Future Plans

So far i have applied for quite a few jobs as well as graduate schemes at Next and M&S. Despite not receiving a job offer as of yet i am confident if i persist i will eventually receive a position and a job i can really enjoy. For these applications i have made a variety of creative CV’s. I felt best to create a variety so my CV directly links to the job i am applying too and my skills base link to the position. As well as having a variety of CV’s i also now have a variety of portfolios. When applying to a job i pick the most appropriate portfolio and make changes to it so it really fits in with the position i am applying for. As well as these two elements when adding a covering letter i also format this the same as my CV so the two link together. Despite not receiving a job or graduate scheme yet as i have applied to quite a few so far i am learning more about what is best for my CV and portfolio.

I have decided i wont be attending New Designers because of the financial input it requires. Unfortunately i am not in a position where i can put so much financial input into something like this; however, will ensure i am still applying for jobs to make up for this.

Out of a graduate scheme and a graduate job i would much prefer to go onto a graduate scheme as this will allow me to receive more training. Despite this, if i can get a graduate job for now i can still be applying for graduate schemes so even if it does not happen straight away it is still an option. As well as looking at graduate jobs/ schemes as well as normal jobs i have also done extensive research into masters programs. This includes looking online, going to open days and speaking one to one with tutors from various courses. Despite really liking the idea of doing a masters i feel getting a graduate job/ scheme will be the best next step so i can be more informed in exactly i want to do my masters on specifically.

In order to prepare for work and to gain experience i have completed four work experiences whilst at uni. Not only has this provided experience; however, i now know exactly what i want to do when i graduate. My first work experience was at Visible Art which is a screen printing company based in Cardiff. I have really enjoyed screen printing in the past and wanted to explore this as a career option. Despite being glad i done the experience this is not something i will want to continue with and develop a career out of as i think i am much more design based. My second work experience was at Thread Design and Development also based in Cardiff. For this i worked with smart fabrics such as ADL and SAP. This was something very different and a lot more scientific than what i ever thought i would do. Despite enjoying the experience i still feel i am more into design and less into smart fabrics. My third work experience was at Peacocks in Cardiff where i worked across women’s and children’s wear design. This experience i really enjoyed as i got to create designs as well as work with Pantones and create mood boards. This was the first work experience i completed where i could really imagine doing this in the future and has given me a love for designing for children; hence within my first project of second year i designed for boys and now in my second i am designing for girls. My fourth and final work experience was based in Colombia where i worked for a sustainable fashion company creating designs for children, women and men. This experience was unlike any other as it was based abroad so i was thrown right out of my comfort zone and able to experience a whole new culture along side working. Once again this experience confirmed for me i really want to work in design and specifically for children if this is available.

Although not receiving any job offers yet i feel i have prepared as much as i can for a position related to design. Although it is worrying that i as of yet have not got something to look forward to once i graduate, i am more than determined to find a job within the textiles industry i really enjoy and know i will eventually find one if i am persistent.