To be perfectly honest, I was one of those people. I went to university for graphic design, hoping my piece of paper would afford me a cushy job, then design boot camp hoping for a cushy and fulfilling job… and after almost 2 years of working life, I’ve come to some realizations — that corporate life isn’t for me, good design is difficult, hard work, no one knows what the fuck they’re doing, and if we want to sustain the LA design community, there needs to be a shift in the ways junior designers view the concept of ‘community.’

There is an influx of junior/entry-level designers, demand for senior level ones, and lack of director level ones. Meetups and events are inundated with people trying to make connections for their first or next gig, to make their way up the ladder. It’s junior designers trying to find mentorship from seniors, ringing them dry of their attention and time.

As junior and mid-level designers, I think we need to be more generous to our peers — seniors and juniors alike. What does this look like? For one thing, by not heckling seniors for job and mentorship opportunities. It’s hard work running and organizing these events, let alone mentoring another person, and we should not and cannot poach these elusive seniors. If showing up for the community means nothing but being asked to be connected on LinkedIn, portfolio reviews, and leaving lasting impressions in hopes of a job offer on the spot, I wouldn’t want to show up either.

We should contribute to our community, be that through our skills and talents (which aren’t always design applicable, at first anyway), and just plain showing up. We can convert what we learn from into value for other spaces and industries that could use that expertise, be it government, education, healthcare, nonprofit, etc.

Prove our value — mentor ourselves and each other.

There’s a demand for senior-level designers because no one knows what the fuck they’re doing. Perhaps it’s because junior and mid-level designers are too afraid to own their ideas and process, and want an authority to nudge us in the right direction, but paradoxically want the decentralized idea and decision-making that the design process affords. Simply put, we cannot rely on senior-level designers to show up for the community if we do not foster collective growth junior designers. And once we acquire that experience and knowledge, inject those learnings back into the community, because we sorely need it.

As the year wraps up, let’s count our blessings: the seniors who give back to our community, the starry-eyed juniors who bring their enthusiasm and time, and for Mariah Carey’s whistle register.