Professional Practice - My Career Planning Strategy

My Career Planning Strategy

Self-Reflection on Academic Attainment

I am a graduating Digital Media Design student at the University of Hertfordshire. In the past three years, I have learned and used many practical software in the design field and gained more knowledge in different aspects such as graphic design, animation, illustration, web design, UX design, video editing, 3D modelling, game design, etc. By learning and using the software to create works, I have gained an understanding of different design production processes and some necessary knowledge, which will be very useful for my future work. I expect to graduate with second-class honours or third-class honours. Although my grades could be better, I am not afraid of not finding a job; I believe that if I start from a low level, most companies will be willing to hire me.

Personal Values and Motivations

I developed my career in design because I like art very much and have loved drawing since I was a child. Growing up, I realized that good paintings and design can bring people happiness, including myself. At the same time, to repay my family for their support in my development in this area, I also hope to continue to grow and produce better work, not to let them down. Of course, creating good works that satisfy others will prove my ability. Therefore, my development in the design industry is mainly based on my interest, desire to improve my skills, and love and enthusiasm for art. Consequently, it is essential to accumulate experience and continuously improve my skills in future work.

Skills and Prior Experiences

My best skills are graphic design, illustration, animation, and creating simple and bright designs. My strengths lie in my focus on details and ability to quickly and easily understand other people’s thoughts and put myself in their shoes. There are many things I need to improve on. I am very lazy and often do not start working until the deadline. As an introvert, I need to feel confident. These issues have been learned in my past studies and work. I wasted much time due to laziness and procrastination when I could have started working earlier to improve the quality of my work. In internships and classes, my lack of initiative caused me to miss many learning opportunities. Therefore, to make progress and change myself, I hope to join some companies that work in groups.

Career Goals and Decision-Making

My short-term career goal is to improve my skills as soon as possible because I deeply understood my shortcomings during my internship. Although I have learned many different software in college, I feel that many of them are just scratching the surface. Most of the teaching is about more than how to use the software; it rarely teaches us the skills, ideas, and principles of design. After graduation, I will not rush to find a design-related job but spend a year improving my abilities. In the process, I will work part-time and travel to different places to experience different things. It will also help inspire and enhance my creativity. As for long-term career goals, I think it’s just a matter of finding what I like to do and making it my career. For example, painting is my most considerable interest at the moment so that a freelance illustrator might be a good choice. In terms of decision-making, I have to be honest and say that I don’t think any decision can increase the possibility of my career satisfaction and success. After all, I can’t be sure that making a particular decision will ensure that my career will be better, more successful, and more satisfying than making another decision.

Requirements and Expectations of Graduate Recruiters

Most of the jobs I have searched on the internet require current undergraduate or postgraduate students majoring in Digital Media, Creative Media, Arts, Graphic Design, Marketing, etc. They also require individuals proficient in Adobe Suite, mainly Photoshop and Illustration, After Effects and Premiere Pro for video editing positions. They expect us to be experienced in the production process and creative thinking and have a strong sense of design and market trends. They also expect us to be able to thrive under tight schedules, pay attention to details, have good communication skills, etc. In Hong Kong, most require a good command of spoken and written English and Chinese.

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