Volunteer work wanted...

Since I found out that my store is closing and that I will be out of a job by August, I haven't done much job searching. Yes, I do have three months lead time, which should be plenty of time to find something new. And I am confident that I can easily find another job in retail.

The problem is, I don't want retail.

I have a degree in Graphic Design, which I haven't used since I got it besides for a few freelance jobs. What I do want is a career in graphic design, with a company that I can trust and will give me a chance.

But how do I get that with the limited experience I have? I go on Monster.com and Hotjobs,com and all I find are jobs that require three years experience. Five years experience. Ten years experience. How do I get the experience without the job?

This is why my impending layoff is a good thing. I will get my severance with the company, then I can collect unemployment. Bills won't be much of an issue, so i can cover what I need to with the government's help. Then I figure that I will have time to volunteer my time with a graphic design company or any company with an in-house graphics department. This will allow me the opportunity to learn the industry from the inside and gain the experience that companies desire. I can also amass more graphic work that I can put into my portfolio, which of course is a benefit.

This has been my biggest issue since college. I needed to work full time in order to pay for my expenses, so I never had the opportunity to take advantage of internships, which I suppose is where most of the experience of a college grad comes from. I finally have the chance to do this, so I see the layoff as a blessing.

I also doubt it would be difficult to find a company who doesn't want a volunteer. The economy sucks but people need labor. So here comes a guy (me) who is willing to work for free and knows quite a bit about graphic design.

It's a win/win.