2019 Design Career Fair
Friday, January 25, 2-5pm
University of Washington, Seattle Campus
HUB South Ballroom
The Division of Design is pleased to host our sixth annual Design Career Fair! At this event, employers can recruit current students and alumni for internships and full-time positions from three programs at the University of Washington: Industrial Design, Interaction Design and Visual Communication Design.
2019 participants
For Employers
To register for the 2019 UW Design Career Fair, please go to:
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3405080
As a participating firm, you will host a table promoting your company. The first half (90 minutes) is organized into appointments every 10 minutes, and a different student will present their portfolio at your table. The second half (90 minutes) is open, without appointments. You can see students for 10 minutes or longer, at your discretion.
Participating firms will also have access to the UW Design Resume book, which contains resumes and portfolio links from all participating students and alum.
For an in-depth look at the UW Design Division, please visit:
http://depts.washington.edu/designuw/stats
You can also view recent student work from the Division of Design here:
http://depts.washington.edu/design17
For Students
Participate in the Design Career Fair Resume Book
Design Faculty will provide information on how to submit your resume via email. Your resume is due by 5pm on Friday, 12/27/2018.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE DESIGN CAREER FAIR
Companies want interested students to stop by their table, introduce themselves, and show 1-3 projects. You should plan on taking a maximum of ten minutes with each employer. You can show projects on your laptop or iPad, or as physical models/printed pieces.
After showing your work, please give employers a copy of your resume. Some employers have asked if students could include a small photograph of themselves for reference because they have a hard time matching names to faces after the event. However, a photo is not required.
The first 90 minutes of the Career Fair is by appointment. You can sign up for a maximum of four companies that you want to see. The second half of the Career Fair is open without appointments. You can wait in line to see any employer for a 10-minute slot. During the second half, an employer may ask you to stay longer than 10 minutes. If this request does not occur, please move on.
At the end of the interaction, get the representative’s name and contact information so you can follow-up with a detailed thank you note and/or employment query.
HOW TO SIGN UP TO SEE COMPANIES
Design Faculty will be sending an email with signup instructions in mid-February. In the meantime, please prepare your materials as described below.
How to Prepare for the Design Career Fair
Prepare your online portfolio/website. You may also want to prepare a specific PDF presentation just for the Career Fair. It can be cumbersome to navigate/present with a website during a presentation; a PDF can be swiped through quickly with full-screen images.
Research the employers that interest you by visiting their websites and also searching for them in the design press (i.e., on design blogs, Communication Arts, Print, etc.)
Practice your general approach. Have a short 15-second “intro pitch” ready, in which you highlight your skills and past experiences. Also, ask friends to test your handshake.
Practice presenting your design work. Most design students are too slow and indirect when describing their projects and solutions. You should be able to communicate the essence of the design problem and your approach in two to three sentences. Note that it is often easier to explain your design process if you have visuals; consider creating a few process slides or a process notebook for key projects in your portfolio.
Make sure that you have good questions prepared to ask the employer. This shows your preparation and research; it also demonstrates that you have a genuine interest in the firm, and have specifically sought them out.
Prepare an appropriate outfit. We recommend business casual attire (or better). Clothing can express your design sensibility, but please, no jeans or sneakers. For men, we recommend dress pants, a button-down or collared shirt, and dress shoes. For women, we recommend a day dress or a blouse with a skirt or slacks. For both men and women, a jacket or blazer can add polish (but please, no denim jackets). Storage space for coats and backpacks is very limited at the venue. Leave bulky items—including backpacks—in your locker in the Art Building, or make a quick run home to drop your things off before the fair.
Helpful Resources
In the past, the UW student design groups (AIGA, IxDA and IDSA) have organized practice/preparation events prior to the UW Design Career Fair. Please contact your student officers about organizing or participating in these events.
You can also watch and review the UW Career Center online workshops on career fairs here: https://careers.uw.edu/resources/
Additional Questions?
Contact Ari Ortiz at arielise@uw.edu
Students with disabilities should visit careers.uw.edu/students/students-with-disabilities for additional resources and support.