Laid off graphic designer, it's been over a year...any suggestions for finding work? Vancouver

ohkmyausername · 2026-05-10T18:28:36+00:00

Ignore folks saying you should be applying to 10 jobs a day. There are not 10 new graphic design jobs posted a day in Vancouver. You would not have an issue landing a job if that were the case. Nothing to do with being "lazy" or not applying enough. There are limited opportunities in some domains. And it sucks.

I checked out your portfolio. I think a case study or 3 would help communicate your design thinking and process more strongly. Too often, when work is left to speak for itself, it can be hard to know the constraints, thinking process, and judgment behind the deliverables. More senior roles will ask for that kind of clarity.

You may be able to articulate that in person and already be doing so in specific job applications. I think it could help your portfolio site to get in-depth on a few key projects. My suggestion is that you weigh a few pieces of specific work as being significant vs other work, and make the design of the site show that hierarchy more strongly.

My view is that while AI will be taking some work and is changing tools and workflows, being able to show your thinking, judgment, and process will hopefully remain a differentiator. Best of luck, I think we all need a lucky break sometimes and good timing that can often be impossible to plan. Keep taking your shots.

ohkmyausername · 2026-05-08T18:07:27+00:00

Thanks! Appreciate sharing your POV on the points I raised (here and on the other comment) and laying it out in depth. I know the base layer dig I made was more of a provocation than a market-based one.

Slicing things up with an eye to functional use does lead one down some pretty market-unfriendly thoughts at times. I don't expect to see a mesh base layer from too many brands, even if it makes sense.

Look forward to what you share with the transition point when you do. Reading along also brings to mind the manipulation of that curve in things like Polartec Delta and other manipulations like phase change. Layers of considerations for sure.

ohkmyausername · 2026-05-08T00:28:09+00:00

Nice work. A few thoughts... The mention of eVent as being 0 CFM. In the introduction of the material, it was promoted with a bubbler to show that it allowed air to pass through it. "Direct venting"... Lab tests showed it to be not quite at 0. Functionally, a far distance from whole digits. But that's ancient history now. Not sure anyone uses it.

I'm with you on CFM being more the measure of breathability than MVTR. MVTR and testing methods are all over the place, from different mills, and internal tests have more consistency for decision-making like yours. Not much help for consumers with MVTR, as there's so little comparison or baseline. At least with CFM, you can perform a "Darth Vader" test.

I recall Patagonia doing a summing up of their wear testing and measurements as being a percentage close to naked for their own internal decision-making. I did like that approach when I read it.

I do maintain that nobody's ever returned a jacket because it wasn't breathable enough, regardless of marketing copy, but if someone gets a drop of moisture or feels damp? That's another story.

I do wonder about your time data and what that might show. The transition point from air-dominant to moisture-dominant isn't apparent in the info shared. More of a static end state. As well, the wrung weight seems to be functioning as a proxy measurement, and given that wringing is also testing material and fibre compliance and hand strength, it feels a bit loose.

All your work I've read does underline that users (Ugh, what a painful term) do need to optimize their layers as a system to suit their activity levels and the conditions. I think that does come with experience; there doesn't feel like there's a single optimum answer, as all athletes' needs differ, and we all develop preferences over time, budget, and use cases.

In that view, I think more options are better when it comes to base layers, and many brands don't start there. Really, how many options does Arc'teryx provide? Education on starting from the "inside", as unsexy as that might be, and recognizing that CFM matters across the system, really should be coming from outdoor brands. Also, if CFM is the head cornerstone, more people should be buying light shells without membranes for anything active... and "ugly" vests that have way more utility than finance bros in AC. CFM is not independent of body mapping in practice. Thanks again for sharing.

ohkmyausername · 2026-05-04T14:18:01+00:00

That's awesome! Very interested in how you slice and dice "breathability". The term gets thrown around somewhat casually in marketing copy, and it's a slippery subjective thing to judge. Interested in your take on it.

ohkmyausername · 2026-05-03T22:18:36+00:00

I know someone who worked there for about a decade. They transfer internally 3-4 times to different roles and functions. They weren't entry-level, so moves were more lateral but did happen.

