So London Design Week is coming up soon and I wondered if anyone had tips on whether this was a good opportunity to introduce myself as a designer looking for a job prospects.
My thoughts are this:
Probably won’t get to speak to someone who actually is the Design Manager or within HR unless its a small company
If it’s a small company they might not have the finances/requirement for new employees
They’re at a show looking for investment/retail opportunities themselves not new employees
I could go on, but in a time when it seems increasingly difficult to find work does anyone have any advice for approaching new companies at shows/exhibitions?
What I have been doing in the past would be to email them after visiting their shows, mentioning that I saw them there, etc in a covering letter with my Portfolio + CV but this seems to have got me nowhere.
What I have done in the past is to actually show at the fair or at a satellite show in town.
Maybe there are opportunities where you can present a project within a group show, ether specifically designed for the show or something you have done in the past. If not, get together with some people you know that are in the same position and organize something.
I was once at a show that a bunch of students set up in somebodies loft in New York. It was amazing and because it was so raw and low key, got a tone of attention.
Showing something yourself is a great opportunity to directly start talking about you and your work instead of talking about them and then awkwardly segwaying into your presentation about yourself.
Two important things: Have a good businesscard and a strong online presence such as a website.
In other words, have the person that you talked to find you instead of you sending them a bunch of material.
Most importantly, just make a good impression when you met people. No matter who they are or who you think they might be.
OP: do you want yourself to be based in UK? Right now, there is a huge demand for engineering design and medical design, and companies are hiring grads for positions in these areas. I suggest that you research the UK market, to see what kinds of products are made over there. If you want to do something that is not in demand in UK market, you should do your exhibition in another country where there would be a demand for your work. If you can’t go to that country, you could join AIESEC network and hire a local student to explain your designs in local language.