The Perfect Graphic Design Job: Does it Even Exist?
Of course not, I hear you say. It’s far too subjective. Everyone has different opinions on what constitutes a good job and work environment… But do they?
Aren’t there any universal factors that make graphic design jobs more enjoyable and fulfilling across the board? If there is, I’d like to find out where these jobs are and who currently has them!
The hunt for the perfect graphic design job begins.
Why?
That’s a good question. I guess personally, having been an employer of designers for over a decade, I’m hyper aware of the importance of finding designers that are the right fit, both in their skills and experience but also culturally. Hiring and firing is no fun for anybody and if I can help someone avoid that situation, I want to do it!
Now, running a website that’s all about connecting designers with jobs, I’m even more mindful of this fact. If the perfect graphic design job is purely subjective, what can be done to improve the match-making process? Or, if some jobs are just better than others, where are the good ones and how can designers seperate the good ones from the bad?
Here’s how I planned to find out.
Finding the perfect graphic design job: Methodology
My search began with three inputs:
- Graphic designers – I asked them what they value in a graphic design job and what their favourite jobs have been.
- Reviews – I read employee reviews on review site Glassdoor.
- I looked at job ads on company websites to see what benefits employers are highlighting. Surely, they know what their employees value better than anyone.
GOAL:
Finding the best graphic design job in Australia.
OUTCOME:
I was certainly able to define the perfect job and even found a number of specific graphic design jobs that the majority of designers would find appealing. Read on for the details or feel free to skip forward to my findings at the end of the article.
Defining the perfect graphic design job
So, what are the traits everyone is looking for in a graphic design job and are there some roles, industries or even workplaces that seems to offer the perfect job on paper?
The answer was actually quite clear once I started looking into it. The overwhelming consensus from designers was that a good graphic designer job is one that:
- Is creative and allows you to be original
- Has good people (subjective) and a positive work environment
- Offers interesting work with lots of variety
- Pays well
Interestingly, the points cited most often as being important to job satisfaction were almost always related to the work itself, rather than company perks or salary. This was especially true for designers who had been in the industry for a while.
This suggests that while designers would ideally like to find a job that offers all of these things, hypothetically at least, they are willing to make sacrifices in other areas if it means working on interesting projects.
But, we aren’t interested in compromises here. I’m looking for the PERFECT graphic design job. So, where do we find jobs with the lot?
The hunt moves into the workplace
Now that i’d defined what the perfect graphic design jobs is, with a strong consensus among designers, it was time to find out which companies offer these kinds of jobs. I’d first need to look at the job listings claiming to offer the perfect job, then decide which were telling the truth by talking to designers and reading employee reviews.
Well, I soon realised that EVERY job ad claims to be creative, with positive team culture, interesting work and competitive pay. Could they all really be offering the perfect graphic design job? I doubt it.
So, relying on employers themselves to help me find these enigmatic perfect jobs was no use at all. I’d have to go straight to the source – employees.
I started by deep-diving into employee reviews on popular review site Glassdoor. This gave me some great insights into what it’s actually like to work at these companies and whether they are likely to offer the perfect job or not.
I also reached out to designers directly and asked them about their experiences working at different companies. I specifically wanted to know if they had actually ever found a graphic design job that ticks all the boxes.
The results:
After trawling through employee reviews and some interesting conversations with designers, a few larger companies popped up over and over again, while a couple of smaller ones also earned honourable mentions from designers.
I’ve broken these down into industries below. I know there’s lots of them but don’t worry, I haven’t finished narrowing them down yet. There will be winners. I promise!
Tech
- Atlassian
- Canva
- Airwallex
- Domain Group
- REA
- Immutable
Advertising & Marketing
- Apparent
- Social Garden
- Max Media Lab
- Farsiight
- The Rocket Agency
Banking
- ANZ
- Commonwealth Bank
Retail
- Mecca Brands
- Forever New
- Koala
- Supercheap Auto
- Bunnings
- Ripcurl
Education
- University of Melbourne
- University of Sydney
Other
- Jellis Craig
- Hub Australia
So, here we have relatively short list of companies that, from all reports, seem to stand out from the rest. Obviously some designers will gravitate towards some industries over others, but if you are looking for a graphic designer job that ticks all of the boxes above, and one comes up at any of these companies, get your application in fast!
As far as the tech companies listed, these tended to rate the highest among those surveyed but the availability of graphic design jobs at these companies is low, with more roles available in the UX and UI design space.
Of the ad agencies, I guess it was no surprise that the none of the bigger agencies came up in the conversation for ‘perfect’ job. While the Ogilvys and Saatchis of the world employ a lot of graphic designers and the work can be creatively exhilarating, many designers report very competitive and ‘cut-throat’ cultures. Long hours and unpaid overtime were also common gripes.
So, was a winner found? Does the perfect graphic design job exist?
Yeah, it seems the perfect graphic design job might actually be more attainable than I first thought. Here is what you’ve all been waiting for:
And the winners are…
My research leads me to believe that the perfect graphic design jobs can be found at the following companies:
1st prize – Canva
Glassdoor score: 4.6/5
Canva is one of the world’s most popular design platforms and is headquartered in Sydney. They boast a fun and creative team culture with weekly social events and plenty of opportunities to get involved in different areas of the business. Their employee reviews also speak highly of the interesting work and wide range of clients.
One graphic designer on Glassdoor said:
“Nice and helpful teammates Awesome culture (can’t stress this enough) Great support and benefits (allowances and swag kits) Fun and diverse projects Lots of opportunities for growth.”
Canva is also well-known for their excellent employee benefits, which include free lunch every day, flexible working hours and unlimited annual leave. Salaries are also reported to be very competitive, with designers at Canva earning an average of $85k per year and many reaching upwards of $120k.
2nd prize – REA Group
Glassdoor score: 4.3/5
REA Group is a digital advertising company that owns some of Australia’s most popular property websites, including realestate.com.au and flatmates.com.au. They are headquartered in Melbourne but also have offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
REA Group has a reputation for being a great place to work with an emphasis on employee development and career growth. And, they have been named as one of LinkedIn’s Top 25 Companies to Work For in Australia for 3 years in a row.
Someone on Glassdoor said:
“Amazing design culture and supportive teams. The distributed design model empowers each designer to run their own show, while still learning from and being supported by very experienced designers. Lots of opportunities for growth beyond the normal designer role, through strong weighting towards business strategic skills and product management thinking. Your career is what you make it at REA as a designer.”
Graphic designers at REA Group reportedly earn an average salary of $75k per year with some designers earning well over $100k. Benefits include stock options, free lunches and flexible hours.
3rd prize – Apparent
Glassdoor score: 4.3/5
Apparent is a small agency based in Redfern, Sydney. They work with a range of clients across industries including arts, music, fashion, food & beverage and more. From all reports, they have an excellent team culture with a focus on creativity and collaboration. And, their employee reviews boast about the interesting work and great clients.
Graphic designer salaries at Apparent are in line with the national average with income at the low end reportedly sitting at around $53k and at the high end around $90k.
Someone on Glassdoor said:
“Awesome people, very family-like culture. Some great clients. Snacks, fruit and drinks available any time.”
So, the perfect graphic designer jobs do exist
So, there you have it! The three companies that are reportedly home to the perfect graphic design jobs. If you’re lucky enough to snag one of these roles, you can expect interesting work, great benefits and a supportive team culture. So what are you waiting for? Hit their websites (or search the job listings here on designjobs.com.au) and get your applications in if anything comes up. Good luck!
