As the creative director behind my business, what I look for first, is talent. Second, experience, can you use the tools. Third, the right attitude. Will you jump when I ask or will you freeze and give me attitude and ego or worse, excuses? I'll ask you straight out, "What makes you think you are an asset to my organization?" Can you answer that? What makes you think you would bring value to my studio? Why should I hire you?

Seriously, just because you know your way around a program or two isn't enough for me to hire you. So tell me why you are of value to me. What have you got that I want, today, right here, right now?

Card designs will not get you into my studio. It will get you into a card and stationery studio, and there are many out there. What I seek is a scope, talent, hunger, leadership, initiative and the ability to get the job done without a lot of pissing and moaning. Design is not for the light hearted. Be ready to work under pressure all the time. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

That being said, I'd have to see your book to evaluate the level of skill, talent and competency. How do you cards translate across a wide level of design applications? (packaging, advertising, illustration, corporate identity, branding, logos, and so on.) This is also important to you because it will also help you sell where you are right now to other companies, or get your foot in the door to opportunities… read on.

If you aren't certain that you know, here's what I suggest:

Start with an internship at an agency or design studio. Or even a printing or publishing company. Have them place you in production, not design. You need to learn how things come together first, how they get printed or how they are constructed for web and other media.

Then once you have comprehensive knowledge of this, you move up to design.

After your internship is up, chances are if the company likes your performance, you'll be asked to stay on.

Sometimes you have to give a little in order to get a little. Short of going back to school, you're probably going to have to intern.

Graphic design isn't just about programs and software. It's fairly complex. You do need to know how to draw. There's typography and all that entails. You do know about kerning, tracking, leading, en spaces, em spaces, serif and san serif, display text and book text, h & j, style sheets, etc? And that's just type. Then there's color theory, composition, the printing end of things, and so on. I think you get my point.

I'm not saying you can't do the job. I'm saying, convince me you're ready.

Student work, pro bono pieces and professional pieces are all fine, as long as each one looks like it was done by a seasoned pro.

If you have ANY doubts about a piece, throw it out. Better to have a light portfolio that bring it all down by one, single, marginal work.

Shoot for about a dozen pieces, nicely mounted.