Dave Agreed that it's partly generational.
But it's more than "generational," in terms of individuals and their generations. It's generational, in terms of evolution of our profession(s). We're entering our professions' third generation. As I said offline to Anne, what we're now seeing---in terms of positions requiring 1-3 years of experience and an impressively broad array and depth of skills/experience---is macroeconomic---hiring agents in a sluggish economy looking to get much more for much less. AND it's a result of proliferating IxD-related academic programs pumping out newly minted designers---hence, a rapidly growing supply pool. It's also the mixed blessing result in our-all selling to employers that they *need* to hire IxDs....the "mixed" part being employers often do not really understand what that means, or what they should be looking for. So portfolios that are the byproducts of classes where students are graded on well-rendered wireframes become *evidence *of competency, sharp thinking, experience, and creativity -- rather than as artifacts/documentation that may serve as a jumping-off point for conversations in which competency, sharp thinking, experience, and creativity can be explored. Looking at deliverables as core indicator of employee potential (etc), hiring agents will not see appreciable difference between someone with 1-3 yrs experience and someone with 7-10 yrs experience. And may not inderstand the appreciable differences in candidates---in terms of experience, insight, thinking, and perspective that aren't to be found in the deliverables themselves Current situation *is *fortunate for recent grads -- and there's a proliferation of them. That "supply pool" will continue to grow. Not as favorable for people who do have the years/depth of experience/skills. And not favorable for "the profession" qua profession. Looking at many technical professions -- and I'll include engineering, architecture, law, medicine -- distinctions are made among practitioners with various years of experience. Not everyone is regarded or compensated equally, once they've received their degree(s). Experience is seen as more than extraneous years clocked in. None of the above is about sticking one's head in the sand. Discussing and exploring what's happening -- and why -- is important to the further maturity of our professions. To articulate a reality is not to deny it...or even necessarily to assail it. Those who've chosen to teach are, thus, at least somewhat focused on sending newly minted undergraduates into the world and nabbing jobs at as high a level of pay as possible. That's a metric of their success as professors. If undergrad degree programs are successful at creating a high-job-placement/salary track record, the value of the program is demonstrated to the institution, the program gets more resources, faculty, funding, attracts more talented students -- benefits the college -- and the program itself grows. Traditionally, any art/design undergraduate who can pop into the world with a BA and earn $70K is doing very well. Nothing wrong with the above. But that's one, academia-oriented set of goals and agenda. Not necessarily synonymous with the long-term goals, agenda, and sustainability of a profession (or set of professions). And, yet, may be effecting tremendous change in the market, and therefore in the professions. btw -- like Anne, I'm seeing a promising uptick in 2010 in terms of hiring (I'm a contractor by choice) that rewards and remunerates for complexity, depth, and breadth of thinking and experience! -- Susan btw Dave said "a good 90% of us who have over 10yrs (hell over 5yrs) experience do not have Bachelor degrees in computer design (new media, web design, etc.)." But I believe--also I have no citations, which is lame of both of us---that surveys from years past re: people's backgrounds and salaries, *did *indicate high levels of people with masters-level education in MFA, ethnography/sociology, computer science, library science, MBA etc on one hand -- and on the other hand, many who were completely self-taught, often without college degrees -- and at one point not long ago, like 2004-05, education was often touted as elitist and often irrelevant - remember that?! But that was generation 2.... On Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 7:57 AM, Dave Malouf <[email protected]> wrote: > This issue is generational and not one of asking for too much. > I'd say a good 90% of us who have over 10yrs (hell over 5yrs) > experience do not have Bachelor degrees in computer design (new > media, web design, etc.) > > That reality is no longer true. There are a growing # of degree > programs that include programming, visual design, and human-centered > thinking than ever before. > > yes, it is still growing, but to poo poo it as unreasonable, I think > is putting your head in the sand. This will catch up to us. > > Now all you youngins who are straight out of school or even in > school. Look at these job requirements and kick some ass! > > -- dave > > > > > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > Posted from the new ixda.org > http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=49535 > > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... [email protected] > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Susan Doran 55 Morning Street Portland ME 04101 207-774-4963 (land) 202-296-4849 (cell) /susandoran (facebook) @susandoran (twitter) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... 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