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Topic: Just lost my job
| Author | Message |
| sk268506 | Posted – 2/2/2008 4:35:12 PM | show profile | email poster I just graduated from college and I was just fired (literally 5 minutes ago). I've never been fired before. I'm so ashamed, and I really am holding back tears right now. I moved to New York from Kansas, and now I don't know how I'm going to pay rent... Believe it or not, I still believe that I am a good designer. If you don't believe me (or someone please tell me if I need to go to get another degree), I will send you a link to my online portfolio. |
| nandy | Posted – 2/2/2008 7:17:57 PM | show profile Why were you fired? If it was a personality conflict (rather than something specific you did that went against the company rules), you may have a case to collect unemployment. Take the weekend to regroup yourself. Sunday night get online and start answering all the ads you can. Monday morning take out your portfolio and get it in tip-top shape. Maybe go to a few temp agencies to get some $$ coming in quickly, but don't despair. |
| NYProducer | Posted – 2/4/2008 12:28:26 PM | show profile It's a Good Thing Darlin' -- Don't despair, dry your tears, and look back at your third 'graf. "I am a good designer." That means you will get a new job. You got the one you just lost, right? The best of us have been fired -- this will likely not be the last time it happens to you. I cried my first time, too. Trust in the truth of the saying: when one door closes, another one opens. Go ahead and get your tears out and done with. And, find that better job that is waiting for you. Oh, and - get ye to the unemployment office. Best of luck. J. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 2/4/2008 12:59:54 PM | show profile I'm sorry to hear about your job loss. That's a mess and most of us have been there (if not with a job, then with a relationship that didn't work out or something.) Do what you need to do pay the rent, pull yourself together and find some good reasons from friends, rellies and your portfolio to feel great about yourself. learn any lesson you need to from your exit, and get out there. It may help to work out a way to explain your job situation to the next prospective employer. There have been tons of threads on this. Once I said, when really pressed, that I had lasted longer than anyone else at the worksite, and it just didn't work out. Others here will have some words of wisdom for you I'm sure. Marie? Foodlit? Cyrus? These are a few of many voices of reason aboard Mediabistro when it comes to HR stuff. Good luck! Been there, Writes |
| observer | Posted – 2/4/2008 1:20:56 PM | show profile i'm sorry but it will be a good thing in the long run. use this time to really define your job search - what you liked or didn't like about the job, the boss, the environment. what you want in a job, what experience you want, what type of boss you want to work for, etc. this will empower you to the next step and by doing this it will confirm that the situation you just left was not a good fit anyway. i've been there. you'll get through this and you'll find a much better situation. you'll do great!! |
| Unemployed-gal | Posted – 2/4/2008 1:36:39 PM | show profile Hey, it really isn't all that bad! It happens to the best of us. I know all too well what it's like to be unemployed, so I know how you feel. While searching for a new job, I suggest doing temp work--there are some great agencies out there like Temporary Staffing by Suzanne that will get you working again and paying the bills--and who knows, maybe it will lead to something permament. I know that even just doing temp work was a great way to get myself out there. Buck up, and don't feel bad! |
| mad fingers | Posted – 2/4/2008 2:55:28 PM | show profile People get fired for all sorts of reasons, very few of which have to do with talent. As much as it hurts, try not to take it to heart. Maybe you just have a different vision than the person you were working for? |
| Printingman | Posted – 2/4/2008 4:28:46 PM | show profile | email poster Sorry to hear that, it's hard to be unemployed in these uncertain economic times, especially in the publishing field where it seems all the publishing companies are either merging and/or downsizing. My advice, just keep your head up, keep sending out those resume's. Do as much networking as possible and if you have the talent something's bound to come you way in the near future. |
| Printingman | Posted – 2/4/2008 4:35:44 PM | show profile | email poster ...by the way, I have a publishing consulting business in NYC so i would like to see an online link to your portfolio. Often, I do get a call from a client asking if I know a good designer. In example just last week I had a client from MN who was having trouble turning their InDesign files into PDF so I enlisted another client to do this for them and paid $4.00 per page. It was a 180 page book, they made a quick 720.00 bucks for not much work. projects like this come across my desk all the time. |
