To include volunteer work on CV?

MsHolloway

Hi Everyone,
Hope I'm posting this in the right place. I just wanted others opinions on this.

I'm a recent graphic design graduate. Been finding it hard to get work so in the meantime I've been volunteering - doing newsletters, posters etc for a certain charity in a small town.

The experience has been invaluable, dealing with signmakers and printers etc. However none of the work I've done for them would be good enough for the portfolio. I've tried hard to get them to update but apart from some suggestions they wouldnt really listen to me.

Which is completely fair enough but I just wondering whether to include them on my CV or not. I think its great to show that even though I had no work I took the initiative to keep busy and help out a charity, and like I said I got practical experience of dealing with signmakers and printers, which, as a graduate, is really handy to show.

So if I include them on the CV, will it look bad in interviews if I dont have any work to show in my portfolio? Will it look bad on my part that I couldnt convince them to go with my ideas?

Thanks for taking the time to read this

p

Show us your current CV, it's hard to talk abstractly.

You can always put it down as freelance. Or you could do something like this. Create a heading for 'experience' and put all your experience in there, including volunteer work, commercial work, personal projects etc... the experience of dealing with signmakers etc will definitely stand to you so you should put it in there. I'd also mention that in your cover letter/email when applying for jobs.

EXPERIENCE
Design intern Design Inc. 2001-2002
di blah blah blah blah
Sales Assistance PC World 2000-2001
di blah blah blah blah
Designer Various Organisations 2000-2001
Designed posters for x
Created markign campaign for y
Liased with printers, signmakers and learned a huge amount about design in the real world.
etc....


Though the real issue is with your portfolio. You've got to figure out why those jobs aren't good enough. Because if you can't produce good work for real clients, then it's a problem. Either put more work into the projects than you should or do extra work on it after the project is done so that you can make it feel like a larger project. Also, although it's a bit cheeky, but if you had 'alternative designs' that you showed them than you feel are better you could put them in your portfolio. You could also put some thing like "here's a range of designs I presented to the client" and show a few variations. I wouldn't normally suggest that, but since you're a recent graduate then I think it's ok, and if you get an interview, just be upfront about it.

I suggest googling for some 'design questionnaires' and use some of the questions in your next project to help you communicate with your client more. And oh, if you don't have a portfolio online now, get that sorted, you'll never get a job with an online portfolio.

Hope some of that helps, good luck with the search!

MsHolloway

Hi p, thanks for taking the time to reply

Basically, without saying too much, they were looking for any volunteers they werent looking for a graphic designer per say. So, they didnt really want me to create new logos for them. Their logos were just publisher images, I managed to convince them to at least create vector versions of these logos which they eventually agreed to. But I had to stick very closely to what they already had. They werent really a client as such, and to be honest I dont think they see much design difference between what they had and what I did. I have felt time and again, they don't take me or what I do very seriously, which has been quite disheartening to be honest. These logos use comic sans and papyrus ( I wish I was kidding), and no amount of discussion could convince them to use other fonts. These logos go on everything, so even my nicely designed brochures contain these logos.

This was my first time working with a company on my own outside of college, and I have learned alot. Next time I won't let myself be such a doormat and be more forceful about using good design practices. You live and you learn I guess

Though the real issue is with your portfolio. You've got to figure out why those jobs aren't good enough. Because if you can't produce good work for real clients, then it's a problem. Either put more work into the projects than you should or do extra work on it after the project is done so that you can make it feel like a larger project. Also, although it's a bit cheeky, but if you had 'alternative designs' that you showed them than you feel are better you could put them in your portfolio. You could also put some thing like "here's a range of designs I presented to the client" and show a few variations. I wouldn't normally suggest that, but since you're a recent graduate then I think it's ok, and if you get an interview, just be upfront about it.

This is what I'm really worried about, that its going to look quite badly on me. I have done some nice work for them (logos and such) which I did show them but they decided not to go with. Would it be ok to show these in my portfolio, do you think? If I'm upfront and explain in the interview, that they decided not to go with it.

sorry for the length of this reply, didnt mean to keep going on!

red_ice

Its all about portfolio work. Qualifications in this industry (imo and most others) mean nothing. If your worried about your portfolio work containing a logo that uses terrible fonts, then dont let it be the focus of your portfolio.

Im not saying this is the case, but alot of people think that because they have a piece of paper they are qualified for the job. (sure on paper thats the case) but the reality is you need to be good, and its hard to fake in this industry.

You should find your market that you would like to design for and build a portfolio around that. Its all well and good having these jobs, but if they dont let you spread your creative wings then your stuck with the above problem. Whats the solution? Do this outside of college/work. Dont wait for work to give you something that you are interested in. My portfolio started off with designs, renderings and programs that i wrote because i had an idea and presued it. that stuff got me off the ground.

The truth is, most of the work i have isnt even in my portfolio because of the visions that some of my clients had. the ideas they had would differ from my taste, so i left them out. As a designer its your job to do what they want. Do the stuff that you want in your portfolio on your own time.

As P Said, but i dont see it as cheeky, show the alternative designs that you presented to the client, but dont let them have optical weight over the final product.

p

I wouldn't worry at all, everything you said has happened to us all.

Overall, this experience helped you learn about the printing process, showed some enthusiasm, and taught you a bit about client management. I think it's a great thing to have on CV and it would make you stand out from those that didn't take that initiative.

I think you should show alternative designs and, as red_ice said, just be upfront about it. You weren't brought in as a graphic designer so they offering them something quite different would always be difficult. I wouldn't take it to heart about not being respected. You're a student and still learning. How to communicate value to clients and how to about design and what it offers isn't something taught in colleges and something many designers find difficult. Learning what to offer, how to talk to clients, and how to guide them through a process is an art in itself. It'll take time and you'll get it as you progress in your career.

In the mean time, check out this site. (http://www.creativecareers.ie/intern_volunteer/) It's a place where organisations are looking for design volunteer help. I think coming in, in that specific capacity would be a better experience. Remember though, often you learn more from the bad experiences than the good so even if something's a pain, at lest it's a stepping stone.

Also, perhaps talk to local theatre groups. Doing posters for plays could be something that you get to have a bit of fun with.

MsHolloway

Thanks red_ice and p for taking the time to give me advice, I really appreciate it.

p I will definitely keep a close eye on that site!

Thanks again guys!