Jamayel Ahmed
Jamayel only graduated in Creative Product Design in 2010. Since leaving university, he was able to work as a freelance graphic designer, in addition to working in a full time job. Jamayel now works as a graphic designer for a large company and still develops his freelance work on the side.
Turbulent times
Jamayel insists leaving university can be a difficult time for many graduates. “Like many other graduates, I found myself job hunting in a difficult economic climate. There were few job opportunities available for graduates with limited design experience.” Jameyal did not give up and found an opportunity to work in the retail industry, which not only gave him some financial backing, but also enabled him to continue working on his personal design projects, in order to expand his portfolio.
Being able to find time to expand his portfolio was key to the start of Jamayel’s career. “I then became a Freelance Graphic Designer, producing corporate identities, print ready documents, catalogue/ magazine design, brochures, digital art work and web graphics for clients around the UK. This gave me the ‘real world’ experience of working with different people and businesses.”
Moving on and up
All his hard work paid off and Jamayel impressed FreestyleXtreme so much that they offered him a job as a Graphic Designer. Jamayel’s hobbies and interests are all in outdoor pursuits, so not only did this job create great challenges for Jamayel , but enabled him to work for a like minded organisation. “The company specialise in action sports clothing and accessories and I have been closely involved with their photography and marketing department. My main responsibilities include editing product photography for the website and designing web and print graphics, including web banners and promotional material such as posters and flyers. This means I have a great and varied role in a company that produces products that I am passionate about.”
Why UWE?
Funnily enough, Jamayel still regards his university days as the route to his ever-growing passion for graphic design. “I found it most rewarding when some of the projects I worked on, such as the UWE 2010 Graduation catalogue and other marketing documents, were finally printed and available for everyone to see.” He goes onto discuss how UWE influenced his career path. “UWE helped me in many ways, from the way the subject was taught, to having visiting students and designers come in and talk about their experiences. It has inspired me to exploring other avenues of design career paths I might not have otherwise envisioned or considered.”
Proving your ability
When asked what advice Jamayel would give to students or graduates looking to move into his industry, Jamayel had many snippets of advice. “As a recent graduate, the hardest obstacle is proving to people that you have the necessary skills and determination to deliver high quality work. Finding employers who are prepared to take chances on those without industry experience is perhaps one of the biggest hurdles. However, if you keep on working on your own design projects, you will be able to develop and learn new skills. Make sure you apply for as many internships as possible and therefore get the crucial experience of working in a busy office environment. Hopefully it will make you more appealing when you start applying for jobs!”
Jamayel’s greatest achievement came when he was selected to take part in the New Designer’s Exhibition in 2010. Being given the unique opportunity to exhibit his final year UWE Product Design project to other designers and members of the public in London meant that he was properly recognised as a designer for the first time. In the future, he looks to become a well known, recognised and successful freelance designer in addition to having some of his designed products in the market.
Page last updated 13 August 2012