So, i’m a casualty of the COVID-19 new reality and the cutbacks in contracts. for the first time in 31 years, i don’t have a steady job. in my professional career, over those 31 years, i’ve had a total of three jobs. the last one, this most recent one – i just had my 20-year anniversary.
i was always so busy doing what i was doing, and covering other parts of work that weren’t really my job that i never had a time to learn what i should have learned, which is web design, css, JavaScript and so on. i liked Muse because it was drag and drop; Adobe killed it. never learned to do one from scratch.
the problem is the bitterness i feel for the industry and the job descriptions that want you to do all, but are filled my people who can do half, or people who can do a smidge of this and that. jack of all trades, master of none. so, i look at online learning and waiting for that old drive to kick back in.
but it doesn’t want to. i try to force it, but only resentment results. and this will pass – i know – because it always has in the past when i had to learn something else.
this new world though…it’s missing the specialists and the experts now. no one is ever going to get a world-class video editor, award winning web designer who coded the entire thing and can design a catalog or poster or brochure for audiences ranging from children to professionals.
Sorry. i guess i just wanted to vent and reminisce. it’s time to get myself together and move on, but a little colder than i was before. and that’s too bad.
All you younger ones, the advantage of the older designers. Ask the questions they didn’t teach you in school. Be the better designer.
Feeling similar but in the teaching field. COVID era teaching will be online, district directed, and will have to follow the guide. Classrooms will have to be streamlined and we will not be able to use many of our materials. It will be sad generic teaching year but I will do my best to add what I can and make it a positive engaging year. But I’m out. This will be my last year. So I hear the discouragement in your post and because of “the times” I’m sure there are many fields experiencing the same. Take care and Hang in there.
Hanging on with toenails here too. Luckily we got mostly out of the tradeshow industry over the last several years. But we’re down to 70 employees from 120 last February.
My print vendors are hurting bad though. I’ve lost so many colleagues this month that I relied on. I don’t know how many of them are gonna make it through this. I really don’t, and it hurts.
Unfortunately, the era of the do everything designer has been going on a while, now. I agree with you that it’s tough to find a designer that’s great at everything, and I don’t think that should even be a goal. A couple of thoughts that might help you.
– Based on your 31 years of experience, have you considered looking for or applying for AD / CD positions rather than designer positions? I’m betting your wealth of experience would serve you well.
– If you’re wanting to beef up your website skills, WordPress is largely where it’s at these days. Look for WordPress-specific courses (and, yes, a good understanding of css, php, etc. will help tremendously).
– Set out to build a website about something that interests you or a hobby. It will be a good learning experience and, since you’re doing it about something you enjoy, it will add a bit of fun to the project.
– Look at larger companies that would have a budget to hire dedicated web designers, developers, and print folks.
If misery loving company is any consolation, I’m in much the same situation. I was furloughed in early spring due to the pandemic, and more recently, it’s been made permanent.
Luckily, I’ve built up a good list of freelance clients who have sent work my way. I’ve also tried Upwork to fill in the gaps, but the pay is poor and the work is typically personal projects for individuals who don’t really know what they’re doing.
Over the past five months, I’ve applied to around 150 jobs, gotten three interviews and no reasonable offers. I got one offer to be the CD for a small state university, but when it came down to discussing salary, they literally did not want to pay more $18 per hour. Weirdly, I’ve been offered a couple of well-paying jobs for things I have no experience in or aptitude for and don’t want.
I’ve been some variation of a creative/design/art/communication director for over 30 years, but that seems to be working against me. Everything I’ve read indicates that age discrimination in the creative fields is a nearly insurmountable obstacle — cheap and young is what’s in demand. Twenty years ago, headhunter calls were a bothersome annoyance and job offers would just appear out of the blue. Today, though, nothing.
Luckily, I’m nearing retirement age and have some good investments and two pensions that will kick in soon. If nothing comes along, I’ll likely take early Social Security retirement and be done with it while picking up freelance projects and working on typeface designs. That’s not my preferred option — at least not yet — but it’s still an option.
I feel you, I recently graduated and have applied to countless jobs, and the hours at my current non-design job have dropped dramatically because I work in tourism. I feel like all the junior and entry-level jobs expect you to have so much experience, know 6 different softwares at a high level, code websites flawlessly, ect. All we can do is keep trying I guess!
This has been a common “problem” for a couple decades now. Entry level positions in graphic design require a degree and 2 years of experience. That’s why I highly suggest getting those two years any way you can while still in school.
The real “problem” with graphic design though, is the number of students that colleges are graduating into a field already far too oversaturated with people. There just are not enough design jobs out there for the sheer numbers of graduates. It really should be up to the schools to be providing the students with the minimum required hours of field work to enter the job market work-ready. But they can’t, and if they had to do that, their source of easy revenue goes away. It’s very doubtful more than a handful could pull off such a requirement.
Hi,
Yes, you are absolutely right. During Covid, all teaching is online. I am also a teacher by profession. We deliver lectures online and try our best to keep kids busy in healthy activities.
