设计师工作经验_得到我作为设计师的第一份工作

The amount of people that have read my previous blog posts about my experience in the BCIT New Media Design and Web Development program is astounding. I still get people reaching out to me with questions about the program, my experience with it, and my experience with landing a job after taking it. I am always very happy to receive messages like this and help anyone out in any way I can — so thank you!

读过我以前的博客文章的人数量之多令人震惊，我在BCIT新媒体设计和Web开发计划中的经历令人震惊。 我仍然让人们向我提出有关该计划，我的经验以及在上岗后找到工作的经验的问题。 我总是很高兴收到这样的消息，并尽我所能帮助任何人，所以谢谢！

Since I get a lot of people asking what my life has been like after the program, in terms of job prospects, how long it took to find a job etc. I thought I’d give you an update on my personal experience with it and some things to keep in mind while you’re on the job hunt after you graduate.

既然有很多人问我该计划结束后的生活，从工作前景，找工作需要多长时间等方面，我想向您介绍一下我的个人经历，以及毕业后寻找工作时要记住的一些事情。

tldr; It took me about a YEAR to find a job after I graduated. It was everything but easy, but ultimately I was rewarded for all of my hard work.

tldr; 我毕业后花了大约一年的时间才找到工作。 一切都很简单，但最终我因我的辛勤工作而获得了回报。

我毕业后的“找工作”绝对不是世界上最容易的事情。 (“Finding a job” after I graduated definitely wasn’t the easiest thing in the world.)

Job searching was actually one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through. After I graduated, I was struggling with pretty bad depression and anxiety — so my brain already wasn’t at it’s highest peak performance during this time. I had a very hard time finding motivation to do anything, struggled to think clearly, and overall just had a lack of self confidence. This is obviously not the greatest place to be in at a time where you’re supposed to show your best self to potential employers to land a job, but it’s what I was going through and I had to do the best I could to let myself shine through all of these struggles I was facing.

求职实际上是我必须经历的最困难的事情之一。 毕业后，我正遭受严重的抑郁和焦虑困扰，因此我的大脑此时还没有达到最高的表现。 我很难找到去做任何事情的动力，努力地想清楚，总体上缺乏自信。 在应该向潜在雇主展示自己最好的自我以找到工作的时候，这显然不是最好的地方，但这就是我正在经历的事情，我必须尽我所能让自己在我面对的所有这些挣扎中闪耀。

During my last month at BCIT, I was in the practicum portion of the program — where you had to reach out to a company of your choice and do an unpaid internship there for the last 4 weeks of your studies. So for the months of September/October in 2018, I worked as a User Experience Strategist Intern at Engine Digital. This internship was a great experience, and was my first exposure to what agency life was like in the industry I was pursuing. I knew immediately that this kind of environment was where I saw myself. A place with a solid design team I could learn from, had many different kinds of projects on the go, and produced outstanding work I could be proud of and inspired by every day.

在BCIT的最后一个月中，我参加了该计划的实习部分-在这里，您必须联系您选择的公司，并在学习的最后四个星期在那里进行无薪实习。 因此，在2018年9月/ 10月的几个月中，我在Engine Digital担任用户体验策略师实习生。 这次实习是一次很棒的经历，也是我第一次接触到我所追求的行业中的代理人生活。 我立刻知道这种环境就是我看到自己的地方。 一个拥有扎实的设计团队的地方，我可以从中学到东西，在旅途中有许多不同类型的项目，并且产生了令我感到骄傲和每天启发的出色作品。

After my internship at Engine, that was it! I had graduated the BCIT New Media Design and Web Development program, and it was now up to me to get myself out there and find a job now that I’ve gained some internship experience.

在Engine实习之后，就是这样！ 我已经毕业于BCIT新媒体设计和网站开发计划，现在我要自己去那里找到一份工作，因为我已经获得了一些实习经验。

After about a month of unemployment after graduation, I was feeling really down on myself. I was still really struggling with depression and anxiety (although I didn’t know that’s exactly what it was at the time), and I was getting very stressed out about my lack of income and going slightly crazy not having a job to go to everyday. I spent my time using what I learned from some of the awesome designers at Engine that took a look at my portfolio and gave me some pointers, and I started fixing up my portfolio with all the time that I had. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I would touch up and change things every day on my projects to make them the best they could possibly be.