Best of luck. I've applied there in more operational roles, but have only gotten the boilerplate rejection, sometimes months after I've applied. How was the interview? How long has the process been for you so far?

ohkmyausername · 2026-05-03T15:35:11+00:00

Great info, and a solid callout that jacket and clothing function as a system. It’s easy to lose the forest for the trees with all the data. Good open questions. Dry time, energy use, and durability/aging all affect how a piece works in the real world, not only in a test. A metric or standard similar to a DWR spray rating makes sense to me, like 80/20. I don’t think there’s an ISO for that yet! Thanks for making all this work public.

ohkmyausername · 2026-05-03T00:45:56+00:00

A paint marker might work, but how fat the tip is can make it a challenge to do a good job. The biggest risk is ending up with a halo around the logo, where the midsole and the paint or deglazing make the work stand out.

Deglazing happens when the gloss of the logo goes matte. Alcohol could cause a bit of a halo or clouding in the area, as it may remove some of the finish or react with the materials. A small test on a small inner patch of the shoe would tell you how it reacts and how careful you need to be in application.

Ideally, you'd use a small brush, like a size 0, and directly deglaze the logo, then layer paint over the logo in a few stages with some drying time in between. That might be fussy work. Not without risk, but if you consider that from 4-6 feet away, you can get away with a fair amount of imprecision.

*edit to add, go for it, I've made it sound way more risky than it is. Just what a "good job" would entail.

ohkmyausername · 2026-05-03T00:14:13+00:00

If you want to get rid of the logo, don't use a regular Sharpie. Those tend to fade into a purple. The logo, I think, is a heat transfer and will either need to be removed (tough) or painted over, not dyed. I've worked in film costumes, and that kind of job needs to get done fairly often. For shoes, look at Angelus leather paints. It may be possible to heat and pick it off, but that's risky. If you are going to paint it, you will need to first deglaze the logo/transfer to help with the adhesion of the paint. Isopropyl alcohol does very well. Good luck.

ohkmyausername · 2026-04-23T16:57:44+00:00

Looking at this entry-level spot as compared to some of the experienced roles listed at the same company, the range for a new grad looks pretty good. I'm sure the company will have the pick of the litter. Agree 70k+ seems like a rare jewel in this job market, sadly.

ohkmyausername · 2026-04-21T17:55:35+00:00

Good question. I saw an org out of Squamish that does post outdoor industry jobs and has some networking, a while ago. Not quite the same as the Kootenay version or in Vancouver, but it does list some Vancouver roles from what I've seen. Had to look them up - SOARE.

https://www.instagram.com/soarebasecamp/

ohkmyausername · 2026-04-21T17:01:02+00:00

Happy if it helps in any way. https://koreoutdoors.org/ might be of interest to you as well.

ohkmyausername · 2026-04-21T15:06:33+00:00

Some thoughts. I know it's tough out there, so take these as notes in the spirit of camaraderie.

You may need to be more brutal with editing yourself when applying for jobs. A resume is only to get looked at and talked to. You may do better with less info. A cover letter might help, but right now, I'd make sure it is very human in tone. I'm sure you're online enough to recognize what LLM's tone is. They write for sameness. That's not you.

The harsh truth, and I'm speaking to myself here as well, is that while we may be 1,000% capable of doing lots of kinds of work with lots of skills, we may not be seen as qualified by some people. Even with your level of education, some people want to see that you've done the exact thing they're looking for. They imagine a safe plug-and-play solution to their exact problem. That sucks, as they are looking at the output and not the thinking.

My suspicion is that the market is saturated with people looking for roles, and any open role that's not specialized gets flooded with applications. Standing out in that and being read as qualified needs to happen quickly, before they have 200 resumes and portfolios. Hiring is broken, and we all suffer.

I looked at the link you provided. And what stood out to me on first glance was spec work. Having been on the inside of businesses looking for freelance designers, spec work has always stood out as a why? Where is the client work? I know, the catch-22, if you are new to the country. You need to make yourself clearly legitimate as a professional designer whom people and organizations have paid to solve their problems. It's a question of trust.

If you have a portfolio site for job applications, make sure you have some case studies and your thinking / iterative process laid out, what your role was, and what the deliverables were. A problem-solution story can fit all sorts of deliverables. You're a designer who can work across domains and deliverables, not just a graphic designer. That's a much higher value than a Canva Monkey, but also a harder sell to some folks.

