AVC 248 · Michelle B.
Read this first
AVC 248 is where your portfolio becomes a job. The creative industry has changed, employers now expect designers who can work with AI, and this capstone is where you build that skill for real. You will use AI as a professional tool to sharpen your resume, cover letter, portfolio, and interviews, and you will leave with two things that are yours to keep.
Your Job Search Loop
A job search is not one big push, it is a loop you run again and again, once for every role you go after. This is the repeatable system you will practice in AVC 248 and keep running in Render after you graduate. Two rules hold the whole loop together:
Pick one real reach job and set goals around it. Everything else aligns to that anchor.
Write your first resume and cover letter yourself, in a plain doc. No AI, no template.
Use your search strings to surface real openings that fit your target.
Read the match, tailor your base materials, iterate 2–3 times, fact-check, apply, and log it.
Send a short, specific thank-you or follow-up note, on the right timing.
Reach out, connect, and keep relationships warm with people in your field.
Practice role-specific questions and your stories until you can answer with ease.
Keep every application, status, and contact in one place so nothing slips.
Read your own funnel. See where the search is stalling and change one thing.
After graduation, keep Render and your career agent working as you run it again.
↻ Run this loop for every job. It does not stop at graduation, it goes with you.
Learn the iteration loop: Tailoring With AI →Course Pages
Modules
Set up tools, introduce yourself, explore career services and professional goals.
7 items, Technology setup, Career Services, Fair Use Quiz
Build, revise, and polish your professional resume through multiple rounds of feedback.
5 items, Draft 1 through Draft 4, AI Resume Discussion
Write your cover letter, craft your elevator pitch, and design your personal identity system.
10 items, Cover letter, Elevator pitch, Identity brief, Business card, Leave-behind
Present your in-process portfolio on camera, receive peer critique, and plan for the second half.
5 items, Midterm presentation, Portfolio plan, Freelancing overview
Contracts, scope, taxes, client management, and finding mentors in the creative industry.
5 items, Spec sheet, Project brief, Finding a mentor
Build your LinkedIn presence, connect with industry professionals, and develop your networking strategy.
5 items, LinkedIn setup, Content strategy, Portfolio check-in
Research companies, practice interview techniques, and complete recorded mock interviews.
7 items, Research, Question types, STAR method, Mock interview, Big Interview
Submit your complete professional package: final resume, identity system, leave-behind, portfolio, and presentation.
6 items, Final resume, Identity package, Leave-behind, Portfolio, Presentation