Analyzing job and personal specifications.

Recently I`ve been searching through graphic design job offers which are available on numerous recruitment websites. I`ve been trying to understand what requirements are most commonly specified in this adverts and think about my own skills and abilities which could suit them. 

Analyzing a graphic designer`s  job offers I realized that a great impact is put on communication skills. Apart from obvious requirements  like ability to think creatively and relevant knowledge on appropriate level,  skills like ability to manage own workload and work within set time parameters, lateral thinking or the ability to work collaboratively are essential.

Because I didn`t give enough thought to this part of job specification before, this time  I decided to focus on the ones which concern team work, communication and management skills.

In my research I focused on job offers for  junior and freelance graphic designers- the ones I could be interested in.  The job specifications vary depending on  the character of the job, but analyzing a few of them I was able to find a common ground for all of them.

I separated the requirements into four parts- experience, knowledge, collaborative skills and skills and attributes which influence the individual work.

Experience.

Nowadays relevant experience is vital in nearly every job. It is no different in graphic designer world. Some of the job offers cites a very specific requirements concerning experience- which is often of 2-3 years whereas other job offers mention just the field of experience which is required, but not the exact time span i.e. experience in using CMS systems

I have no working experience in graphic design industry but I could get an experience in some specific area of graphic design through college or work placement.

Knowledge.

Depending on a company the requirements concerning the level of knowledge can vary. I noticed that the most wanted is print production and the relevant computer programs knowledge. Some of the job specifications mention school degree, but that  is just minority of them.

I think my college is going to help me to get knowledge on appropriate level. I`m going to have to expand it though home study as well (i.e. through on-line tutorials etc) The internet is a great source of information on graphic design. On this stage of my study I don`t think my level of knowledge would meet the requirements specified by employers.

 Collaborative skills.

A great impact is put on communication skills. This helps in team work as well as dealing with a client directly. The ability to present ideas or creative concept is important too.

I think I am a person who enjoys  team working which I could tell from my previous job experience. I am not a leader type, that is why I`m not able to manage people in their work.   

Skills and attributes which influence the individual work.

All the job offers I have seen emphasize the importance of the ability to manage your own workload, great  attention to details, excellent time management skills, self-motivation and enthusiasm.

Over the last 2 years in college I`ve been learning how to manage a project and organize my own work. Despite of this experience I think that there is still a big scope for improvement. Last year`s ppd task concerning time management skills made me aware of the techniques to learn it. I`m still learning how to manage my time. I`m going to take a closer look to my time management skills  and try to improve it.

Unfortunately I am not a person who pays attention to details. Being aware of this and knowing that this a precious attribute of graphic designer  I try to focus more on details.

Summary:

The typical work activities for graphic designers include:

-meeting clients to establish the business objectives and requirements of the job

-interpreting business needs and coming up with a concept to suit their  purpose

-estimating time frame for the project

-developing design brief

-thinking creatively to produce an idea or concept

-presenting finalized ideas to the clients

-working as a part of a team with printers, copywriters, photographers etc.

To perform well in the industry graphic designer has to meet requirements listed in job specifications. The most commonly mentioned specifications are:

excellent communication skills

ability to sell/present an idea/creative concept

ability to deal with client directly

great attention to details

ability to manage own workload

Packaging Design Brief- Task one

Today in the college we were introduced to the Packaging design module which  consists of two parts. The first task is to research a range of packaging  in order to understand the importance of good effective packaging design.

This task is going to cover the next two weeks.

My goal for the next 2 weeks is to gather visual examples of a range of packaging annotate them and evaluate the main aspects of effective packaging.

I will aim in researching a variety of packaging design and look at them from different angles to find examples which cover the feature of a good packaging.  

Employability skills.

Employability refers to a person's capability for gaining and maintaining employment.

Employability depends on various factors like: your knowledge, skills and attitudes, how you use this assets and how you present them to employers.

Job specification along with good technical understanding and subject knowledge often outline a set of individual skills that are required from an employees. The skills are supposed to equip the employees to carry out the role at the best of their ability.

Searching through the internet I came across a list of 10employability skills, created by a range of UK- based companies,  which are most frequently cited in job specifications. The list provided with short description explaining what the skills mean.

Analyzing the list I was trying to assess my employability skills.

11. Communication and interpersonal skills.

What that means?

It is the ability to express your thoughts in a clear way through written and spoken means. To listen and relate to other people.

As a member of waiting staff I strongly relay on communication and interpersonal skills at my current work. My job requires constant communication with my supervisor and my co-workers as well as with customers.

22.    Problem solving.

Is the ability to establish problem by identifying the key issues. Analyzing it by breaking it down into smaller parts and find a solution.

The problem solving ability is practiced by me in my work on the college`s projects. I start from identifying and researching the problem to find a solution. Then I try to map out the way to execute the project  by preparing an action plan.

33.  Using your initiative and being self motivated.

Having new ideas and not waiting to be told to do things.

Knowing well the nature of my job I am able to make my own decisions and take actions. I am comfortable to  decide about my actions at work. I tend to be active and I feel strong personal drive to not to wait to be told to do things.

44.     Working under pressure and to deadlines.

Be able to handle the stress which comes with deadlines.

I do my best to plan my work out , which helps me to give enough time to complete a task.

