Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to review portfolios of graduating seniors from California State University at Northridge, along with my fellow Mustang coworkers Randall Loui and Michael Arroyo. It was great to see their work and give them some pointers that will hopefully help them stand out in this difficult job environment. I hope they learned from me, as I found myself learning a few things from them in the process:
Be Inspired.
When you take on a project, no matter what the subject or genre, find something about it that you can get excited about. This may seem difficult from an office cubical dealing with a difficult client (or whatever your situation is), but latch onto something and make it better. Own it. Be proud of it.
Look Around.
Inspiration is everywhere. Maybe you can pull an idea from the movie you saw last night, or the poster at the bus station. Maybe there is a color in tonight’s sunset that will spark a campaign. All I’m saying is to open your eyes to the possibilities. Students are in the habit of absorbing content and often repurposing it in a way that will work for them. After working in a job or with a particular client for a while, it is easy to become set in your ways—don’t. Keep an open mind—this will keep your job interesting, and keep the interest of your target audience.
Diversify.
The strongest portfolios I reviewed were the people who took a stab at all mediums—print, web, packaging, etc. They crossed all fields. If you can do multiple jobs, you are a more valuable employee. Sometimes in your position, you may not need all the skills that you have obtained, but that diversity of skills gives you the ability to manage others in those positions, or maybe just enough to separate you from other candidates if you’re looking for a job.
There are times when we have the opportunity to give back, such as this event at California State University at Northridge. Sometimes, I think this is as inspiring to the people we help as it is to us. Next time the opportunity presents its self to you, take it. You might learn something yourself—if you’re open to it.
-Chris Bos Barrett
Creative Director
