Fired from 1st design job!!!HELP!

Macmom · 10-07-2004, 01:45 AM

[img]/emoticons/hop.gif[/img]
So glad I discoverd your forum-
Okay, Im new here! but decided you guys might be able to relate to my pain- Went to college & just graduated last June. Took a non GD job in the meantime to put food on he table. Finally was offered a good paying job ($32K/yr) working for a marketing company. Did my 1st 5 days there last week. Had a lead designer over me (bossy -arrogant-rejected all my mock-ups & criticized my work-in front of the boss).Also I have a boss who cannot communicate for nothing. Yesterday, the lead designer pullled me to the side & just told me that I was not the person for the job & the boss told him to tell me this. Im thinking that I wasn't fast enough for them. I feel really awful-this lead designer kept showing everyone in the office his portfolio(and of course it ROCKS! he has like 10 years experience-all SELF taught-no degree whatsoever).

They want me to produce logos, ads, etc in only a few hours time & it was taking me a few days to finish at least 2-3 projects. Well that wasn't good enough for them, so they let me go. Not sure if the designer lead had anything to do with it but Im sure he did. It's really a small company & they might be feeling that I wasn't good enough for what they are paying me. I mean, who knows?? Good thing is I don't have to design all those annoying pop up email ads with false claims to 'make $5,000 a week from home' LIES & such anymore!!! Oh gosh-what we put up with & do to make a living & do DESIGN work!
[img]/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

I'm discouraged-It blows & hurts raw to be rejected-Now I have 0 confidence that another design firm would hire me. Granted that the former job really wasn't my dream job. I just needed a job & experience in the GD field.
I would really like to work for an ad agency or a design firm or a magazine,newspaper..
It's tough & I tried looking for 2 months & all I found was that lousy old job-designing internet marketing scam emails!!! [img]/emoticons/blink.gif[/img]
Feeling humiliated here-
Is this the norm in this GD Design field? Maybe its the market where I live. I live in Vegas-just moved here last June BTW.
Or it may just be that job-Its really my 1st job & I was excited & flattered to be offered the position but to be fired after a week?

I don't even want to talk to my old boss (she was a close friend) -I did administrative-management stuff for her for a few months & quit that job for this one-Now I feel ashamed-I should've kept the old job.
Just don't want to hear 'I told you so' from others. Plus facing the other questions, so 'how is your NEW job????' From others [img]/emoticons/eyes.gif[/img]Don't want to tell them, I got fired! It wasn't for me! Ughhh!

Any ENCOURAGING UPLIFTING WORDS wil be received-
Help me go out there & try to look for a decent GD or multimedia related job again!!! [img]/emoticons/eyecrazy.gif[/img] [img]/emoticons/blowingup.gif[/img]
Did I just waste my time & money going to college?
Thanks for letting me vent? [img]/emoticons/ohmy.gif[/img]

Post Edited (Macmom) : 10/7/2004 1:16:13 AM GMT

Big Perm-dizzle · 10-07-2004, 01:57 AM

where do you live?

there is a job out there for you and dont stop looking until you've found it

www.hirethisdesigner.com - portfolio
www.conceptprint.com - the company I work for

MpiricL · 10-07-2004, 02:01 AM

So there is a job opening somewhere? Where??!
Just kidding, keep your head up. you are new and this stuff happens. I am shocked they didnt work with you on this? I give you props for landing the job in the first place, yo umust of did something to impress them. I am still freelancing, and I started looking for a full time gig two months ago, so far, nada. So just look at the bright side, take what you learned, now you know what to expect (although I am willing to bet most companies wont treat you the way they did, and work with you a bit more, 5 days is barely enough time to get into your groove and be comfortable belting out work) What was this place? I will be sure to avoid it!

No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist. ~Oscar Wilde

**morea** · 10-07-2004, 02:09 AM

First of all, welcome to the GDF. I think that you'll like it here... it's a great 'support group' in times of need, and a great learning tool the rest of the time. Now, back to the topic at hand:

I totally feel for you, macmom. I got laid off in May - long story short, CEO took the money and ran, then closed the plant and left about 50 of us jobless. I know where you're coming from as far as facing those questions. .. NOT FUN! It feels like failure, but it's just a part of life.

Let me give you the same advice that a very loving and supportive boyfriend gave me: sometimes things work out the way you expected and sometimes they don't, but everything happens for a reason. Don't look at this as a mistake, and don't beat yourself up over what you 'should have done' (I was always doing this!). Be proud of yourself for taking the risk.

Look for a job doing 'prepress' for a print shop... it's a good place to start, and you'll learn A LOT!

Here's my best advice, but 4 months later I'm still working on my job-search, so take it with a grain of salt...