| AWC | Posted – 2/4/2008 4:53:45 PM | show profile So sorry to hear your story. But keep your head up -- just about every single designer I know has either been fired or laid off (or both!) at sometime in their career. And I include myself in that group. Design is not a good career for those easily defeated. I know it hurts -- take a few days to "wallow," but then pick yourself up and start again. Years from now you'll look back realize that it really wasn't that big a deal at all. Good luck. |
| sk268506 | Posted – 2/5/2008 1:42:11 AM | show profile Thanks for the words of encouragement I lost my job because I wasn't good enough with deadlines-in order to create things that were the same quality as my portfolio, I took longer than what they needed. If I turned something in on time, it looked like crap (and I knew it). |
| creatrix | Posted – 2/5/2008 1:31:57 PM | show profile I hear you... and feel your pain. I am a deliberate designer and it often takes a whole lot of time to refine a design to excellence. It was a difficult transition from school to the work world where the time to complete a project is compressed. I have had hideous difficulties convincing some of my employers that the time they allow for a project will not result in great design -- only adequate. Over time you will get faster as your confidence and experience grows. Ever heard of the saying.. Pick two: good, fast, cheap. Well, some clients want all three, and there's no convincing them otherwise. Best of luck to you! |
| nandy | Posted – 2/5/2008 2:51:00 PM | show profile SK, what you need are some tried and true design shortcuts in your arsenal. While you are job hunting, maybe seek out a class on this. Check out some continuing education classes offered by working designers. What I've found is that with a few of these "tips" up my sleeves, I can get a lot of my design work done very efficiently and to everyone's approval. That leaves me more time to focus on the few jobs that really require time and attention. |
| landaw | Posted – 2/5/2008 5:32:40 PM | show profile | email poster and, just in case, All of the responses you've received are great. And, if you decide to return to Kansas, just let us know. |
| prgirl 1 | Posted – 2/5/2008 9:04:36 PM | show profile The best is yet to come SK, I know, in fact anyone who has read your post knows, what it feels like to get fired, especially in NYC. It is very overwhelming, HOWEVER, believe it or not, you will bounce back and bounce back strong. You are in a big city where it's very much different from Kansas. My advice would be to talk to your landlord and let them know, HOPEFULLY they will be understandable (at least mine were). That's the first relief of pressure and after that, go find the job that is out there for you. It's there, you just keep you chin up, stay positive and keep it moving. Also, not to rain on your parade, can I offer some advice, if you are in a competitive industry, try to learn from the reason you got fired, so that you can come back strong. Trust us, you will be fine!!! |
| cstock21 | Posted – 2/7/2008 11:47:25 AM | show profile | email poster I would like to learn more This is in reply to nandy's post. Much like the original poster here, although I have never been fired I have major panic attacks re. deadlines and my ability to come up with a design that works. I desperately need a "bag of tricks" that I can rely on. When designing I basically just throw stuff up against the wall and see what sticks if you know what I mean. I hate working this way but don't know how else to work. Sketching stuff out doesn't seem to work for me. When a deadline is fast approaching and you have tried so hard but everything you have done stinks, it is very discouraging and anxiety producing. It has actually really soured me on design. I earned a bachelors degree in graphic design, but I really feel they should have taught this type of thing. It was all theoretical and not enough emphasis on things that work and why they work so that a designer has something to rely on. Hope I have made sense. I would realy like to know nandy, where did you learn your "bag of tricks"? I live in NJ and would love to find a class providing this type of instruction. If anyone knows of anything I would appreciate hearing about it. Thanks in advance! cstock21 |
| AWC | Posted – 2/7/2008 12:59:22 PM | show profile Re: Bag of Tricks When I was in school, the head of our design program insisted that we periodically do "speed projects" -- assignments that had to be completed in 2 hours or less. It was hard, especially for student designers in a pre-computer era, but it really did help in creating an "efficiency" in our design thought processes. If I were you, I would think of it as creating a group of "templates" in your mind -- ex. a basic editorial spread, a cover, a brochure layout, etc., that can easily be adapted to many uses. Or even something as simple as a set of colors that will always work together, or a group of fonts that always look great side-by-side. Then when you find yourself in a pinch, you can just pull these things out as needed. To use a cliche, you don't need to re-invent the wheel with every assignment or project. The truth is that 90+% of most designers' work is a variation of past work. Part of maturing as a designer is becoming more efficient, and knowing when to give it your all, and when things merely need to be "pretty." |
