We get lots of requests from recent grads, and job-seeking designers, for advice on how to put together a solid portfolio, and how to make an impact on prospective employers. In the coming weeks, I’ll be presenting a series of posts on the KA+A blog that attempt to codify the feedback we’ve been doling out. If you’ll be graduating soon, are putting together a portfolio, or are interested in staying competitive in a crowded field, hopefully you’ll find it useful.

If anyone has additional thoughts, or pieces of wisdom, please share in the comments!

Learning how to design and build for the web is an absolute must.

I’m continually amazed by the number of designers who I meet with that have little or no experience designing for the web. Apparently many design schools think of web design as something to be taught in a New Media program. In my opinion, it’s time to drop the “production for designers” class (you want to know the last time I had to worry about color separation, or spent a significant amount of time selecting paper? It’s been a while) and teach HTML and CSS instead.

Learning how to design and build for the web is an absolute must. If your school doesn’t offer it, teach yourself. Go to Lynda.com or NetTuts and get up to speed. At KA+A, we expect any designer we hire to be to be very comfortable with HTML and CSS (these days versions 5 and 3, respectively), and, to a lesser degree, Javascript (more likely a library, like jQuery). Familiarity with a CMS, like WordPress, or ExpressionEngine, while not a necessity, is a big bonus as well.

Get out there and see what successful web designers are doing… Designing for the screen is not like designing for print.

In addition to understanding the technical aspects of web design, you’ll want to start soaking up lots of inspiration. Designing for the screen is not like designing for print. If you attempt to translate print design skills straight to the screen, you’ll fail. So get out there and see what successful web designers are doing. There are a ton of great gallery sites out there that highlight the best of the web. A couple of my favorites are WebCreme and PatternTap.

The odds of a designer finding a print-only position decrease every day. Five years ago when I’d hear someone say “I really focus on print,” I thought it was a bad decision on their part. Now, I realize it’s an absolute career killer. If you’re a designer, get comfortable with the web. I think you’ll find it’s fun and rewarding, as well as good for your career.