Jen --
Just FYI: "Entry level" is generally understood to be "immediately
post-degree" and a couple years after that and your education is
understood to include applicable experience. Asking for the
compensation of a mid-level designer is a bit pushy and unlikely,
generally, to meet with success. That you have internships and so
forth in the field will usually push you to the high-end of that
range, but isn't generally something to rely on.
That being said -- if you've managed to pull it off, Good For You! But
it isn't something most new graduates are going to be able to do.
Bargaining hard for the best possible salary is a good thing.
Bargaining from a false understanding of your own position is
generally dangerous.
kt
Katie Albers
Founder & Principal Consultant
FirstThought
User Experience Strategy & Project Management
310 356 7550
ka...@firstthought.com
On Mar 9, 2009, at 10:54 AM, Jen Randolph wrote:
Class of '08 here, so while I don't have loads of experience to draw
from, I can speak about some of the things I've noticed going on in
the field right now, in terms of finding work.
I second Scott's suggestion to "Pick the company, not the
project." My first job (actually an internship) was at a really
great company that is very well-respected in the interaction design
field. It was only for a few months, but it's since brought me many
great job opportunities because it looks great on my resume.
I'm currently working at another high-profile agency where, just as
Scott said, projects get killed all the time. But the company and
client list looks great on my resume. My most exciting projects are
outside of the office - in this economy, many people now need more
for their web strategy than just a website, so I've been doing my
most creative work "on the side" for friends and family. The
benefit to this is I get to dictate what I do for them and how to do
it, and I often get to experiment with new types of interaction and
engagement. So I'm using the company I work for to build a good list
of companies and clients on my resume, while using my "side
projects" to demonstrate my abilities.
My other piece of advice to you and to anyone else out there who just
starts working: don't let anyone pay you dirt just because you're a
recent grad. My reasoning is that, since I just spent 4 years and
about a quarter of a million dollars obtaining a professional degree,
I deserve a fair salary commensurate with the experience of a
mid-level designer.
My 2ยข :)
--
Jen Randolph, Interaction Designer
http://www.jenrandolph.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=39620
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