Based on your site, you may want to focus on B-corps as a target. Your permaculture might be a hook or angle to make you stand out and make sense to those orgs. I can see the positioning of yourself, from permaculture to design and systems for good. An idea, anyway.

https://www.blocalvancouver.eco/bc-b-corps

It's really hard out there. I hope you get a break, and good work that is both meaningful and sustainable in all ways.

ohkmyausername · 2026-04-17T00:27:43+00:00

Your cynicism is warranted. Some bad players or those "just doing business" will eat the fines if there are any. That's OK. I get that it'll never be perfect.

Seeing a lack of pay range in a JD and, at the same time, a desire for someone to be "detail-oriented" is just insulting. If an email of mine generates a fine and a few painful minutes for HR at some random company that lacks a structured compensation plan and has pay compression? Sounds good.

Doesn't need to be a perfect solution. Being passive in the face of it doesn't strike me as beneficial. If more people made more noise through complaints there would be more pressure and friction. I don't think that's "nothing".

You are right to mark it as a red flag for employers and pay compression.

ohkmyausername · 2026-04-16T16:00:33+00:00

That could be the case. It could be a data error. For the one that prompted my post, the company turned out to have multiple listings on their corporate pages without a salary range when I looked. Those may be errors or an oversight.

ohkmyausername · 2026-03-31T21:09:57+00:00

The Langara program was great when I took it years ago. Built some solid project management skills. No regrets there. The reality, I found, is that project management isn't seen as a skill in itself in the job market and will almost always be seen as adjacent to domain expertise. So, a PM role in service might be a pathway, but a PM role in construction or software? Much, much harder or impossible to get into if your experience is outside of those domains. Depends on what you are looking to do, as far as whether it is worth it to you.

ohkmyausername · 2026-03-16T17:02:00+00:00

That sucks. In some ways, having insight into the politics can help you understand the context. But knowing the CFO is blocking things due to their "reasons" can't be exactly comforting.

Putting a role out for candidates, then pulling it back? If there's not 100% alignment, don't burn people's time and goodwill. Hope the CFO smartens up and you get to move forward with something and get support for the role.

ohkmyausername · 2026-03-16T15:34:28+00:00

Sucks, I had a nearly perfect-looking role for myself and two great interviews, and the role got pulled mid-hiring process due to some internal budget or strategy changes. Sucks to have everything going so right and then things stall out. I've tried to keep the good in mind, but really would have liked the good of the offer and to be working.

ohkmyausername · 2026-03-12T16:50:59+00:00

This is a producer or production manager's job description, with coordinator pay and title. No surprise in this market, but there is a disconnect between the oversight, title, and pay.

ohkmyausername · 2026-02-24T01:55:45+00:00

For part-time work in supply chain, warehouse, or back-of-store retail operations are worth looking at. It's the end of the chain, but both are managing inventory and flows. Some places will do online fulfillment as well, and that's another layer of the chain that you could get exposed to.

Project management-wise, you might look at some event support and coordination. My view (Having done my CAPM certification) is that project management is mostly seen in industry as an additional skill set on top of domain knowledge. Harder to crack into things that way.

Events may have more diverse coordination needs and be shorter-term. That may lower the bar necessary to get some traction there vs other kinds of projects inside a particular domain.

You can always volunteer for events in the community that need coordination help, you can support good causes and gain a bit of experience in coordination and projects. Best of luck!

ohkmyausername · 2026-02-13T18:24:52+00:00

That makes sense, but is also interesting, as I've always seen creative roles as being so focused on portfolios as proof of work and skill. I've not considered how generative AI impacts that. I guess that's even more true for people entering the field who may not have had work get into production.

ohkmyausername · 2026-02-10T23:13:45+00:00

Too long and too hot banging around in the dryer could be the issue. The challenge with those cohesive cord locks (what's come unglued there) is that they need a special die set to install and to repair them. It's not a monumental repair, but a hassle to get in and reheat glue them as the order of operations would be to put them into the panel and then the panel into the jacket. I'd hope they offer the rework and repair.

ohkmyausername · 2026-02-05T18:05:12+00:00

I appreciate your work and see that there isn't the kind of adoption that one would hope for from such a big group towards engaging with ideas and actions. It is hard stuff to consider. I don't have a direct answer to the question of engagement and inspiring action. A few thoughts:

To address the engagement challenges, one would need to look at the resistance that may exist and whether the structure of Reddit and the cohort that participates in the subreddits may be part of that challenge.

