Cheers
Deri

In reply to killianmurphyjade: I know what you're feeling at the moment, I studied product design and innovation and have found it pretty difficult to get anything apropriate. Good news is that there are jobs out there, I'm just about to start as a product manager at one of the big outdoor companies.

From what I've seen, don't worry too much about the computer stuff - if you're right for the job they'll train you. If you're still not getting anywhre try and get some relevant experience, for example I've been working in an outdoor gear shop and that's given me a load of knowledge about the industry.

Good luck with your searching and don't do it 24/7 or it'll drive you menta!

In reply to killianmurphyjade:

I'd agree with what the last poster said. If you've got a half a brain you'll pick up a new CAD package in no time and if your employer has half a brain then they'll realise that too.

If you hire a bright person without knowledge of a CAD system, in six months time you can have a bright person with knowledge of a CAD system working for you. If you hire a dull person who does know about a CAD system in six months time you'll still have a dull person that knows how to use a CAD system.

You come over in your posts quite well I think you need to persevere. Are you applying to the right companies btw? I thought Rhino was mainly used in engineering and most engineering companies wouldn't be that interested in your degree.

In reply to Removed User:

I haven't got the strongest of portfolios if i am honest.. but i am a hard worker, and the reason for learning Rhino and AutoCAD is because they are Mac based as well, and a lot of product designer jobs require you to know these programs, Maya is more animation based but its what was available at uni during my course.

Also yes my degree is a blessing and a curse, while its quite unique as the course was dropped after my graduation, its product design (2 years), advertising and brand management (1 year), I have applied and been accepted on a Design Management Masters course, ideally i need experience in the field, but i also know that younger managers dont get as much respect if the jump straight in to the postion :-/

Why was my degree subject a curse, well i missed out on some key modules (ergonomics, core skills) to do more management based modules i.e. Audits, Reports

I am thinking of going freelance and maybe i do need to put more effort in to finding work, i have a jobseekers meeting tomorrow with the head advisor, he's an alright guy so maybe he maybe able to go over my job seeking strategy

feel free to check out my portfolio at

www.coroflot.com/killianmurphydesign

Cheers for the Advise again

In reply to killianmurphyjade:


Looking at your portfolio, i reckon your best course of action is to get a handful of programs and use them to create work for your album which seems rather minimal at the moment.

Even if you don't master all the programs, at least you can show pieces of work you have done with them, and an impressive and extensive portfolio is something that will sell you better than than saying you can use program A or B.
Do some of the works with single programs and some other combining them such as modelling with A, advanced modelling with B, texturing/lighting with C and rendering with any other engine.

Spending time designing imaginary products you'll probably find out what field you enjoy the most, and if you feel like it start specialising on it.