Settling into a Digital World

The end of term and the start of summer brings with it a whole host of graduates venturing out into the big old World looking to find their feet in their chosen career. The Enytce office has already been inundated with CV’s from hopefuls looking to learn the ropes in a digital design agency.

We thought it would be a good idea to put some advice together for all the budding designers and developers out there to help them get their feet on the design ladder. We were all there once, some of us more recently than others and nuggets of advice were always welcome when we were in that situation.

1. Don’t be a one trick pony – design may be your passion or perhaps you want to build websites but don’t rule out other options. There are so many routes that one can take within the web design industry, try them all so you that you broaden your skill sets. Don’t limit yourself
2. Learn from your mistakes – it is so important to take on challenges in your career. Don’t just focus on your strengths – yes it is important to hone your skills but push yourself out of your comfort zone, take on challenges that scare you – you may make mistakes on the way but learn from these. If you don’t push yourself, you won’t grow and remember…it’s ok to make mistakes, you’re only human.
3. Ask questions – the web industry is fast paced and constantly changing. Social media is ever growing and ever changing so you need to stay on your toes. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, feed your mind with pearls of wisdom from your peers. You aren’t going to be expected to know everything straight away in a new job – show that you are keen to learn by asking questions. Soak up your new working environment.
4. Be proactive – don’t let lack of experience hinder you. Some agencies rightly or wrongly may hold your inexperience against you. Don’t be fazed by this – be proactive and confident in looking at the best way to solve their problems. Back up your choices with your reasoning behind the path you’ve chosen (such as responsive design, a mobile site etc). Stand your ground and be confident when dealing with clients and you will soon win their respect and confidence in your ability.
5. Pick a good team – your work environment and the people in it are vital to your career progression. You will learn so much from your employers and the team you work with. Treat your colleagues how you wish to be treated yourself – a strong team will help you overcome any problems and will help you to find your feet
6. Have faith in yourself – have faith and confidence and faith in yourself and your abilities. You’ve been taken on by a design agency because they have seen something they like and want to work with. Don’t let yourself or your new workplace down by doubting yourself. Go and excel – be the best designer/developer you can be and enjoy the ride – it will be bumpy in places but don’t give up.