| creatrix | Posted – 2/7/2008 1:08:01 PM | show profile To the posters here who need more guidelines to help them create beautiful pages -- a fabulous resource for design and WHY it works is a publication called Before & After. www.bamagazine.com The publisher is a genius at explaining the how and why of good design. Well worth the money. |
| nandy | Posted – 2/7/2008 2:08:43 PM | show profile As a designer with over 30 years experience, I have lots of rejected comps. Not every rejected design was bad. In fact, many were as good as the one finally chosen. The client just had something different in mind. So I save them and recycle them. The major problems like theme and color are already worked out...I may just have to work on fitting new display copy. And techie things, like not everything has to be worked in Photoshop...a B&W tif can be colorized in Quark for a quick duotone effect in a comp. This is all not to say that I can do ALL my design work rapidly. There will always be some projects that need time to come together. I advocate taking a step back from one's work for at least a day to take a fresh look at it before you turn it in. But there are some projects that don't NEED to be labored over. Even the client is not expecting a masterpiece. My greatest frustration is not the time it takes to do something, but not being able to see how to do what I want to do. Are you spending a lot of time trying to get a specific effect? I really like the publications that break things down for you (Before & After was mentioned, also HOW). Getting the "how-to" is as important as the idea nowadays, as most designers are expected to produce their final files, too. Gone are the days when the designer handed off their marker comp to a team of illustrator/typesetter/mechanical artist. You've got to do it all, and more. |
| creatrix | Posted – 2/7/2008 3:56:33 PM | show profile The 'why' of your design is important when dealing with the people who yay or nay your work. If you can explain why you did what you did, you can sometimes change someone's mind that the work is good. |
| nandy | Posted – 2/7/2008 4:37:37 PM | show profile I agree creatrix. More than one cover design was approved because I stated my case and made it stick. They were subjective designs, and not ones that had to be clear at first glance. A little intrgue set them apart from the pack. However, there are definitely times when the design should not have to be explained. |
| scribechick | Posted – 2/9/2008 7:38:13 PM | show profile sk, Your post touched me. Been there, done that many times. First of all, it hurts--no matter what kind of job it is. But you know what? Remember the saying, "When one door closes, another one opens." It's true. Also, I was fired and rehired 3 times by a national mag! You can also abide by the thought that "It wasnt' meant to be." You will find another job. One boss cannot make or break your life. Chill. Persevere. Patience. You will land on your feet like a cat falling out of a high-rise apt. MEOW. |
| UGoGirl | Posted – 2/9/2008 9:00:06 PM | show profile Some people just operate differently than others. My husband for instance is more of a perfectionist (unlike yours truly) and sometimes it takes him a VERYYY LOOONGGG TIMMMEEE to get things done. But when they are done they are top notch. This works well in some jobs, but not others. There is a place for you. Can you look into something like university work where they appreciate quality? |
| anonymousdesigner | Posted – 2/15/2008 1:37:39 AM | show profile | email poster Hey, Kansas! My heart goes out to you...I've been fired a couple of times in my 40+ years and it was traumatic even when the writing was on the wall. Everyone's given you wonderful advice and encouragement as they have given me when I've needed it. I've found this forum to be a source of inspiration and encouragement. People here are very supportive. Keep us posted as to how you're doing. God Bless, Kansas! There's something great out there for you...now, go find it! |
| PatriciaJ11 | Posted – 2/15/2008 12:49:26 PM | show profile | email poster regroup and move on!! I got stuck once for years psychologically over why I was let go. I really truely say this, move on quickly. Don't let them define you. Truth is, they simply could have hired, then found out that with the recession news, they wished they had not...or that they will rehire someone else for less pay...or any number of reasons that they will not share with you. It could be part of an overall trim in employees, and the first hired are usu the first fired. Regroup and call everyone you know in the area to let them know you are open to work, even freelance, then sit back, brush up the resume, do something nice and inexpensive, and...on monday go to the umemployment office!! Use any contacts and move on, set your eyes on the next job, and not the last one!! Good luck!! ------ PatriciaJ11 |