1) meet with your local unemployment agency. ask what resources they have to help you find another job. I personally signed up for free classes through our local 'Career Center' which included things like resumes, cover letters, 10 steps to inding your next job, and how to uncover jobs in the 'hidden job market'. It also helped me a lot to meet with others going through the same thing as me.

2) take out your phone book. Call each and every print shop, ad agency, newspaper, etc. Ask for the name of the art director, and the correct spelling of the name.

3) write a letter to the art director - keep it brief, but ask for an appointment (no more than 15-20 minutes) to meet with them to critique your resume and portfolio. tell them that you'll call them next week to follow up - AND DO IT!

4) write up a list of questions to ask at the meeting. (i.e. - How did you get your job? What skills would your ideal employee have? etc) Fine tune your resume, double check your portfolio (usually 10 - 15 samples of your best work, from what I'm told. (Do a forum search re: portfolio, because I know there's a lot of info on here!)

5) at the meeting, ask if the art director knows of anyone that you should contact for more information, etc.

I'm told that these 'informational interviews' yield a job offer once out of 12 tries, but a resume alone only works once out of 200 attempts. If you have questions, I'd be happy to help.

BTW, where are you located?

The more people I meet, the more I love my cats.

D-Frag · 10-07-2004, 02:24 AM

Yeah the phone book is were its at, I called every single place in AZ right when I got out of college, granted I never got hired, but i know everyone in town saw my resume for at least 2 seconds!

Keep your head up, your still fresh in the field, shit it took me years to be able to bust out an ad, a logo, and other mixed media in a day. Learning shortcuts, and also working for a printer doing production is probably the best thing you can do. I know I learned probably a 1000 times more working production then I did in school, not only that but I had a great designer who I worked with that taught me all the shortcuts and literally brought me up to speed. My problem now is, im super fast at what I do, but I lack the creativity the majority of the time.....im jobless too so keep your head up, and welcome to the GDF!

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digitalcamwhore

wango · 10-07-2004, 03:04 AM

How about you show us some of your work Macmom in the showcase section, then we'll let you know the truth & hopefully help you get better to a level where you can make it past week one. The lead designer - was a pancake face, but, thus is the nature of the business & you may meet that species at alomst every GD job you pursue. So look at it this way, you just got your first GD 'real world' experience point! Only 659 to go & you win a career! Keep you head up - just focus on the fact that one day if you work hard you can be that arsehole with the crazy portfolio firing newbies because they smell or design to slow. Karma's a bitch - and someone always has to get pooped on (just the way it goes).

-'Better to be the one doing the pooping, than the one getting poopie all over their new cashmire vest.' - Socrates

***VWANGA FOR PRESIDENT***
***ZARTAN FOR VICE PRESIDENT***
2004 - Forever!

First America -Then The World!

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************

Drorain · 10-07-2004, 03:59 AM

Thats my worst fear, I'm part of a pilot group for a company, if this doesnt work out I'm sure they'd show us the door, but all is well so far. BTW where you located maybe we can find some leads for ya

~Everyday, All the Time, Without Fail!

Macmom · 10-07-2004, 04:58 AM

You guys are just so amazing!
Can't believe how wonderful your posts are-I'm really encouraged seriously!
I dried my tears already & got it off my system. A friend of mine emailed me the current msn.com article, 'Career Crashes of the Rich & Famous'. That made me smile. I mean, c'mon, Walt Disney was fired for lack of ideas?? INCONCEIVABLE!!! LOL!

Seriously now, I have a directing/editing job to do next week-its a freebie and Im doing it for my portfolio & also for experience but it is slated for release in Asia. We'll see how this pans out.

I am looking forward to hanging out here & learning from you all. Thanks for the warm welcome.

BTW, I live in Las Vegas. If you know or hear of anything here design-multimedia-media related-give me a holler- [img]/emoticons/thumbsup.gif[/img]

Post Edited (Macmom) : 10/7/2004 1:06:35 AM GMT

PrintDriver · 10-07-2004, 05:05 AM

Las Vegas???
PARTY at MacMom's house!

Sorry, we been looking for a place for the GDF Booby Island party and everyone has been sayin Las Vegas.

Buck up. Something will turn up.

PrintDriver is a large format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

D-Zine · 10-07-2004, 05:09 AM

How about taking a job in prepress? It may not pay alot right off but it will teach you more than you ever learned in school and will help you an unbelievable amount in your career. Also the newspapers around are probobly always looking for ad designers. I know ours here are. Again, not a glorious design job but it will certainly help you get your foot in the door. It helped me. Very very fast paced but we have no doubt you can do it!!! ;o) Like everyone said - keep your head up! Something will happen for you. Its a hard field to get your foot into the door but once you do it, your there!

Boobie Island or Bust!