With 12+ years of practicing web, graphic and user experience design I have tons to share. Some of these quick tips where concluded by direct experience and some are from observations that am thankful to have avoided. I may do another post as more pile up.
- A job will help you learn a skill, just get in the door and care to make it work.
- Be humble.
- Get over yourself and your feeling of either awesomeness or inadequacy. Your work counts.
- Teach others. You always know more than someone else. Don't assume people know.
- If you don’t like a job, find another one. Don’t wait around for things to change.
- Don’t burn bridges.
- Do what you love.
- Learn to learn and learn constantly. Be curious. Invest in your development.
- Understand the big picture.
- Learn about markets and marketing.
- Network.
- Be professional while still being yourself.
- Learn about licensing.
- Trust your gut.
- Get things in writing.
- Practice constantly.
- Draw inspiration from everywhere. Everyone. Relationships. Listen.
- Learn to spot trends. I’m not saying to go with them or stay away from them, but knowing they exist can help educate that decision.
- Know why you are making a decision. Don’t be afraid to back it up with confidence and politeness. Value wins.
- Don’t hesitate to get into a related area for a bit. Just having exposure to something you may not end up loving can be extremely valuable down the road and give you the edge on another candidate for a gig.
- Create value in everything you produce.
- Solve problems. Be able to explain how and why you solved them both in conversation and your portfolio.
- Give credit where it is due. This doesn’t just mean artwork attributions. Never forget those who helped you on your journey whether they knew it or not.
- Don’t ignore the itch of niche passions. They can enhance your work, make you stand out, or be a creative outlet or fallback.
- Don’t get sucked into the corporate treadmill. Staying inspired will prevent this.
- Find a mentor. Become a mentor.
- Don’t strive to climb the "career ladder". There is no set pathway that makes you legit or not. Your work and your character is what counts.
- Don't worry about how you learned your craft.
- Support others.
- Don’t look as leadership as a title. Lead with humble confidence.
- Don’t chase a title.
- Stay true to your roots. It’s important to learn and experience new things but there is a reason you are you and unique.
Many of these tips aren’t even possible in order to “succeed” in many career types, but creatives have a way of making things their own. Change things you don’t like. Make your career yours.
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any specific questions about a design career! I'd love to hear from you.