毕业后大约一个月的失业之后，我感到非常沮丧。 我仍然真的在抑郁和焦虑中挣扎(尽管我当时不知道那是什么时候)，并且我对自己的收入不足感到非常压力，并且由于没有工作去每天变得有点疯狂。 我用我从Engine的一些杰出设计师那里学到的东西来度过我的时光，他们研究了我的投资组合并提供了一些建议，然后我就尽一切可能来整理自己的投资组合。 我有点完美主义者，所以我会每天修改和更改项目中的内容，以使它们尽可能地完善。

While I was constantly working on my portfolio, I was also searching job boards daily and reaching out to people that worked at some of my favourite digital agencies in Vancouver — just to grab a coffee or something. I found meeting with others to be very valuable, as I got to learn a lot about these companies that I was so inspired by and what they look for in Designers on their teams. All of these companies I met with were not looking to take on a Junior on their team, and were more interested in hiring Intermediate or Senior talent. I understood this completely and still took it as a great experience to have learned more about these companies and what kinds of opportunities could arise for me in the future.

在我不断处理自己的作品集的同时，我还每天搜寻求职委员会，并与在温哥华一些我最喜欢的数字代理商工作的人接触-只是为了喝咖啡或其他东西。 我发现与其他人会面非常有价值，因为我对这些公司产生了很多启发，并从中获得了很多启发，以及他们在设计师团队中的期望。 我遇到的所有这些公司都不希望成为他们的团队的初级人员，而是对雇用中级或高级人才更感兴趣。 我完全理解了这一点，并且仍然将其作为一次很好的经验，以了解更多有关这些公司的信息，以及将来可能为我带来什么样的机会。

Something I have really noticed while job searching for Junior UX/UI jobs here in Vancouver is that there are very slim pickings on job boards. You have to look beyond that. The best jobs are not going to be found through job boards, and rather are found with making meaningful connections with people from companies you want to work for. That could mean reaching out to people to grab a coffee and chat, attending meetups, or joining UX/UI groups. It’s easier said than done, but I guarantee there is better luck in doing that then searching through job boards, uploading your resume and cover letter and being skimmed through along with 100’s of other applicants.

在温哥华寻找初级UX / UI职位时，我真正注意到的是，工作板上的选材非常少 。 您必须超越此范围。 最好的工作不会通过工作委员会找到，而是与您想工作的公司的员工建立有意义的联系而找到的。 这可能意味着与人们接触喝咖啡和聊天，参加聚会或加入UX / UI小组。 说起来容易做起来难，但是我保证这样做会更好，然后搜索职位委员会，上传您的简历和求职信，并与100多个其他申请人一起浏览。

At the end of November in 2018, I landed another internship as a Graphic/UI Design Intern at a small local Port Moody agency for a duration of 3 months. I was relieved and happy about this, because it meant my unemployment was over and I could work on some real-world projects and get more experience in the field.

在2018年11月底，我又在当地一家小型的穆迪港(Port Moody)代理公司担任图形/ UI设计实习生，为期3个月。 我对此感到宽慰和高兴，因为这意味着我的失业已经结束，我可以从事一些实际项目，并在该领域获得更多经验。

However, after that internship ended after 3 months I was still back at square 1. Facing unemployment, battling thoughts about whether I needed to go back to school or not, and struggling to keep myself afloat.

但是，在三个月的实习期结束后，我仍然回到了1号广场。面对失业问题，我对是否需要重返学校的想法进行了辩论，并努力使自己得以维持生计。

I had no choice but to take up a part-time job for the time being, while I got myself back on track mentally. So, I ended up working at PetSmart from February to October 2019. It was a good move for me at the time, because it did help with my mental health issues I was struggling with. I was able to get my mind in the real world (and away from the computer) and was able to touch and interact with real things. I also really love animals! So it made me happy seeing and caring for them every day.

