Episode 17: Leveling Up as a Graphic Designer

Okay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.

In this episode guest host Lauren DeMarks joins the Team as talks about ways to level up as a graphic designer.
Show Notes:

What does it mean to “level up?”

• More than just software skills, aesthetic, or even becoming more efficient
• Higher level of performance, thinking, innovating, systems thinking, etc…

Tangible markers of successful leveling up:

• Promotion
• Title change
• Raise
• Responsibilities change/increase
• On reflection, softer markers like just feeling more confident in doing something you weren’t doing a year ago

Anecdotes & Story Time!

• Lauren’s experience
• Lauren’s classmate’s experience: Basically everyone left and she just found herself the most senior one on the team after only 5 years.
• Dan: Constant growth mindset = new, unplanned opportunities!
• Mark: From a nobody to Kristen & Dan’s friend!!!

Advice:

If you feel stuck or like you don’t know what to DO to actively level up as a designer, here are some useful tips!

• Find a mentor (someone to constantly push you)
  • How to find one? Can it be a more experienced colleague? Past professor?
  • More senior members on your team (stress the value of NOT being the sole designer on a team right out of school)
• Attend events
  • Industry events, online, in-person, etc.
• Keep in touch!!!
  • Classmates and coworkers that move to other jobs
  • These people can spread far and wide and make even more connections. It’s worth your time to keep in touch! You never know the connections you can eventually make!
  • Kristen got her job at Miami bc she kept in touch with Erin who taught her letterpress at Miami, asked for help letterpressing her wedding invites, just happened to mention teaching at Miami was her dream job, and 4 YEARS later Erin remembered and asked her to apply to the opening at Miami!

Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark Cela
Host, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen Pericleous
Host, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson
Host, Website Director - Lauren DeMarks