Entering the design profession is competitive, particularly for recent graduates who may have fewer projects and limited industry experience. A portfolio remains the most effective way to demonstrate capability, creativity and potential, especially when tailored to the specific role or organisation.
To better understand what employers seek when hiring graduate designers, Swinburne’s School of Design and Architecture partnered with the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) to survey employers about their expectations of graduate job applications and portfolios. These tips are aimed at design students and recent graduates but may also benefit designers at other career stages.
This Practice Note covers:
Stages of job hunting
Tips for job hunting
Tips for portfolios
Tips for interviews
About the DIA's Practice Notes
The DIA Practice Notes give designers the fundamentals to take control of their careers and flourish at work. As part of the major refresh of all DIA resources, the refreshed notes provide more relevant guidance for contemporary workplaces. They are available free for all designers who are members of the DIA.
The Practice Notes cover topics such as conditions of engagement, confidentiality agreements, preparing for staff reviews, understanding intellectual property and how to set fees for design services.
This Practice Note is part of the Running an Office series. The full series is soon to be released:
Designers in Australia
Working as a Designer
Working with Clients
Running an Office
Buying Design Services
Entering the design profession is competitive, particularly for recent graduates who may have fewer projects and limited industry experience. A portfolio remains the most effective way to demonstrate capability, creativity and potential, especially when tailored to the specific role or organisation.
To better understand what employers seek when hiring graduate designers, Swinburne’s School of Design and Architecture partnered with the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) to survey employers about their expectations of graduate job applications and portfolios. These tips are aimed at design students and recent graduates but may also benefit designers at other career stages.
This Practice Note covers:
Stages of job hunting
Tips for job hunting
Tips for portfolios
Tips for interviews
About the DIA's Practice Notes
The DIA Practice Notes give designers the fundamentals to take control of their careers and flourish at work. As part of the major refresh of all DIA resources, the refreshed notes provide more relevant guidance for contemporary workplaces. They are available free for all designers who are members of the DIA.
The Practice Notes cover topics such as conditions of engagement, confidentiality agreements, preparing for staff reviews, understanding intellectual property and how to set fees for design services.
This Practice Note is part of the Running an Office series. The full series is soon to be released:
Designers in Australia
Working as a Designer
Working with Clients
Running an Office
Buying Design Services
