You’ve just graduated, and while you are still out searching for the perfect entry level design position for yourself you still need to make money, so you take a job that does not necessarily include design in the job description.
It’s not uncommon, and some may worry that in the interim their design skills may get a tad rusty. Never fear! In addition to freelancing, there are additional steps you can take to incorporate design into your boring, and hopefully temporary, day job.
I will use myself as an example. Within a few weeks of graduation from college I landed a job at a reputable, mid-sized Chicago business. My job description included supporting the Human Resources Manager, the Firm Administrator, and the Marketing Director (the main reason I took the position), in addition to occasional receptionist duties. No design skills required. Not a designer’s dream job, by any means, but gradually I found ways to work my abilities into the job.
When I left the position after a year and a half with them, they had completely revamped the job description to include design as a requirement for employment consideration and had significantly increasedthe salary based on that new requisite. I had filled a void in their marketing department that they had not previously realized they had before I started! Below I will outline some of the most basic steps I took to incorporate design into my seemingly lackluster day job.
Propose small changes that will make a big impact on your company’s bottom line
Initially, the way I got started doing design work for them was because my Marketing Director was complaining about the high cost of obtaining head shots of our employees for use on the Web and in print. I mentioned to her that because I knew how to use Adobe Photoshop we could take the head shots in-house with our digital camera and I could edit them to include a photographic backdrop (which we did not have at our immediate disposal) and the appropriate lighting. I put together a proposal encouraging the firm to get the Adobe program for my computer and emphasized that the cost of purchasing the program would be recouped after I had edited only three headshots. Including the cost-benefit analysis in my pitch was a key component in getting final approval to move forward. During my time with that firm I saved them over $6,000, just from doing 27 head shots myself.
Use company events to hone your skills
Does the business you work for host Holiday Parties? Staff Appreciation events? Fundraisers? Approach the person in charge of planning these events and ask if they could use help designing invitations and signage, even gift tags or other novelty items. If they don’t have a huge design budget but would like something sleek and eye-catching, you are going to save them a lot of money. Plus, you will have some great new material for your portfolio (though make sure to ask for them for permission to use it for promotional purposes if it contains their logo, or other trademarked or copyrighted information).
Taking the next step
After a few months of working with head shots and internal events, my bosses gained confidence in my ability to produce high quality work, and opportunities to design ads for publication, both local and national, began making it onto my desk. It was incredibly exciting for me to be given these chances, and it all stemmed from my initial mention of the fact that I was capable of editing photos.
By the end of my time there the firm had published two national, full-page ads that I had designed, and multiple smaller ads. In addition, a third full-page ad that had been farmed out to a major design company due to time constraints, ended up using a concept that I’d developed for the business I worked for because they could not come up with anything more pleasing to my company (how’s that for a compliment?).
A word of caution: Do not expect to be paid extra for doing these projects, but do keep track of how much you have saved the company. Hard facts in black & white can be very helpful when asking for a larger than average raise come review time! They cannot lose if they give you a raise that is still less than what they would have paid to farm out all of that design work.
Determining the cost savings you have provided
One way to calculate savings, if you are really lucky and the business you are working for has previously utilized design services, is to research old invoices and find out what they have previously been charged for similar services and keep a running tally.
If, however, you are not so lucky, one of the best ways to determine savings is by calculating based on an hourly rate. Average design rates, depending on your location and experience, can range from $35 to $150 an hour. Because you are just starting out, and because you are not actually charging for these services it is best to be conservative and calculate savings on the lower end of that range. For the most basic of savings estimates you’ll want to calculate the total hours you worked on each project, including design, concept development, communication, and revisions and multiply that by your hourly rate.
The final way I would suggest estimating savings is internet research. Many design businesses will post their base design rates for specific jobs on their Web sites. I recommend using this method in conjunction with your hourly rate calculation to provide a range of possible savings. For example, if you design a logo at a rate of $35 an hour for 5 hours your final cost/savings calculation would be $175. After researching online, you might find that many designers charge $250 for the same service. Having this knowledge allows you to keep track of the savings in your records as a range, somewhere between $175 and $250, which some employers may feel gives a fuller view of fluctuations in service fees, etc.
Quick review
- Find little things to improve that will make a big impact.
- Take every opportunity presented to you.
- Present ideas about areas in the business where you see room for design-related improvement.
- Build your employers faith in your abilities.
- Keep track of the savings you are providing.
- Enjoy yourself!
An entrepreneurial spirit is almost always rewarded. Plus, you never know who else in your company might be admiring your work. You may just pick up an extra freelance gig or two.