Full disclosure: I'm not a web designer, so this is general career advice.

. . . working in online marketing as a brand executive for a year
Talk to your previous(?) employer, co-workers, and clients and ask them to help you build your network of contacts. When you approach a new contact, say "Can you give me some information?" rather than "Can you give me a job/internship?"

I am trying to build up my own personal website
You might get more and better feedback from the folks on Typophile.com if you post a link to your website and share it with us.

what else can I do to get into the scene?
Nonprofit organizations can always use skilled volunteers. Offer your web-design services to cultural groups, charities, religious institutions, and the like.

Another potential resource would be your web design teachers. Often such folk have heard of opportunities long before they are published anywhere and, since it seems you did well in the program, may be willing or able to recommend you for a potential opening.

Thanks for your posts, they have helped me. Although there are a few things…

Previous employer and co-workers…I have tried in the past and they were a great help with regards to encouraging me to get onto a course and doing as many tutorials as I can find, but now I in a different city and my previous job was in a different city. So those contacts are not here.

I have not finished my site yet, so it’s not yet online…still working on it. When I’m done I will put the link up. Bit of a designers block at the moment...need some inspiration.

With regards to the non-profit organisations…I remember reading somewhere 3 things you should say well clear of in web/graphic design, especially for job interviews…religion, politics, and controversial topics. I just don’t want to be in a position where the interviewer has the opposite view to the poster/website I have done. Or is all this nonsense?

With regards to my web design teacher…I have emailed her…lets see what she says.
I just want to be able to do a small body of work so that I have something to show in interviews for paid jobs…but I can not apply for those types of jobs as they ask for links to websites I have done and I have not done any real ones…the one I did for my course was for Moroccan restaurant I made up. I need to show something real.

But do keep the comments coming…it really helps.

Are you in school? Is there a department within your school that offers career services?

When I was in college, I made friends with the university's web designers. Friends of that community still solicit them all the time for freelance work and sometimes they give that work out to students who are web designers.

As PublishingMojo said, network with whomever you can, whenever you can. You may not be getting paid or designing the most beautiful websites, but at least you can show something to employers and say you worked with actual clients.

Hi Muneebah,

Try attending and networking at design related conferences and events in your area. The Make/Think AIGA Design Conference is coming up in October - it will be held in Memphis, TN this year. If you can't make it to that try looking online for local non-profit organizations that may need help in that department but can't necessarily afford to hire someone. Here is a link to a great resource website specifically for Designers with 0-5 years of experience looking for Internships. http://www.idinterns.com
Hope this helps!

Hey again,

Thanks for your comments, they do help.

As I’m new to the site I didn’t realised when I joined you guys are based in the US. I’m from the UK…London to be precise.

I am not at school anymore, I did my GCSES at high school when I was 16, then went to college for 2 years and did A-levels including art and design, then went to university for 4 years, I did a years foundation course in art and design, then a degree in three dimensional design (product design).

After leaving uni I did a few student jobs before landing a job as a homepage / brand executive – where I briefed web designers what I wanted on web pages. The work came back and I uploaded it all onto the site. It was then that I became interested in web design. I moved to London did a short 6 month diploma in web and graphic design and that’s where I am at the moment.

The advice about going to design shows is very good, I actually very recently went to New designers exhibition. I exhibited with them when I was at uni. They showcase art and design work from universities all over the UK. When I was there last I was in the product design field, but this time I went to the graphic and web design area. The good thing was it really inspired me, the bad thing was it depressed me very much…these students have a very very high standard of work therefore the competition is very very tough. I really wish now that I had done graphic/web design at uni. Learning everything on my own is much harder and I have no one to give comments or direct me.

The other thing is that all web design courses tend to teach just dream weaver, photoshop, flash html and css. I am proficient in these softwears/languages, but when it comes to applying for jobs they want you to have excellent knowledge of quark, indesign, fireworks, illustrator, and the courses don’t tend to offer these softwear qualification…where there is a workshop/ course happening they cost a bomb and only last 2 days! if that’s not enough employers are also asking for a person who not only knows web design and graphic design but also developer stuff too (php/java/asp.net/sql/seo) etc… to cut back on costs because of the credit crunch in the UK employers are looking for multi skilled people.

Anyhow, I’ve taken on work from my brother to do a website for him…just need to keep asking family and friends if they need sites doing so that I can build up my portfolio. As well as doing tutorials from web design magazines I have subscribed to.

With regards to asking old colleges for help…I do have a friend in web design from my old job, and have asked her to have a look over my CV in case that’s where I’m going wrong.

The site http://www.idinterns.com is really good, it’s a shame its in the US, it would be great if we had one here. Other than that I guess I should look for forums that are UK based, for a little more focused advice.

Thanks for all the help though, and if there’s any more advise in this most frustrating time of my life please do let me know.

Muneebah

> but when it comes to applying for jobs they want you to have excellent knowledge of quark, indesign, fireworks, illustrator,

In Canada and the US community colleges will offer 14 week courses (3 hours a night, once a week, usually) in any of these. You should be able to find something similar in the UK. If not, www.ontariolearn.com has online offerings you could take from the UK, although in person courses might be better for you.

> The site http://www.idinterns.com is really good, it’s a shame its in the US, it would be great if we had one here.

So build one. It will help you gain some of the developer skills you need.