As a designer, it is required that you provide a portfolio and sometimes other materials to supplement an application, as this helps the hiring manager in selecting the most qualified candidates for the interviews.
The following are ways a designer should not apply for jobs:
- Reuse of the same cover letter
The essence of a cover letter is to enumerate your skills and give organizations a reason to hire you. By reusing the same cover letter to apply to several companies, make your cover letter look too general and shallow, and gives the organization the feeling that you’ve not done proper research about them.
If you are too busy to rewrite a cover letter each time you need one, all you need to do is create a template, you can always reuse.
- Improper organization of project you need to show
This has to do with having multiple projects or work to show to your hiring manager, but they aren’t in the same place. Doing that is a perfect way of not hearing back from your recruiter.
The way out is to create a portfolio, and have all your projects organized in it.
- The absence of a portfolio
A portfolio is a tangible supplement for a resume, as this helps your recruiters to determine how qualified you are. It is advisable for every designer to have a portfolio.
- A hard to read resume or resume with irrelevant experience
It is the most vital aspect of your application. You, therefore, need to make it as presentable as possible and avoid irrelevant experiences not related to the place you are applying to.
Your resume is a vital part of your brand and how recruiters will perceive you. Therefore, make it look astonishing.
Recruiters don’t have to hire designers who are simply looking for a job. They are looking to hire designers with a sense of purpose,
aside from their skills.
