I’m hoping for some serious advice. I would like advice from those who are in a position to hire creatives, but anyone can weigh in.
I have 17 years of in-house design experience. I left my job in August of 2016 for a Sr. Graphic Designer position, which was a huge mistake that I won’t get into right now. The position and culture of the company turned out to be horrible and extremely stressful and started to affect my health. I quit that job in October of 2017 and freelanced for a while from my home office before deciding to start applying for permanent gigs, which I thought I would have no problem getting. Clients dried up and I went on unemployment for a while. I have been applying for permanent positions for over a year with not a single offer, but with plenty of interviews. That alone tells me that my resume and cover letter are doing their jobs and I’m doing SOMETHING right. I think it’s my interviewing and presentation skills. I’ve been told to brag in interviews and I’ve been told to keep a low, quiet profile and just be humble, but nothing really works. I’ve come close, but no offers. I finally managed to get a graphic design job at a media company, back in August but the pay is absolutely horrible, but it’s something and we have benefits. My wife and I are struggling to pay the bills and raise our girls and it’s causing strain in the family.
What can I do different to get back on track? How can I brush up on my interviewing skills? What’s the best way to present a portfolio? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I’m at my wit’s end. I can’t really talk to my wife because she doesn’t understand how hard it is to get a job in this industry. She’s always been able to go in to the interview and get an offer a week later (she’s a teacher).