There are a lot of great reasons to get industry experience first before setting off on your own. When Ram Castillo graduated from design school, he acquired experience by working at a major agency. How did he get into a design firm when no one was hiring designers? He took a job in the mailroom. While he delivered mail and fetched coffee, he also had conversations with some of the top designers in the world who gave him insight into how projects are run in the real world and how to balance quality with budget.
Ram shares how he rapidly built a career working at major agencies and on major brands, how he created mentorship opportunities for himself at every step, why he constantly stood out, and how and why he transitioned all that into freelancing.