If you are looking to build your credentials as a graphic designer, chances are you will be in need of graphic design work experience. This work experience can take various forms, from an unpaid internship with a design company to volunteer work with a non-profit. You may even be able to get graphic design work experience by taking an entry level job and doing an apprenticeship, during which time you will work with an experienced designer to learn the skills and techniques necessary to be successful in the field. One way to get work experience that will be valuable to employers is to work in retail.
Retail is not directly related to graphic design, but some of the experience you will gain as a retail associate will relate to the field of graphic design. One key skill you will need to develop, for example, is effective communication, especially with clients. Working in retail is a great way to get experience dealing with customer demands, needs, and requests. You may even be able to get some graphic design work experience by designing advertisements for the retail establishment, or other tasks as they relate to design within that business.
If you are working on a college degree, you may be able to get graphic design work experience by taking part in a summer internship. During this internship, you will work in a graphic design setting and you will have the opportunity to learn some of the basic skills necessary to get a job in the field after graduation. This is also a great way to establish contacts in the industry that may be able to help you secure employment later on down the road. Most internships are unpaid, but some will pay a small wage or provide a living stipend.
Volunteering your expertise to a non-profit or start-up business is another great way to get graphic design work experience. Start-up businesses often operate on extremely limited budgets, so you are likely to get paid very little, if at all, but you will be able to build a portfolio quickly and easily by volunteering your services to start-ups and non-profits operating on small budgets. If you have a limited portfolio or have not yet begun to build one, this is a great way to go about it so you can get graphic design work experience from other businesses that will pay you for your skills.