我别无选择，只能暂时从事一份兼职工作，而我的思想却又回到了正轨。 因此，我从2019年2月到2019年10月结束了在PetSmart的工作。当时对我来说是一个好举动，因为它确实有助于解决我所困扰的心理健康问题。 我能够将自己的想法带入现实世界(并且远离计算机)，并且能够与现实世界进行接触和互动。 我也很喜欢动物！ 因此，我每天都高兴看到并照顾他们。

Just because I had this part time job didn’t mean that I was unfocused from my ultimate goal of finding a job in UX/UI Design. I was still constantly working on my portfolio, meeting up with people in the field, and applying to jobs on agency websites/job boards. I even took up a few freelance projects!

仅仅因为我从事这份兼职工作并不意味着我就没有对在UX / UI设计中找到工作的最终目标集中注意力。 我仍在继续工作，与该领域的人会面，并在代理网站/求职板上申请职位。 我什至承担了一些自由项目！

During the summer, I applied to a job at one of my favourite agencies in Vancouver. The HR Manager was interested in me, so I went in for an interview one time that went really well — but the company transparently let me know that they weren’t really looking to take on a Junior at the time. A few months later, the HR Manager reached out to me via email and let me know that one of their clients was looking for a Freelance Designer to take on that may eventually turn into a permanent position. I reached out to their client and ended up doing quite a bit of freelancing work for them during the summer! This was great because I was still able to work part-time at my job at PetSmart, was able to make some good money on the side, and was still gaining valuable experience relevant to my field. This is proof that ANY opportunity or meeting you have can turn into an opportunity.

暑假期间，我在温哥华最喜欢的一家中介公司求职。 人力资源经理对我感兴趣，所以我参加了一次非常不错的面试-但公司透明地让我知道，他们当时并不想真正接受初级。 几个月后，人力资源经理通过电子邮件与我联系，让我知道他们的一位客户正在寻找一名自由设计师来接任，最终可能会变成一个永久职位。 我在夏天与他们的客户取得了联系，最终为他们做了很多自由职业的工作！ 这很棒，因为我仍然能够在PetSmart上做兼职，能够赚一些钱，并且仍然获得与我的领域相关的宝贵经验。 这证明您拥有的任何机会或会议都可以变成机会。

In July 2019, I went on a month-long trip to Europe which was being planned for about a year prior. About 2 months before I left for my trip I stopped job searching. I didn’t want to start a new job right before I was going on a month long trip (I was worried about booking the time off and didn’t want to have to leave a job to go on vacation after I just started). I also used this time to really figure out my mental health, and started seeing a therapist regularly and taking antidepressant medication.

在2019年7月，我进行了为期一个月的欧洲之旅，原计划计划在大约一年之前。 我出发前大约两个月，我停止了工作寻找。 我不想在进行一个月的旅行之前就开始一份新工作(我担心要安排休假，也不想刚开始就不得不去工作去休假)。 我还利用这段时间来真正弄清自己的心理健康，并开始定期看治疗师并服用抗抑郁药。

When I came back from my trip, I was feeling better mentally — and really wanted to get myself back on track to reach my goal. I began job searching again, stopped working at PetSmart, and temporarily got a secretarial job with the school board making good money.

当我从旅途中回来时，我的精神状态得到了改善-真的很想让自己回到正轨，以实现自己的目标。 我再次开始寻找工作，停止在PetSmart的工作，并暂时靠学校董事会赚钱赚了一份秘书工作。

When I was working at the school board, I was reached out to by the company I CURRENTLY work at, Redstamp! Yes! I said it! Currently! I am now employed as a full-time Junior Designer at an amazing company in my field doing exactly what I’ve been working so hard for. And it feels good. Really good.

当我在学校董事会工作时，我目前在的公司 Redstamp与我 联系 ！ 是! 我说了！ 目前！ 我现在是我所在领域一家出色公司的专职初级设计师，从事我一直在努力的工作。 而且感觉很好。 真的很好

One of my instructors from BCIT actually recommended me for my current position (she previously was employed at Redstamp), and I cannot thank her enough for it. It’s another piece of proof that landing your first job is really about making meaningful connections (at least it was for me). It’s not something I really had to put effort into, but even trying your hardest in school and showing passion and interest in the things you’re learning can put positive impressions on the people around you. Your instructors, and peers are all industry connections — and you never know when one of them might just find you the perfect job :)

