I finished design school in 2016. This is my first design job
By Anthony Duffy — 2026-08-18
In 2016, I walked off the stage with a Diploma of Graphic Design in hand. It was my second attempt at the qualification, a milestone hard-won after realising my previous work in before-and-after school care wasn't going to build the future I wanted. Back then, I was driven by that classic, idealistic mantra: find a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life. I was hungry, inspired, and eager to prove myself in the creative industry.
There was only one problem: no one tells a fresh graduate how to bridge the gap between having the drive and actually landing the role.
Like thousands of creative graduates, I threw myself into the job market, applying for junior design roles left, right, and centre. I would apply for 10 junior design positions a week. The knockbacks came back with the same sentence often enough that I can still recite it today. "We're looking for someone with more experience."
For a junior role, it felt entirely counterintuitive. How do you gain experience if no one gives you the chance to earn it? After an endless stream of standard rejection letters, imposter syndrome set in. I convinced myself that the smartest move was simply to find a position anywhere I could get my hands on just to keep moving forward.
That decision launched a decade-long saga through varied industries, a pattern of searching for professional fulfilment in corporate environments never built to provide it.
What the wrong jobs taught me
My first major pivot away from active design landed me a secure position within government; I was to be working for Service Australia as a customer service representative for their families line. On paper, it was stable. In reality, it was the start of an almost self-deprecating cycle to find a role that offered genuine job satisfaction.
The pattern quickly became predictable:
- The Honeymoon Phase: A new role, new systems to learn, and the initial excitement of fresh tasks.
- The Plateau: Mastering the daily mechanics within a few months.
- The Wall: Realising the work was the exact same routine on repeat, offering zero room for creative energy or personal agency.
Moving through high-volume customer service and eventually into the intense world of a collection agency, I built a powerful foundation of interpersonal skills. Navigating complex human situations, managing high-stress conversations, and developing thick-skinned adaptability, which are traits that serve me to this day.
I don't think those places were badly run. Big organisations are built to take risk out, and at that size it's fair enough. It does mean an idea has to clear four people who've never met the customer, and by the time it comes back there isn't much left of it. If you want the process to be predictable, it's a reasonable trade. It wasn't one I could keep making.
Right size, wrong job
Realising I couldn't survive another year in the corporate grind, I took a deliberate step back to evaluate my trajectory. I landed a retail position in an op-shop with a small non-profit organisation, raising funds for vulnerable Australians living with disabilities. Viewing it as a stepping stone into an environment that was smaller, purpose-driven, and stripped of corporate cynicism.
Working with a small team was an immediate breath of fresh air. The atmosphere was human, the communication was direct, and the values were genuine. Yet, despite enjoying the team dynamic, I hit a familiar wall.
Because I had spent years away from active practice, finding a position inside a company that utilised my design background proved increasingly difficult. My Diploma sat unused, gathering dust in the background.
While the non-profit retail environment was smaller, the scope of my role remained strictly operational, which was not in the brochure when I applied. I still couldn't flex my creative energy, leading to a stark realisation: working for a small business wasn't enough on its own; the environment had to actively value and deploy creative agility.
At the same time, this experience solidified an absolute truth about my career path: I could never return to a big corporation.
Where the wrong jobs came in handy
My journey through government work, corporate finance, and non-profit retail was never a series of wasted years; it was an unconventional training ground. It gave me something a linear path from design school directly into a creative agency rarely provides: a deep understanding of practical business operations and human dynamics.
Working in a small, focused team means there is no barrier between my work and its outcome. When I execute a strategy or solve a client challenge, the immediate feedback loop creates a deep sense of ownership and purpose. I thrive on autonomy over bureaucracy. Relying on trust rather than rigid policy lets me make quick decisions, test ideas, and innovate without waiting weeks for management sign-offs. Instead of being pigeonholed into extreme specialisation, I get to view the business holistically, using my design background to drive user experience, brand consistency, and strategic positioning all at once.
A new chapter at Clermont Digital
I met Emma in 2017, at a fashion design studio in Brisbane set up for new graduates. She was mentoring the designers coming through, and I helped them get their businesses off the ground with branding and content for their labels. It was the closest I got to using the diploma until this year.
We stayed in touch after that. Not constantly. We watched each other's work from a distance, with the odd text and the odd check-in.
Then Emma saw I was on the job hunt. Clermont Digital needed a designer and content developer, and she got in touch.
She already knew what I could do, because she'd watched me do it. After all those letters telling me I needed experience, the thing that got me in the door was someone who'd seen me work.
"His people experience has made him a far more considered designer, and it's been gratifying to watch him rediscover his craft." Emma Coochin, Creative and Marketing Director
Today, I am proud to be part of Clermont Digital, working across branding, content, design, and social media. This is a role I adore. It did not happen right after graduation, but came after a long slog of taking the long road.
Design is constantly evolving. It requires not just following trends, but understanding what truly works for a brand and stands the test of time. It's about knowing what someone wants or needs, without them having to go in depth. That approach is exactly where my knowledge aligns with Clermont Digital.
Stay in touch with people
If you're still getting told you need experience to get experience, here's my advice.
Spend time on your network. Every cold application I sent came back 'no'. The one that came back 'yes' wasn't an application at all. It was someone who'd watched me work in 2017 and hadn't forgotten.
Nine years is a long time to stay in someone's head. It only happened because neither of us let the thread drop. That's the part worth your time. Applications are a numbers game you'll usually lose. The people who've seen you work are the ones who can vouch for you, and those relationships are better than any resume and cover letter.
So, my advice to get where you want to go, keep the odd conversation going with the people you've crossed paths with throughout your career. Send a message when you see someone or a business doing cool stuff. It costs nothing and will strengthen your career ties.
If we're one of them, start now. Tell us where you're at, and one of the team will get back to you. No resume, no obligation. Talk careers with the team.