Issues and Practices - Too Many Design Graduates

With my 3rd year of university studying graphic design coming to an end soon, i have been thinking a lot recently on what i'm going to do once i leave university. There is a lot of questioning around me on how i am going to find the situation of having to find a job in the graphic design industry. One of the main fears i have been hearing about recently is that there doesn't appear to be enough jobs to accommodate the amount of graduates leaving university each year, and all of us wanting to land a job in the same industry.

From attending lectures and talks by existing graphic designers, it has become apparent that it is going to be particularly hard for the majority of us to land a job straightaway in the design industry. Not only are the 30 people on my current university course looking to get a job in the same industry as me, but all the other university's around the area and their graduates too ( and there is a lot more than 30 on other university courses!). Getting a placement organised is one of my main priories at the moment, however i have been finding this hard with the world being in a recession. Ever since i started studying for my degree, i have always been faced with the reality of how it is to secure a job in the design industry. Various lectures i have attended presented by local graphic designers, nearly all of the designers had a tricky time trying to get a job. Whether it was that they completed numerous unpaid placements until one finally paid off, or worked in a different industry whilst trying to secure a placement; with their determination they finally got that first job they wanted. Alan Cocks from Sheffield based company Dust, spent the 2years from graduating to finding a job working as a night auditor. This then brings up another question, are we expected to find another career whilst we are applying for design jobs/placements or just hope we get 'lucky' and are in the right place at the right time?

From researching on the internet on how there is too many design graduates compared to the jobs actually available i came across the following website. On the website it has a peice of realistic advice that could be given to students, due to graduate such as myself. The advice reads

"You're in a competitive field. If you're studying automotive design, for example, you're probably not going to get the job cranking out car renderings for Porsche all day -- there just aren't that many jobs like that out there. Same goes for shoe design. Or magazine cover illustration. Or interior design for high-end boutique hotels. If it's a prestigious, high-profile job, lots of people want it, and some of them are probably better than you. Sorry."

I feel this piece of information really hits you hard, however it is the honest truth. There just isn't enough jobs out there for us! Most design agencies feel that someone with experience is better for the job, however i am unsure of how we are ever going to 'climb up the ladder' if we are struggling to find a placement to gain the experience in the first place.

Another question to bring up is whether moving to London or New York would help in the current situation? I have recently visited both of these areas and have taken my portfolio of work along with me to get designers opinions on my design work. I must admit i found this process a lot easier to arrange to meet up with a designer and arrange a portfolio viewing within these areas. This could be due to the fact they are much larger areas with a wider range of design agencies than in Manchester; however this could be because there is in fact more opportunity for design work in places such as London or New York.

In conclusion to the questions above, i feel that by having a determined attitude and enthusiasm is definitely one of the main requirements if you are going to proceed to grab that dream job in the design industry. If you are going to stop trying to make contacts once you have graduated you will never retrieve a design job unless you are extremely lucky. It's all about constantly emailing/contacting new design agencies and making designers aware of your ability to work in the industry.

Don't ever give up; just keep trying.