Having a portfolio is pretty much a given as a designer looking for work.

The best advice I can give to anyone about to graduate is to simply find a job as quickly as you can, don’t concern yourself with finding the perfect job with the perfect salary. All these things can come later as finding your second job after getting experience is much easier and it’s with experience that you can get a job more suited to you.

I thought getting a job as a designer working with other designers might have been better to learn and improve but as it happens I was the only designer in my company and it forced me to learn and push myself as well as giving me the opportunity to do it rather than someone else doing the majority of the work.