Just When You Thought You’ve made it; Welcome to the Working World!

It’s that time of year again - Graduation Time!

As I have just celebrated my one year anniversary with RDG, I am quickly reminded of this exciting transitional time for recent graduates as they begin their professional career. Looking back, it is crazy to think what a difference a year can make and there has definitely been some wisdom gained and knowledge I would love to share.

Read on to learn more about what to expect if your next hire is right out of college or if you're a college student about to embark on your first job—my path to RDG can help.

What to Expect for your Newly Graduating Hire:

Remember no one's perfect, especially a newly minted graduate. Keep the following in mind, while giving your fledgling employee some grace to learn and grow.

• We are still learning. The first year of any new job is all about transition and training. It’s a big shift from going to classes — being surrounded by people their own age, and working on projects around the clock — to having a day job surrounded by people of all different skill levels and ages, working for clients, and managing a new cultural environment.
• Be a mentor. As design students, we depended on professors for critiques and to help push our designs. But in the professional world, it's senior designers and creative directors who should be helping new team members grow, challenging and pushing them to be better and thrive in a work environment.
• Share client feedback. Receiving positive feedback from a client is much more rewarding than positive feedback from a professor. Letting employees know you made clients happy or “wowed” them with your work is a nice confidence boost. (Conversely, don't be afraid to share negative feedback constructively too.)
• We're used to aesthetic over practicality. In school, it’s all about making your designs pretty, whether they're practical or not. But clients have brand guidelines to follow. While there might be some wiggle room to experiment with color or typefaces, it’s important to remind designers of client parameters.
• Work comes at a much faster pace. In college we might have had nearly a month to work on a project, but in the professional world we have to work within a strict budget of hours with quick turnaround times. Have patience and offer advice for getting work done efficiently.

How to prepare for Adulting:

First of all, yes, your whole life will feel as though it is changing overnight. You will make mistakes, but you'll learn a ton too. Keep these factors in mind when transitioning to the professional workforce.

• Clients call the shots! No, not that kind of shot. You're not designing for yourself anymore. What you design reflects your company as a whole and is bound strictly by the client ask. You may get to push the boundaries and experiment with different concepts, but at the end of the day, the client is in charge.
• Tutorial videos become your best friend. School is helpful for understanding layout design, typography experimentation, designing with photography, and even animation skills, but knowledge and use of Adobe programs are often self-taught. In a room full of experienced professionals, don’t assume you know all there is to know.
• Working hours are no joke. Figuring out how to manage a regular 8-5 schedule versus having the ability to stay up all hours to work on projects in college can take some getting used to.
• Get a co-op or internship. I learned so much during my college co-ops, gaining real-world knowledge to call upon. These work environments can help you work at a faster pace, learn project processes, multi-tasking, working with clients, and how the business world operates. As well as helps you focus on fine tuning your career path.
• Do your research. Visit company websites, look at their work, check out the team page, and learn their vision and mission. Remember, interviews go both ways; it's just as important that a company is the right fit for you as you are for them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
• Find your people! I looked for a job that would push and challenge me to grow as a designer and a person. I was hoping for a strong team dynamic where I could be myself and have the opportunity to be creative. Trust your gut.

Remember— we're all in this together. Learning is truly one of the best things about embarking on a new career, and with a little time and patience on both ends, we can create something great!

No matter where my path takes me, I’m a Bearcat through and through, Go UC!