The Secret to Finding the Best Opportunity For You as an In-House Designer

Applying to jobs through the job market can be overwhelming as for those in the graphic design field. The main struggle a lot of newcomers into the job market deal with today is how to make themselves stand out from one another and advancing AI technologies. Photo taken by Anthony Shkraba.

I graduated from my local community college in May 2023. Not long after, I had the privilege of joining my sister in Dallas as she pursued her own job opportunities. Entering the workforce in a post pandemic world that is rapidly investing in AI and reshaping the job market, I quickly realized that finding a role in the field I had worked so hard to enter would not be easy.

For many young graphic design students and recent graduates who are interested in becoming in house designers, agencies are often the first option that comes to mind. I became very familiar with how agencies operate. Designers are assigned a steady stream of new clients and deliverables, expected to adapt quickly, work efficiently, and meet tight quotas. That environment works well for some people. For me, it never quite fit. I have always preferred the idea of diving deep into a single brand, understanding its voice and goals, and creating thoughtful work that truly reflects its identity.

As I continued applying for jobs, the process started to feel repetitive and draining. I found myself filling out the same applications over and over without feeling genuinely connected to the companies behind them. It was not that I disliked them. They simply did not stand out to me or inspire a sense of purpose. That changed when I came across a healthcare company called Lantern.

At first, I hesitated. Like many designers, I did not have a background in healthcare and could not confidently speak the language of the industry. Still, I decided to explore their website and learn more about their mission. Lantern is a specialty care platform focused on helping employees access high quality care while reducing the costs of surgeries, cancer treatment, infusions, and more. They connect people to a trusted network of surgeons and doctors through their employers.

As I read more, I thought about people in my own life. I thought about those who had dipped into their retirement savings to pay for a procedure. I thought about friends and family members who live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to afford the very care that would help them heal. In that moment, my understanding of graphic design shifted. I had always known design could sell a product. I had not fully considered how it could connect someone to life changing resources. Design can spread awareness, shape first impressions, and guide people toward solutions they did not even know existed.

A good indicator of companies you want to support with your designs are those who align with politically, sharing the same values and beliefs that dedicate their efforts to directly support it through events, donations, and giving worthy cause a voice through their platform. Photo sourced from kaboompics.com

That realization stayed with me throughout the interview process. I was not just applying for a design role. I was advocating for a mission I believed in. Six weeks after graduating with my associate degree, I was hired to support both B2C and B2B initiatives for more than 300 clients. The work is not always glamorous, but it is meaningful. It feels worthwhile when I hear how our efforts have helped someone access care or eased a financial burden during a difficult time.

This is my graphic design journey so far. I do not expect everyone to follow the same path. What I do encourage, especially if you are preparing to enter the design job market, is to pause and ask yourself a few honest questions. What am I passionate about? What are my values and empathy lay? How can I translate those passions and values into the work I create? Most importantly, whose values will you choose to elevate as they elevate you? Maybe it's a local business, a non-profit organization, a large company fighting to better society as whole. But the choice to align with a single company, a single brand, a single movement lies with you.