Mining for Your Perfect Job
After all of that, comes the discussion of money and benefits. And if you find a place that satisfies the small checklist above, money and benefits should be peripheral. If you were in this field for money, and not happiness, you got the wrong degree. The design side can be monetarily rewarding – but that comes with time. The major reward is the work you get to do, and the experience and satisfaction you get from the place you work and the people with whom you get to work. As designers, we get to draw, design and make stuff up for a living, and that’s worth more than all the extra 0′s you might find at the end of other people’s paychecks. Choose what you want to do first, and the money will follow. I’ve seen a lot of designers who took new jobs with higher pay and ended up regretting their decision. Thankfully, this isn’t our parents’ line of work where the wise thing is to stay at one place for 25 years and retire. You can correct the shiny money mistake by sending out your resume once again. And with designers growing into and out of their jobs more frequently than in most fields, there is usually an opening somewhere. Finding the opening that equals “the perfect place to work,” though, is like digging for gold. It takes some effort, and each attempt might not pan out. But the opportunity to find it is out there, and when you do, it’ll be totally worth it.
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January 1st, 2009 at 1:19 pm
This is a great article. It is enlightening, inspirational, and helpful. I can genuinely relate to this article because I am a newly graduate designer. Knowing what kind of designer you are and what workplace suits you, helps you find your fit. I also believe you need to find that balance between work and life so that you don’t miss out on the important things. I think I am a mix between a D Type A-N-B-F. I also agree that you need to love what you do and the money will follow.