Well, I officially registered this account almost a week ago (maybe more), so I figure it's high time to actually write a post.
For those of you who haven't heard, I graduated from RIT in Rochester, NY, with a BFA in Graphic Design at the end of May. After a short trip to NYC to visit Anthony's family and to DC to see the Capitol before leaving the Northeast, I returned home to beautiful Colorado.
I can't believe how much I'd already forgotten about this place in just a few short years. A few days after returning, I had the great fortune of being out east of town in the evening and returning home just as the sun was setting. I had to kick myself, because I had honestly forgotten how incredibly spectacular a Rocky Mountain sunset really is. Of course, you always remember that it's beautiful. But the details slip away. Like how incredibly purple the mountains really do glow, and how bright the contrast of snow running along the Peak really is. Or the fantastic cotton-candy-colored clouds that radiate almost neon hues.
It's truely been a blessing to be home lately, but I'm beginning to find myself restless, as I've not had much success in a job search. My goal for this summer was to return home, relax, refresh my heart after the long winters along the Great Lakes, and to earn a little extra money to ease the move to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the money earning has gone rather poorly. A slow economy is every graduate's worst fear, and nobody wants to hire and train a short-term employee, either. I've had a few offers for immediat jobs, but none has been an acceptable fit, let alone a good one, so the search continues. I even returned to the Garden of the Gods trail service where I worked as a guide three summers ago, but it appears even they aren't hiring at the moment.
So, I turn my sites a little more seriously to the long-term job search: design work in LA. I've been keeping an eye on job postings through Creative Hotlist, as well as AIGA's Los Angeles chapter. I've seen a few posts recently that look like a great fit, and am currently working on the required materials to send along (I should have had them together long ago, but of couse I needed a little extra motivation).
Many of the 'great fit' jobs, though, have been toward the northern end of LA - especially around Burbank. However, I'm trying to focus my search on Orange County. Anthony has a full-time job lined up in Irvine, and as this was a major driving force for my decision to move to LA, I don't want to be a 3-hour commute away. However, I suppose if the jobs are available in the north, we will find a way to make it work. I'm also trying to stay within a reasonable distance of Anaheim (perhaps living there), as this seems the best center for hockey and officiating in the area. At least, that's what I've inferred so far. I suppose I will see a little more accurately once I get there and the season starts.
So that is where I stand now. I am working to fill out my website, as well as creative/networking profile sites in order to have material to send in online applications. I hope to apply and hear soon as to the reality of prospects for a design position. The job search still feels like a mystery to me, despite great preparation in my last couple terms at RIT. I do hope that cloud will lift some when I am physically closer to the right area.
For those of you who haven't heard, I graduated from RIT in Rochester, NY, with a BFA in Graphic Design at the end of May. After a short trip to NYC to visit Anthony's family and to DC to see the Capitol before leaving the Northeast, I returned home to beautiful Colorado.
I can't believe how much I'd already forgotten about this place in just a few short years. A few days after returning, I had the great fortune of being out east of town in the evening and returning home just as the sun was setting. I had to kick myself, because I had honestly forgotten how incredibly spectacular a Rocky Mountain sunset really is. Of course, you always remember that it's beautiful. But the details slip away. Like how incredibly purple the mountains really do glow, and how bright the contrast of snow running along the Peak really is. Or the fantastic cotton-candy-colored clouds that radiate almost neon hues.
It's truely been a blessing to be home lately, but I'm beginning to find myself restless, as I've not had much success in a job search. My goal for this summer was to return home, relax, refresh my heart after the long winters along the Great Lakes, and to earn a little extra money to ease the move to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the money earning has gone rather poorly. A slow economy is every graduate's worst fear, and nobody wants to hire and train a short-term employee, either. I've had a few offers for immediat jobs, but none has been an acceptable fit, let alone a good one, so the search continues. I even returned to the Garden of the Gods trail service where I worked as a guide three summers ago, but it appears even they aren't hiring at the moment.
So, I turn my sites a little more seriously to the long-term job search: design work in LA. I've been keeping an eye on job postings through Creative Hotlist, as well as AIGA's Los Angeles chapter. I've seen a few posts recently that look like a great fit, and am currently working on the required materials to send along (I should have had them together long ago, but of couse I needed a little extra motivation).
Many of the 'great fit' jobs, though, have been toward the northern end of LA - especially around Burbank. However, I'm trying to focus my search on Orange County. Anthony has a full-time job lined up in Irvine, and as this was a major driving force for my decision to move to LA, I don't want to be a 3-hour commute away. However, I suppose if the jobs are available in the north, we will find a way to make it work. I'm also trying to stay within a reasonable distance of Anaheim (perhaps living there), as this seems the best center for hockey and officiating in the area. At least, that's what I've inferred so far. I suppose I will see a little more accurately once I get there and the season starts.
So that is where I stand now. I am working to fill out my website, as well as creative/networking profile sites in order to have material to send in online applications. I hope to apply and hear soon as to the reality of prospects for a design position. The job search still feels like a mystery to me, despite great preparation in my last couple terms at RIT. I do hope that cloud will lift some when I am physically closer to the right area.
