The Designer’s Guide to Negotiating Better Pay, Cracking Interviews, and Building a Career That Grows
Most designers are skilled at creating beautiful work, but when it comes to career growth, many feel stuck. This session is built to change that. In FWD: Nine to Five, you’ll learn how to confidently negotiate better pay, crack interviews with strategies recruiters don’t usually share, and build a career path that doesn’t just survive the routine but thrives beyond it. Whether you’re a student preparing to step into the industry, a fresher struggling to land the right job, or a working designer who feels underpaid and overlooked, this is your chance to gain practical tools, insider knowledge, and a network that can move your career forward. This isn’t about vague inspiration it’s about equipping you with actionable steps that ensure your 9-to-5 works for you, not against you
Who Should Attend
Student
Stepping into the design industry soon? Learn what schools never teach you salary, interviews, and real-world growth skills.
Fresher
Struggling to land the right job? Discover how to stand out, position yourself, and unlock better opportunities.
Working Professionals
Tired of being underpaid or overlooked? Gain the confidence and strategies to negotiate smarter and move up faster.
Career Switchers
Thinking of moving into a different design field? Get clarity on how to make the shift without losing momentum.
The Sessions (Your Roadmap to Growth)
Raise the Bar
Stop being just a task-doer. Learn how to position yourself as a designer who drives ideas and shapes careers, not just executes briefs.
Ctrl + Shift + D (Switching Disciplines)
Want to move from Graphic to UI/UX? Or Interior to Product? Get practical frameworks and real stories on how to switch design paths without starting over.
Dress, Stress & Impress
Most portfolios fail in 30 seconds. Discover the quick fixes and storytelling hacks that instantly make yours stand out to recruiters
Raise the Pay
Nail salary negotiations with confidence. Learn the unspoken cues and presence building tricks that make recruiters say yes
Q&A with Mentors
No slides, no fluff. Bring your doubts on interviews, portfolios, and career moves get straight, practical answers from those who’ve hired hundreds
BYOD Mixer (Bring Your Own Design)
A fast-paced networking session to swap stories, share goals, and meet collaborators. Your next opportunity could be right beside you
The Surprise Session
A bonus topic that we won’t reveal just yet but trust us, it’s designed to excite you even more.
Proof That FWD Works: Real Growth, Real Results
1. Better Packages
Many participants negotiated higher salaries after attending.
They understood their true worth and finally got the better packages they deserved.
72% of attendees reported an increase in pay
2. Cracked Interviews
Armed with our Interview Etiquette Cheat Codes, participants walked into interviews with confidence.For many, it was the difference between repeated rejections and finally landing the job.
68% cracked interviews that they had been struggling with before the meetup.
3. Portfolio Clarity
Designers discovered how to tell their story better and present with confidence. What was once confusing or scattered became a clear, powerful narrative.
80% said they gained sharper insights into portfolio presentation.
Why This Meetup Matters
This curated meetup isn’t just about learning a few career tricks, it’s about shaping you as a focused and confident designer. Every session is designed to give you direction in areas that truly matter: knowing your worth, communicating with impact, and making the right career moves at the right time.
For young designers, the biggest struggle is often not talent but clarity. FWD: Nine to Five gives you that clarity helping you understand where to put your energy, how to make better choices, and how to carry yourself with the confidence that employers, clients, and peers notice instantly.
Think of it as an investment not only in your career, but in the version of yourself you want to grow into
Meet The Mentors
Learn from the people who hire & mentor designers every day
Parth Parikh
Parth has spent the last 12+ years mentoring designers. He’s led design research projects, taught at premier design institutes, and personally helped hundreds of students evolve their portfolios into powerful narratives. A postgraduate from Domus Academy Milan, Parth founded Design Clinic India, an award winning studio in the heart of Delhi, where he works closely with students and young professionals to turn dreams into realities. His feedback is honest but encouraging, and always focused on you becoming a better designer, not just a better presenter.
Prashant Gupta
Prashant is the co-founder of HireDesigners and founder of Beryl Agency. A branding and graphics graduate from MICA, he later pursued executive education at IIM Kozhikode. With 15+ years in the design and branding industry, he has built Beryl into a leading creative agency and HireDesigners into India’s largest full-time design talent platform. As a business coach, Prashant has helped thousands of designers and entrepreneurs elevate their craft and scale their businesses.
Akshat Raghava
15+ years of global design experience. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has worked with premium architecture and lighting studios across the U.S. and India. He now leads design hiring for brands shaping how India lives, builds, and looks. Akshat’s expertise spans across industrial design, lighting design, and creative direction, making him a sought after mentor for aspiring designers.
Parth Parikh
Parth has spent the last 12+ years mentoring designers. He’s led design research projects, taught at premier design institutes, and personally helped hundreds of students evolve their portfolios into powerful narratives. A postgraduate from Domus Academy Milan, Parth founded Design Clinic India, an award winning studio in the heart of Delhi, where he works closely with students and young professionals to turn dreams into realities. His feedback is honest but encouraging, and always focused on you becoming a better designer, not just a better presenter.
Akshat Raghava
15+ years of global design experience. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has worked with premium architecture and lighting studios across the U.S. and India. He now leads design hiring for brands shaping how India lives, builds, and looks. Akshat’s expertise spans across industrial design, lighting design, and creative direction, making him a sought after mentor for aspiring designers.
Prashant Gupta
Prashant is the co-founder of HireDesigners and founder of Beryl Agency. A branding and graphics graduate from MICA, he later pursued executive education at IIM Kozhikode. With 15+ years in the design and branding industry, he has built Beryl into a leading creative agency and HireDesigners into India’s largest full-time design talent platform. As a business coach, Prashant has helped thousands of designers and entrepreneurs elevate their craft and scale their businesses.
Upcoming FWD: Nine to Five
Past Editions FWD: Nine to Five
But the journey doesn’t stop here
We also host FWD: Twenty Four × Seven, a specially designed session for freelancers, agency owners, and studio leaders who want to grow beyond client work and build lasting businesses.
You can register for both sessions and unlock a 360° approach to your design career
Your skills got you here.
Your strategy will take you further