我的一位来自BCIT的讲师实际上推荐我担任我的现职(她以前曾在Redstamp任职)，我对此并不感激。 这是另一项证明，找到您的第一份工作实际上是建立有意义的联系(至少对我而言)。 这并不是我真正需要付出的努力，但是即使在学校里尽力而为，对所学的事物表现出热情和兴趣也可以给周围的人留下积极的印象。 您的讲师和同龄人都是行业联系者，而且您永远都不知道他们中的哪一位可能找到理想的工作:)

This was a long journey, one about reaching for career goals and battling mental illness at the same time. And I just want to mention, I’m doing extremely well now! With no shortage of hardships — I have started my dream career in UX/UI Design at age 20, and have recently got my mental health well under control. I have learned a lot about myself and what I’m capable of over the past year, and I’m excited to continue exploring that in 2020. I’m also very excited to see where my career takes me over the next decade.

这是一段漫长的旅程，这是关于实现职业目标并同时与精神疾病作斗争的旅程。 我只想提一下，我现在做得非常好！ 在艰苦的工作中，我从20岁开始了UX / UI设计的梦想生涯，最近我的精神健康得到了很好的控制。 在过去的一年中，我已经学到了很多关于自己的知识，并且对自己的能力有很多了解，我很高兴能在2020年继续探索这一点。很高兴看到我的职业生涯在接下来的十年中将我带到何处。

I hope you learned something from reading about my journey to landing my first job in Design! I want to leave you with a few of the most important tips I’ve learned on my journey. Thanks for following along :)

我希望您从阅读有关我在设计领域找到第一份工作的旅程中学到一些东西！ 我想给你留下一些我在旅途中学到的最重要的技巧。 感谢您的关注:)

Career Tips:

职业提示：

• the single most important thing you can do while job searching is THINK POSITIVELY. If you believe you’re going to get a job then you WILL get a job. It just might not be exactly when you think it will be.

  求职时您要做的最重要的一件事情就是积极思考。 如果您相信自己将要找到工作，那么您将得到一份工作。 可能并不完全是您认为的正确时间。

• it really is all about networking. I wouldn’t have gotten the job I currently have without networking + making positive impressions. try to look in other places other than job boards.

  这实际上是关于网络的。 如果没有人际网络+给人留下深刻的印象，我将无法获得我目前的工作。 尝试去找工作委员会以外的其他地方。

• every little thing counts, even while you’re in school. work hard. learn everything you can.

  即使在上学的时候，小事都很重要。 努力工作。 学习一切。

• if you can’t land a junior position, ask the companies you’re interested in about any internship opportunities.

  如果您不能担任初级职位，请向您感兴趣的公司询问实习机会。

• freelancing is a great way to make some money on the side and continue gaining experience in your field — however you are constrained to your own knowledge and expertise here (unable to bounce ideas off of other designers), so I don’t think I’d recommend going into freelancing straight after graduation.

  自由职业是赚钱并继续在您的领域中积累经验的一种好方法-但是您在这里受限于自己的知识和专业知识(无法从其他设计师那里汲取灵感)，所以我不认为我d建议毕业后立即进入自由职业。

• never ever stop learning! read design books, keep up with current trends, read medium articles etc.

  永远都不要停止学习！ 阅读设计书籍，紧跟最新趋势，阅读中篇文章等。

• if you care about it enough, never give up!

  如果您足够在意它，就不要放弃！

NOTE: I just want to mention that from my understanding, the New Media Design and Web Development program has changed quite drastically from when I have taken it and wrote reviews on it. It has since gone from being a 1 year Certificate program, to now being a 2 year Diploma program. The timing on when I wrote my reviews of the program was an unfortunate one, since I’m not entirely sure what’s even relevant to the new program anymore. I hope they still can give you some insight on what to expect from the program, and more importantly — what to expect after it! Since the whole point of going to college is ultimately to go get a job after you graduate :)

注意：我只是想提一下，据我了解，新媒体设计和Web开发计划与我撰写并撰写评论相比发生了很大的变化。 从那以后，它从一年的证书课程发展到现在的两年文凭课程。 我撰写该程序的评论的时机很不幸，因为我不完全确定与新程序有关的内容了。 我希望他们仍然可以为您提供一些有关程序期望的见解，更重要的是，您可以从程序中期待什么！ 因为上大学的全部目的最终是要在毕业后找到工作：)