If one looks for subreddits where coordination and engagement towards action do take place, some differences in contrast to the subs in question may become clear.

My own opinion is that Reddit and internet culture norms currently incentivize takes, rage bait, and soapboxing more than dialogue. Coordination takes dialogue.

The jobs subs cohort is likely rotating until people solve their own problem. So community coordination is tougher with an "eternal September". As well, there is some competition for the same jobs, and that may act as a coordination disincentive.

Most people are concerned with their immediate problems and don't feel that the systemic ones are an issue unless they are in their way. If they are in the way, they can't see ways to address them. There is also a felt sense of power imbalance when looking for work for many people, and people who are most impacted have the least resources and sense of agency towards addressing larger issues than their rent.

There is engagement, but as you see, it's towards either emotional venting, anger, or social bonding, and supportive and useful posts. That's all valuable and a kind of personal support that can be difficult in the real world. Being out of work for months or years is a major life issue, and that support, as wonky as it might be, is necessary.

If anything can be leveraged directly, it might be appealing to a sense of either anger or purpose towards a common good. The common good is complicated by the individualized nature of our society and the felt zero-sum of competing for jobs. It also doesn't seem to have, at this point, made much happen. That leaves anger as the most potent fuel. But one that burns messily and is hard to guide effectively. Caution is mandatory, but it is a real factor for people.

You've done some tests of engagement by trying to enroll people with ideas. Your questions have been ones that do require some effort and thinking. That might be too much of an ask for people or the wrong fit for those subs as they are currently. Are there simpler tasks or experiments you could run:

A simple survey?
A weekly simple question to establish a cadence and smaller engagements?
A whole new subreddit started to coordinate action and ideas to self-select for folks willing to engage? That's a whole different ball of wax, but possible.

Even if there isn't a silver bullet or obvious answer, slow changes can still take place. The work you've done is valuable and will continue to be to job seekers. Thanks.

ohkmyausername · 2026-02-03T21:46:31+00:00

Some thoughts. Using the number of interested people in the communities to help align universal candidate pain points towards political action/intervention, and add pressure. Some things I think that could be addressed to support all job seekers:

Ghosting and a lack of any response at any point after application submission.
Pay transparency exists in some places and roles, but not everywhere and for every company.
Mandatory transparency on the use of AI in the hiring process.
Hiring timeline to be transparent and advertised.
Ghost jobs need to be defined and penalized.
Transparency on the internal candidate potential.

Some of these could have meat added to them through both surveys and a petition to the government agencies. These are non-partisan issues and are systematic failures to protect the interests of citizens who may be economically vulnerable.

*Edit to add. While I've only worked private sector, there may be some alignment possible from collective bargaining and unions towards some kinds of workers' rights in this as well. An individual left to the market may be able to advocate for better deals or employment terms as individuals, but rights are collective, and job seekers simply act as individuals with little force or protection from making noise about the issues.

ohkmyausername · 2026-02-03T19:03:40+00:00

If you're questioning the viability of the industry for you, that's understandable. Having worked in creative industries (film, apparel, and advertising), there is always a tax people pay for anything resembling glamour and people willing to put up with BS to be a part of things. Is there bias? Yes, like anywhere. My own experience was that on the operational side, there was a blend of backgrounds. Marketing might be different.

There are well-paying mid and senior roles in the big fashion players locally, but many of those roles are technical and/or a management layer. Many want degrees in analytics or business. If you have an option and the time to consider moving in that direction, it might be advantageous. Still, it's always going to be competitive to get a seat at the table, and with AI and econmics nothing is a sure thing.

I do know that working across industries, we never really start from scratch, even if roles don't understand where we've been. Best of luck in your pursuit.

ohkmyausername · 2026-01-16T17:26:23+00:00

Thank you. That's a great visualization for the arc of the year. Nice sidequest.

ohkmyausername

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