Unfortunately I am not good at sticking to my plan- this poses problems and causing stress.

55.       Organizational skills.

Being organized. Being able to plan work and monitor progress.

Despite paying more attention to plan my work I still often fail to keep to my plan, the reason for that is lack of self- discipline in monitoring my progress.

66.       Team working.

To work well with other people from different disciplines, backgrounds and expertise to accomplish a task.

Team work is essential in my current job. I often work with people from different departments . I really enjoy team work and I find myself as an valuable member of my team.

77.       Ability to learn and adapt.

To be able to learn from own mistakes .

I think I have the ability to learn from my own mistakes. I always read and analyze the feedback from my tutors. I always try to use the advice in my next work.

88.       Numeracy

The ability to use data and mathematics to support evidence or support a point.

Writing my dissertation when I was at the University I had to analyze graphs and tables to find the information needed.

99.       Valuing diversity and difference.

Being aware what the diversity can bring. Being able to recognize different values. Understand and being considerate of different needs of different individuals.

Working with different people I have noticed that every individual bring some different values to the team. Different people have different levels of knowledge and ability- recognizing individual needs and abilities is important for team work.

110.   Negotiation skills.

Being able to express your own requirements in an unemotional, clear way taking into consideration people`s feelings.

In most situation I feel comfortable to express my requirements.

Instant Print final design.

For the past few days I was experimenting with the PS to create an asphalt texture that would be a background for the business card that I want to design. With some help of on-line tutorials I managed to create an image of uneven surface, that resembles the texture of a road.

I used different PS filters added the white and yellow broken line to the side and a marks of a tire that I made in adobe illustrator. The most difficult task for me, as always was to choose an appropriate typeface.

And this is the final design that I created for the Instant Print brief. I think it would work well for the company purpose, it is a simple, not very sophisticate, down-to-earth design. In my opinion it would be appropriate   for a variety of Travel and Transport businesses, because of the obvious association with the road.
I think the composition is quite static and well organized. Vertical lines reinforce this impression. The only accent that add a bit of a dynamism to the design is the tire mark that is put at an angle.  The composition doesn`t distract attention from the information that is going to be put on the business card.
The design is universal and would work for business cards and leaflets.

Interview skills.

At the end of my college education I started thinking about the steps that I`m going to take in a search for another job. Preparing a CV is obviously the first step. When the application is successful we have to think about how to perform at the job interview. 
Without doubts job interview is a stressful experience for every job seeker. It is a meeting of an employer and a potential employee during which a potential employee is evaluated for prospective employment. The main purpose of a job interview is to determine whether or not the applicant is suitable for work. This decision has to be made in a very short time – during the interview. This is the only chance the applicant has to persuade the employer that he  is  the right candidate for employment.  To fully use this chance the potential employee should be well prepared for the job interview.

There are some general tips to increase the chance to succeed in interview.

Before the interview you should find out some information about the interview itself.

Where it will be held? What will be the form of the interview?

The information should be provided by the interview invitation, if not it is possible to call the organization and ask for it.

On the day of an interview  you have to make sure that he has all the papers required. You should have a copy of the invitation and your CV. A good idea is to take a notes with the bullet points of the question you want to ask. 

You have to bear in mind that the first impression is very important a job interview. It can make a big difference as the first judgment makes by the interviewer  is going to be based on how you look.

Decide about your outfit in advance. The outfit should be appropriate to the position you are going to apply for. The main thing is to look presentable, the outfit should be neat.

Before the interview you should think what could you say about yourself  which is relevant to the job.

The job specification can be used as a guidance for you to talk about your skills, work experience, qualifications and personality. Because there are probably many people applying for the same position you should think what could distinguish you from others.

Knowledge about  the job on offer and the employees profile let you stay on track while talking about yourself. Everything you say about yourself should be relevant to the job.

During the preparation for a job interview you should find some time to do research the company which could be your prospective employer. Employers expect you to know some facts about the company.

Initial ideas.

I managed to explore the chosen category and come up with some initial ideas for my design.  The main theme of my design is going to be a road.

For my design I`m going to need to create an asphalt texture, it means that I have to learn how to create it in a computer program. For the next days I`m going to work on the development of my design. 

This on line tutorial is going to help me to create the asphalt texture, that I will need.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIl1Jw3OcQo

Initial ideas. Instant Print

I chose to develop a design for the Automotive/ Travel and Transportation category.  

I started from a brainstorm and on a piece of paper I managed to write down all the associations that I have with this category.

The goal for this  week:

To research the category in a search for an inspiration .

To draw some initial ideas to a chosen category.  

Analysis

Analysis is a process of breaking down a complex topic into parts small enough to handle,  to gain better understanding of it.

Analyzing an intellectual whole means separating it into its constituent parts for individual studies.

The study examines each of this constituent parts and their interrelationship in making up a whole.

Analysis is in graphic design is the final stage of the designing  process. Graphic designer analyzes the design to ensure that all visual elements fit together. It requires thoughtful attention to and evaluation of the design.  Careful examination helps to find any elements which are either missing or out of place. Graphic designer has to look through the piece of work and see if the visual elements are orchestrated harmoniously. Many factors have to be taken into consideration including: appropriateness, communication, effectiveness and integration.  In addition the designer has to examine color, composition, contrast and form.  Elements like image, scale, space and typography has to be analyzed too.