Graphic Design, Illustration, Laptops

Hi Sophie, I can't help with the work related questions, but laptop wise... I wanted to take one on my travels around Thailand, Talking to other backpackers I found the most reliable rugged laptop was the MacbBook. I brought one along with what i can only describe as a glove for it, tight fitting thin foam case. Stuffed it in the back of my backpack and I had no problems with it during my 6 months of backpacking.

Regards

Edd

thanks edd, that does help. could you tell me, what was the most rugged thing you're backpack endured on the trip? ie, was it a matter of moving it from hostel to hostel, doing hikes, getting thrown on buses by baggage handlers....
i just want to know what the macbook can handle, as that is the laptop i plan on purchasing.
thanks again!

I think that in any industry, six months' experience is not highly regarded.

I'm wondering where you find an employer in Canada who wants to hire a new college graduate for only 6 months.

I'm wondering which it is you wish to do. Go overseas to work and live or go travelling with a backpack. I'm wondering if you are naive enought to think you will find work for a few months at a time to fund travel. That's a common misconception that is seen frequently here on the TT.

I agree with Jetgirly that 6 months experience is not likely to get you any more interviews than no experience. I'd suggest at least 2 years with a reputable company. Then assuming you have a work visa of some sort for a country you go to, you would have a decent chance of finding work in a major city.

I think perhaps your qualifications are not as portable as you seem to think they are.

in reply:

My plan was to move to london on a one year work visa and do freelance work, save money and then move onto rugged backpacking. I have found that travelling with my prior qualifications in childcare and hospitality was very easy, however being new in the field of graphic design i was looking for experienced personel to give me some advice.

Are either of you experienced in this area?

Cheers.

Hey Sophie, It took quite a bit of punishment, along with the day to day trekking and generally being chucked about, I hired a jeep for a bit off 4x4 fun, it endured 3 weeks off bouncing around the back seat while being driven up and down every mountain I could find! Its a cracking laptop, I run adobe creative suite 2 on it without any problems. Hope all goes well and you find what your looking for.

Edd

I think you need to further clarify some things.

You say that you want to do "rough backpacking" after your stint in London. Does this mean you want to be working freelance while you do this?

It sounds like you will be going to London to work 9-5 and then work later freelance without geographical constraints. Is this correct?

You may have had an easy time finding jobs in your prior fields. But there are so many variables that they are like comparing apples and oranges. How much training did you have in these fields? How long did that take? How much experience did you have? What was your visa situation? Where did you go?

I should warn you that you are falling into a familiar pattern we see regularly on the TT. Someone comes here with a job question. They don't like the discouraging replies. So they insist on someone who went through the EXACT same experience to give them a reply. But often an exact match won't be found here. The people answering threads like these are reasonable, helpful people who have plenty of experience working in other countries and are making an educated guess about a given subject. I would have to concur that I find it hard to believe that in any industry, six months would be considered experience.

cheers edd, good to know.

alexander, i've never had a job where i had to travel with tools before. i was planning of one year of straight work, and then some straight out backpacking and i wanted to know how well the laptop would hold out. this is what i was referring to and edd answered that question.

i have met a fair amount of graphic designers who travel and i've asked them for advice aswell. i just posted a question here because i thought i might find more of them.

as far as my other fields go, i've worked throughout australia and canada. both those industries are very easy to travel with, and even work your way up position wise. i am not use to being in such a competative industry, which is why i was specifically asking for advice from graphic designers.

thanks tallman, that advice helps.