Advice for Young Professionals (#8 in a Series)

New graduate? Use it to your advantage

Given the current state of the market and the radical shift in our industry, here are five ways for recent graduates to stay competitive.

Expand your horizons. Move beyond the usual subjects. Do your research and identify new offices, corporations and agencies inside and outside your market that are growing or doing interesting work. Try to determine their scale, client base and reputation. Be prepared to move.

Be specific. Our industry is converging and many offices are working in more mediums than ever, so tailor your portfolio for each potential employer.

Sell yourself. Do everything possible to share your ideas—great design will prevail. Demonstrate your talent and expertise to help potential employers know how your skills could impact their group from day one.

Leverage technology. The web has some of the biggest growth opportunities in this market. Many organizations are looking for ways to bring new ideas to market. Build a new site, make a short film, start a blog. Find ways to demonstrate you know the space and are connected.

Build relationships. Now more than ever it is critical to establish a strong network. Reach out to past instructors, personal contacts, organizations and professionals you know or have interviewed with, to see if they can help open doors.

~Jamie Koval is principal and president of VSA Partners, in Chicago.