Designer Dilemmas: The Great Pay Debate
If we can always be honest, the money really matters. It's time to trade 'good enough' for 'damn incredible'.
Hey fellow Palettitians!
Some serious talk here! Do well to grab a seat and catch a fresh breath off your large desk as a start. Now, let's talk about money, shall we? Because let's face it, we all need it. But how much is enough when you're trading your creativity for cold hard cash?
I had a chat with my colleague, Elsie, about this whole pay-the-designer thing, and it got me thinking. We're swimming in a sea of talent, but somehow, the tides of fair compensation aren't always in our favor.
It’s like we’ve been programmed to accept peanuts for our design masterpiece, especially from most Nigeria establishments. The ‘a bird in the hand’ mentality has us settling for less than we deserve. But come on, we're not fowls! We're designers, creating visual masterpieces. Our time and skills are valuable commodities, so much that without us the face of whatever brand wouldn't be properly presented uniquely (they sure do know this, they need us).
For the sake of your steeze as a designer, the need to weigh opportunities that present themself than randomly saying yes to all opportunities must be a top priority on your scale of preference. You are the main character, remember, and when you snooze, you lose.
Level up. Stop limiting yourself to the local market. Expand your horizons, diversify your skills, and position yourself for global domination. Remember, big dreams require big budgets. Nowadays, it's crucial to consider certain perks affiliated to your role or assigned position. Certain perks like the availability and provision of gadgets, health insurance, professional workshops and training, vacation scheme, and even maternity or paternity leave, which in recent times is also made possible for men. These and more, are thoughtful considerations that must be carefully weighed when jumping on an opportunity.
It's time to trade ‘good enough’ for ‘damn incredible’. Let's demand what we deserve. Your talent is your superpower. Use it wisely.
To negotiate for better pay, do your research on salary benchmarks for your experience level and location. Practice your negotiation skills before going into a job interview.
Let’s keep the conversation going. Share your thoughts and experiences on this part.
Interesting things we found out about this week
Coinstick is currently hiring motion and creatives designer, if interested, send a link to your portfolio to : careers@coinstick.co or Whatsapp: 07048940468
The Alphabetika challenge is now live.
Alphabetika is a typography logo design challenge to create a logo and/or brand identity around every letter of the alphabet. To participate, visit the page here: Alphabetika
If you’re into making ads and designs for football, here’s a useful website called FootyRender - where every player from every team has a transparent background
PS: We’ll be running designer features as from next week, so be sure to send us who you’d like for us to feature on our newsletter. Or you could nominate yourself for a feature too. We’d take that as well.
The Weekly Palettive delivers design articles and goodies to your inbox once a week. We do little dances whenever you share this with your fellow creatives. Thanks for having us and see you next week.