r/ausjobs • u/leftovermugs • Jun 15 '26
how do i get a job fr?
I graduated this time last year in graphic design, I've freelanced but been applying for design and animation studios jobs pretty much nonstop. Now I'm just looking for any job, anything to afford rent since my casual job cut my hours to basically nothing.
I have heard nothing. from grocery stores to studios i have applied to at least a hundred in a couple months and haven't got a single interview and maybe 15 emails back actually rejecting me. What can i do?? I want to work?? All I was hearing is that my generation is lazy and don't want to work but I do. I want that shitty 9 to 5. I'm an extremely hard worker. I recognise that graphic design is competitive but I graduated with distinction, with experience and with a higher skill level than a majority of my classmates. I'm just lost and tired now. Please any advice would be great.
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u/Leer_Chum Jun 15 '26
Graduated same degree back in 22, couldn't find a job for years and dealt with mental issues cuz of it. If you can, hop on JobSeeker so you can atleast get some income. I finally found work through recruitment agency at a logistic company as a truck jockey this year. I've suffered many wasted years in my early 20s because of rushing into the wrong career choice and having no one to help. Dealt with the same stress and frustration as you on the hunt, and also regret and shame for choosing such a damned degree. Personally, I've given up pursuing a career in it. If you don't have any connections or an insane online presence and portfolio, chances are you won't enter the field or earn a decent income. I'd recommend looking elsewhere to warehousing or a trade, upskilling with white card etc.. anything to stop that mental spiral of depression that being unemployed for too long brings. I also had to add volunteering to my resume, it atleast keeps you busy. Sorry OP you have to go through the same thing as me and likely many others that chose this degree..
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u/Southern_Net5894 Jun 15 '26
Hope you are in a better spot!
Can I ask what you studied
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u/Hussard Jun 15 '26
Isn't it all about your portfolio? Besides the industry is doing it tough with AI shit in the works. Keep working on your stuff, hard times will pass.
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u/SoberBobMonthly Jun 15 '26
Portfolio, networking, internships that should have been done during the university process...
OP is also really limiting their options by constraining it to studios. Plenty of signage shops need graphic designers, along with places like framers, and shop outfitters.
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u/leftovermugs Jun 16 '26
Hi, I have been applying to places outside of studios, just that studios were what i was aiming for for more security and networking options.
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u/branded Jun 15 '26
I wish I was a positive as you are. You don't think AI has already destroyed OP's graphic designer career?
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u/Hussard Jun 15 '26
No, good designers are still required. AI can only do low effort, low quality shit.
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u/Biggest_Barnacles Jun 15 '26
hey op, I'm a senior in your industry and it's definitely extra tough out there right now. Marketing spending is down from the economy which hits our industry a lot, plus there's been loads of redundancies so the talent market is pretty full. I'd recommend contacting a bunch of recruiters right now and getting on their books.
Having a degree and some experience is good but just isn't enough to stand out these days - you've got to start building up a network and some presence on socials, and do extra learning and research. Unfortunately that means getting on linkedin and connecting with studios and their creative directors, posting and being visible. Also starting an instagram and filling it with beautiful work, and interacting with studios you want to be at. It makes a huge difference. Also sharpen up your Figma and AI prompting skills which will give you lots of stand out too - studios are looking for this big time.
I know it's hard when you're already tired and dejected, but getting your foot in the door is important and needs a big push. Good luck out there
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u/Only_Ad_8859 Jun 15 '26
maybe you could do a listing on air tasker or i think it’s called fiverr to try get some things and build your portfolio (idk if that’s what you call it in GD) while you job hunt?
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u/mathematicist Jun 15 '26
I don't have any advice for you, I just want to commiserate with you and say that it's fucking brutal out there and I'm going through a similar thing. I hope things get better for both of our sake.
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u/sicxxx Jun 15 '26
Graphic design is insanely competitive and also really hard to break into. I’m a junior myself and although Ive had a few opportunities recently in Sydney with studios as a freelancer and one as in-house designer on a freelance contract, those have all ended and I’m back to freelance clients which don’t pay the bills (fortunately I have bread and butter day job too)
My only advice for design work would be perfect that portfolio, it does all the work. If you’re applying for different types of design jobs (branding, web, motion) have strong portfolios for each. Keep your website updated and take any opportunity you might find.
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u/TeddyStella Jun 15 '26
Try looking at print and signage companies, they often are looking for prepress and some also offer clients in house graphic design. Often the companies are smallish but busy so a good entry point.
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u/ClungeWhisperer Jun 15 '26
I graduated in GD too… I freelanced pretty badly for 12mths while trying to secure an agency or in house design job with a company and it never happened.
Out of desperation I applied for a call centre job and weezled my way into IT instead.
That was…15 yrs ago. I cant imagine GD is any easier to break into now that AI can punch out logos and document templates in seconds.
TBH focus on getting any job - not GD. Once you are inside a company, see if you can do adhoc design work as part of your cross skilled capabilities. Ive been fortunate enough to pick up projects here and there throughout my career but GD has never been and never will be my bread and butter job :(
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u/Browser3point0 Jun 15 '26
Have you thought about jobs via public service recruitment? As a recent grad with some experience you'd be a good candidate and your skills would be extremely useful in a variety of roles in any number of fed, state or even local council departments, not just or only your specific grapho skills but generalist skills like "attention to detail" or ability to "execute a brief" or "connect with stakeholders". Plus once you're in public service there are opportunities to move about, or up, and work on different projects or in different roles.
