Even with a mentor it can be tough. Mentors don’t work alongside you day-to-day.
In any field, there's a difference between someone who is trained and someone who is a professional. A trained person essentially has the necessary skills to do the job. A professional has done the job long enough that those skills are second-nature, and for them the real work is putting those skills to work in a cohesive, efficient, and masterful way.
Working as The Lonely Designer affords you a ton of freedom. You’ll be the one to identify design needs, spot the gaps in your own process, and manage yourself to get everything done. For someone early in their career, that can be too much freedom. You may quickly find yourself wishing for some direction, and a good teammate to fall back on.
Even with a mentor it can be tough. Mentors don’t work alongside you day-to-day.
In any field, there's a difference between someone who is trained and someone who is a professional. A trained person essentially has the necessary skills to do the job. A professional has done the job long enough that those skills are second-nature, and for them the real work is putting those skills to work in a cohesive, efficient, and masterful way.
Working as The Lonely Designer affords you a ton of freedom. You’ll be the one to identify design needs, spot the gaps in your own process, and manage yourself to get everything done. For someone early in their career, that can be too much freedom. You may quickly find yourself wishing for some direction, and a good teammate to fall back on.