graphicpush

Actually, you are quite correct. I was so aching to work in web design that I hooked up with a temp agency and landed a job that promised web work but only delivered…other stuff. It was a good thing though, cuz it got me going where I am today. I’m a freelancer now, and have never looked back. Still have steady paycheck, but I determine how I use my time and skills, now. It’s great.

I think it’s hard… because the projects that really require creative thought are often the most critical projects: projects agencies can’t afford to screw up.

So you’ve got a problem of trust: do we give the $700k pitch to a junior level guy right out of college, or do we give it to Bob, who’s won millions of dollars of contracts for us over the years?

However I’ve also watched junior people weasel their way into creative thought positions. They’ll just jump into a conversation or throw a comp at an Art Director. Once they prove themselves, they’re generally given more creative projects.

So yes, I’ve seen junior guys get eaten by The Agency… but I’ve also seen them excel. I can see a bit of both points (how they should be given better projects, and why they shouldn’t).

At the end of the day, agencies are professional services companies looking to bill hours. I think a lot of college grads are very misinformed as to the difference between in-house teams and agencies. I wish school didn’t portray in-house teams and agencies like they did.

I am a recent college graduate in graphic design. I am aware of the pressing deadline issues and other real world experience because of jobs and internships. But Ive noticed that it doesn’t matter, I still wont get hired, besides internships. Until I gain more experience in physical years outside the educational years. What more does the design world expect from us? Shouldn’t I be given more credit for being able to handle jobs graphic and other on top of a more than full time school schedule? We were told it was in bad form to send our transcripts along with the rest of our information. But how else are they going to get an understanding of work effort without that added background information?

I’m not a fresh young pup, but I wasn’t long ago and I know exactly what you are describing. Grunt work would get passed on to me and when I did attempt to add something it was generally dismissed. Luckily — before I became completely disgusted — a senior level at my company took it upon herself to pass some of her work to me, and take a portion of my grunt work on to her own plate.

This is absolutely true, even in web design, which I found surprising. A couple years out of college I went to work at a small agency. In this short period of time I had some good experience under my belt (had already had an in house job, and years of freelance work.)

Yet, I found myself doing mostly production. They’d even have a print designer with no knowledge of HTML design PSDs and hand them off to me to produce. It was infinitely frustrating, especially when you’re trying to learn about things like usability.

I was beginning to take it personal until they got some other new hires, some with similar experience level but also just out of college, and it was the same routine.

As unglamorous as it may be, in-house work really is a great fit for a junior level designer. Since you’ll probably be working with a small team, you’ll have a lot of opportunities to show off your creativity and innovate. If you pick the right place you still have the opportunity to learn from a great art director or senior designer.

P.S. I’m a little late on this but I’m loving the redesign.

Great comments, everyone; thank you. Kyle, you have a great point — sometimes, agencies just can’t afford to hand valuable pitches over to the newb. My thought was more of a contributive level — not make the young creative solely responsible, but have them involved in conversations in order to pick their brains.

Kelly, all I can advise is patience. I freelanced around misc agencies and studios for six months out of school (at $15/hour) before I landed my first 9-5 job at a criminally low rate. It just takes tenacity.

Beth -- thank you for the compliment. I also am liking the redesign.

I have to say I’m disappointed (but not surprised) that my observations are not isolated.

It’s funny you bring this topic up because it is exactly what I deal with or have dealt with within my year and a half out of school. Some senior designers will basically baby the junior designers like they can’t have creative ideas and etc. I know it's about the team and everyone gets their fair share of production work and lower level work, but if you hired this person to be a Designer try including them in everything because they can teach the higher level designers a thing or two because of the fresh ideas and etc.

Nat — you just commented on this post, but I accidentally deleted it. For everyone else, his comment was explaining the juniors often need to experience the grunt of production because, in the end, it makes them better designers because they understand how and why things are done. He was coming from a decidedly print perspective, but the idea is completely applicable to the web. Nat, I’m sorry if I am cannibalizing your original comment, but I wanted your voice to be heard.