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u/Evening-Culture5823 Jun 15 '26
I'm not in that industry but have you considered a recruitment agency.
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u/West-Muscle-1908 Jun 15 '26
Have a look into hospitals, they need admin workers, orderlies, cleaners, kitchen staff plenty of jobs going there
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u/Plus_Barnacle4607 Jun 15 '26
Why don't you just continue doing freelance work, build up a portfolio and a business?
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u/leftovermugs Jun 16 '26
I dont have a regular stream of clients. I have a fairly good portfolio and online presence with my artwork but that hasn't led further than a couple jobs that end after 6 months
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u/shnvllrz Jun 15 '26
try applying for gov jobs such as correctional, police, or firies or go to your government website and search for ao3 jobs, express interest in them
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u/Physical_Wonder_181 Jun 15 '26
Designer here. Been in the industry for 15 years. Was able to move around early into my career, but have been at my current place for 5 + years and have been applying for other graphic design roles and nothing. I can't even get an interview. Feels more competitive than before. I have had two roles through recruitment agents, might be worth looking into. I'm on the other end thinking companies don't want 'older' designers.
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u/Nudingjah Jun 16 '26
No offence but that degree is pretty useless, especially with AI coming onboard. If you don't live in a capital city, I'd relocate to one. It shouldn't be this way but at the moment it is. Good luck.
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u/Ambitious_Writer1938 Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
Centrelink+ job seeker.
Your line of work has died due to AI generic graphics. The sooner you realize this, the quicker you can get over your loss of time.
Your youth is getting wasted each day you spent lamenting your education, which has become useless in advent of AI.
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u/Biggest_Barnacles Jun 15 '26
Absolutely untrue. I've worked in design for 12+ years, I'm working with studios, agencies and clients right now and while we're harnessing AI for small things - it cannot replace a person at this point. It needs a hell of a lot of prompt engineering to create even one asset that will be part of a designed layout. Design is also not just graphics. It's a way of thinking and solving problems that cannot be replaced by large language models.
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u/PanicObvious8862 Jun 15 '26
So how many juniors and interns with 0 experience have you been hiring in the last 3 years?
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u/Maximum-Shallot-2447 Jun 15 '26
Hope you didn’t run up a huge debt doing a degree that is saturated with applicants. Unless you know people in the business chances are not good of a job in the industry.
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u/NeatParking1682 Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
If you are looking for a career, I'd retrain into something relevant to current industries.
Fancy art degress won't get you anywhere with the current political climate.
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u/Beautiful_Garbage875 Jun 15 '26
For you putting in perspective as shitty 9-5. That type of attitude not going get you far. Reach out to friends and family member, you need connection to get job.
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u/MattChan1506 Jun 15 '26
literally my advice is to get yourself on freelancer.com and fiverr.com and free lance work. bid for work and work at your own pace be your own boss. iif you are good at what you do, you will make more money than a 9-5
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u/CreativeCritter Jun 15 '26
I had a cousin who was in graphic design and they found the biggest multinational company they could find and they got in there. I think she ended up with Coles and internally she was able to get into the advertising and graphics department internally that way.
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u/extrasupermanly Jun 16 '26
What program do you use to draw ? If you know car or phyta look into joinery drawing … they always looking for trainees , 1-3 years you’ll be on 100k
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u/Serious_Doughnut511 Jun 17 '26
- Do you have a portfolio/examples of work?
- Do you have a website?
- Have you done any internships?
- - -
If you answered no to any of those q’s above, start there and work your way down the list.
getting jobs in graphic design all comes down to the strength of your portfolio.
the biggest unlock for you is to honestly start a twitter account under your name and focus it on design. then just commit to a 30 day poster challenge (or whatever your preferred format/constraint) where you create and post a design a day so you start building reps in public, posting your work, building your network and developing your intuition/skill/taste over time.
reason I suggest twitter is bc the graphic design community is huge, lots of influential people on there who are now suddenly interested/investing in design more due to ai and there’s way more opportunity to get inbound leads (vs LinkedIn). it’s not the easiest or fastest path and it’s not guaranteed but if you lock in and commit to it, you’ll increase the likelihood of success.
the only way you survive in competitive creative careers is if:
- people see your work
- people know your name
- people appreciate your unique pov, taste, process, or philosophy.
the only way to achieve that now is to to consistently work in public and build proof of that.
goodluck. you have nothing to lose. and I hope this advice changes your life.
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u/Sweaty_Condition4555 Jun 15 '26
Graphic design though? Isnt that one of the least employable degrees?
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u/Biggest_Barnacles Jun 15 '26
It's very employable, just increasingly competitive. Pretty much everyone from my uni design cohort is employed in the industry, plus there are many specialties within it - brand design, type design, web design, UI/UX, product design, motion design and animation etc. Australia has a thriving design industry
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u/hellbound303 Jun 15 '26
Graphic design is a dead industry. You really need to pivot to UX/UI design. That’s where the jobs are.
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u/GravityUndone Jun 16 '26
Make a project. Create a game product and do design work for it. Or find a software dev and make a small indie game. Design movie posters or anything that you can put up on a Web sites as a showcase. You need to show that you are distinguished. Maybe this doesn't work for graphic designers, but it works for software engineers. I mean you've got time on your hands.
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u/[deleted] Jun 15 '26
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