Kristine Faxon
Executive Director of Advancement Marketing and Communications
University of Colorado Boulder
Art and design students—any students, really—listen up! You can position yourself for career success so you're sitting pretty on graduation day. Your education will prepare you, but there’s much more you can and should do to be a competitive applicant when applying for jobs in the arts. As the former Executive Director of Career and Alumni Success at Savannah College of Art & Design, I have a few quick tips to help you prepare for your new career long before you have your diploma in hand.
- At SCAD and other universities, employers regularly visit to look for prospective employees, and students should meet with as many potential employers as possible.
- Your college career center is there to help you find that first dream job. These experts will help you construct strong cover letters, résumés, and portfolios as well as hone your interview skills.
- Meet with your career advisor for coaching and to perfect your professional readiness. If your school has on-campus recruitment, ask your advisor who’s coming to campus and how to get on their interview list.
- If your college or university offers a public speaking class, take it! It will teach you to be comfortable presenting yourself and working in front of an audience, both of which will pay off and be necessary while interviewing and throughout your career.
- Work collaboratively with business programs when you have the chance as this experience will expose you to the pace and culture of business while enabling you to make valuable connections. Through SCAD’s Collaborative Learning Center, students work with businesses, brands, and organizations on research and solving challenging problems with their unique design approach.
- Your peers will be some of your best business connections when you graduate, so try to expand your circle by joining clubs, collaborating on projects, and getting to know as many of your classmates as possible. In the years to come, they will be invaluable connections, whether you’re looking to make a move, you need a freelance resource, or you want to collaborate.
Learn more about where you can take your future with advice in our Internships and Careers section.