Career and Alumni Success

Year-by-Year Guide


First year: Self-exploration
  • Determine your strengths and weaknesses. Find out which career choices fit your strengths and interests. Focus on these strengths and further develop them during your foundation program.
  • Begin to narrow down your majors of interest. Work with your academic adviser in developing a curriculum plan to assist you in exploring these fields. You may wish to double major or minor in another area to increase your marketability.
  • Investigate part-time jobs and internship possibilities. Target opportunities that may give you valuable work experience to include on your résumé.
  • Prepare your portfolio. Gather exceptional work from your foundation studies courses to include in your portfolio. A portfolio should demonstrate multiple skills, and the development of your portfolio should be a continual process.
  • Schedule an appointment to take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or Strong Interest Inventory to assess your values, interests and personality. You also may use the interactive Focus Careers program on the Job Magnet.
  • Educate yourself about your major. Attend guest lectures, student organizations and exhibitions that relate to your area of study. Schedule appointments to speak with faculty in the majors you are considering. Each major has an organization, and the list of professionals and alumni who are guest speakers is extensive.
  • Sign up for the Job Wire. Begin to look at opportunities offered in your fields of interest.
Second year: Career exploration
  • Declare a major that best matches your skills, values, interests and personality preferences. If you are not ready to make a decision about a major, ask your adviser which courses will help you explore various fields of interest.
  • Explore the career options within that major. Visit the Career Resource Library. Initiate conversations with faculty members and professionals working in your career field. Obtain information about the job market and the projection of opportunities in your major career field.
  • Gain experience by participating in volunteer and community service projects, freelance opportunities, and part-time or work-study positions. Become involved in student organizations that relate to your major.
  • Begin developing your résumé and cover letters with assistance from a career consultant.
  • Get started on building your professional network. Seek out opportunities with professionals in your career field. Attend on-campus employer presentations.
Third year: Testing your career decisions
  • Focus on arranging an internship to gain experience within your major. Target the types of organizations that you would be interested in working for as an intern.
  • Begin to take upper-level elective courses and begin building your professional portfolio. Revise your résumé and cover letters to market your professional skills developed from your coursework.
  • Develop specific short-term and long-term career goals. This includes targeting the types of organizations and companies that you would like to work for, pursuing excellence in your upper-level coursework and actively seeking feedback from peers and SCAD faculty as you build your professional portfolio and demo reel.
  • Continue to build a network of professional contacts through student organizations, faculty referrals, personal friends and relatives, and contacts made through your internship experience. Contact the career services office for tips on effective networking.
Fourth year: Implementing your career goals
  • Schedule an appointment with a career adviser to discuss your career goals. Register with the career services office by providing your e-mail address so you may be notified of job listings, on-campus employer visits and career workshops.
  • Use the Career Resource Library and research companies listed on the employer network database.
  • Be efficient and proactive in your job search by attending job search, interviewing and employer workshops and presentations.
  • Participate in an internship in your field.
  • Revise your professional résumé and cover letters. Do not forget to add your résumé to the online résumé database.
  • Join professional associations and organizations related to your field.
  • Conduct a mock interview through the career and alumni success office to practice interviewing skills and learn how to present your portfolio professionally.
  • Polish your networking skills by scheduling informational interviews and on-site company visits with various employers. You also may want to contact alumni listed on the alumni career network to assist you with your search.
  • Develop and execute your job search plan in detail by creating a job search log to document activities - telephone calls, résumés mailed and follow-up activities.
  • Share your career goals and continue networking with family, friends and various professionals.
  • Choose faculty, previous employers and/or personal contacts to serve as references for you. Make sure to ask their permission to use their names, addresses and phone numbers prior to sending your list of references to any potential employer.
  • Continue to pursue volunteer opportunities and participate in student activities.
  • If interested in pursuing graduate and professional school programs, be sure to take the Graduate Record Examination or other necessary standardized entrance exams.
  • Research fellowships, residencies and scholarship opportunities.
  • Be sure to apply for necessary visas for international employment.
  • Continue to work on your portfolio or demo reel.

Note: A job search can take a day, six months, a year or more depending primarily upon how hard you work at it. Other factors such as the state of the economy, the particular industry and/or company of interest and geographic preferences will affect your search, but you will be most effective if you start early and work thoroughly and consistently.

 
First year: Exploring your specific field
  • Schedule an appointment with a career adviser to discuss your career goals. Register with the career and alumni success office by providing your e-mail address so you may be notified of job listings, employer on-campus visits and career workshops.
  • Utilize the Career Resource Library and research companies listed on the employer network database.
  • Identify your specific interests, skills and abilities within the context of your field. Discuss your interest areas with faculty members and seek feedback as to your strengths and weaknesses.
  • Attend exhibitions, workshops and conferences related to your field. Learn what other artists are doing, stay abreast of current events in your field and think about how you can contribute to the field.
  • Join a professional organization related to your major. You also may consider joining a committee within that organization as well. Networking with other professional artists is important, particularly if you are going to begin a job or internship search. Other artists may be able to inform you of unadvertised opportunities.
  • Participate in an internship in your field. Gain on-the-job skills and develop positive working relationships with potential colleagues. The internship facilitates entry into the job market.
  • Sign up for the Job Wire to be updated regularly on employment and internship opportunities.
Second year: Executing your professional plans
  • Make an appointment with a career adviser to finalize your job search plans.
  • Make sure your résumé or curriculum vitae is effective and up-to-date. Make an appointment with a career consultant to review your application materials.
  • Finalize your portfolio or demo reel. Ask for feedback from a career consultant and faculty members. Invest your time, energy and skills into making this a quality piece that highlights your multiple talents as an artist.
  • Continue to attend events related to your desired profession. Network with other professionals and learn about available opportunities.
  • Enter your work in festivals, shows, professional conferences, exhibitions and competitions to gain visibility and feedback from others.
  • If interested in teaching, be sure to review the calendar of events to learn about workshops facilitated by SCAD faculty for artists interested in the teaching profession.
  • Evaluate the internship experience to identify the type of employer with whom you are hoping to find full-time, part-time or freelance career opportunities in art and design.
  • Complete your master's project/thesis. This in-depth project not only should meet the requirements of your degree program, but also should be considered as a tool that highlights your strengths to a potential employer.
 
To receive periodic updates about events sponsored by our office, send your e-mail address and major to career and alumni success.

 

Are you ready to interview?

Here are some common questions for an initial interview with an employer:
  • What are your strengths as an artist/designer?
  • What are your weaknesses as an artist/designer?
  • What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
  • What are your values and interests?

Remember, you can schedule a video mock interview with a staff member in the career and alumni success office to practice interviewing skills.

Note: A job search can take a day, six months, a year or more depending primarily upon how hard you work at it. Other factors such as the state of the economy, the particular industry and/or company of interest and geographic preferences will affect your search, but you will be most effective if you start early and work thoroughly and consistently.

To receive periodic updates about events sponsored by our office, send your e-mail address and major to career and alumni success.

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