This is not a rich field, so there are very few "jobs" in the conventional sense of the word. This is why so many type designers are their own foundries! But whether you're trying to succeed solo or by being an employee, first you need to have at least a couple of really promising designs out there, either to sell or to impress.

So make something, maybe post it here for a critique, and see where you get.
Just know that it's both creatively and technically a high challenge.

hhp

how one could enter this craft seriously
Right now, FontShop International (Berlin) < href="http://www.fontblog.de/praktikumsstelle-bei-fsi-fontshop-international">is looking for an intern.

> I was wondering how one could enter this craft seriously

With a LOT of work! A higher degree will help as well; just look at Reading's track record:
http://wiki.typefacedesign.org/matd/show/graduate+destinations

BTW, not long ago H&FJ was looking for a font developer:
http://blogs.adobe.com/typblography/2007/03/hfj_font_produc.html

> and which are the functions one could have in a type foundry developing or designing fonts

Both. You're expected to be good in both designing a typeface and developing it into a full set of commercial fonts. That's the minimum at Adobe.

On the other hand some font houses have what are affectionately called "bezier monkeys" :-) who don't/can't come up with strong original designs but are highly valued for their "finishing" skills, which some "official" type designers actually lack enough of. Eric Gill for example never did any of his spacing - that was left to the "boys" at Monotype. Now, this sort of thing isn't glamorous, but if you happen to enjoy it, and the money it brings, then hey. Also, it can lead to becoming an "official" type designer, like it did with Ole Schäfer at FontFont. A number of people [formerly] at FontBureau also seem to have started off that way.

> not long ago H&FJ was looking for a font developer:

How strange that they didn't announce it on Typophile.

hhp

What sort of work would you like to do?

Hrant - I believe H&FJ did announce the job here.

Sorry, I must have missed it (no surprise these days). Link?

hhp

Have things really changed that much from pre-digital days?
If you want a type-specific education, there is not much choice, and the same holds true if you want a job.
The big difference is that it is now feasible to start your own foundry.

The good news is that some small foundries, although they may not have job openings, will take on interns. I presently have one -- it's a requirement of his design degree course that he works six weeks as an intern in a design firm.

Nick how does the intern work for you? Specifically, what tasks do you delegate, has that worked well, is it something of a break even, does the intern seem satisfied?

I do think that full-time, "professional" employment is probably hard to come by. You might have better luck setting your sights on freelance or contract employment. When I was getting into type (in the early '90s), there were a lot of small freelance jobs around. If you can make some friends and find those jobs, it's not a bad way to go.

These days Reading seems to be the most straightforward path, but if you have the time and energy, you can work your way up. Get the software and make your own typeface; that will get you some skills to use the tools efficiently. Then you might find a job to design something customized or ephemeral. Or perhaps someone needs help with kerning. Most of all, you need to develop a tolerance for horrifyingly long, monotonous projects -- which is a big part of real type work. If you cannot deal with that, I think your success will be limited.

Try to work with and understand all the technical aspects of font production (OpenType layout and tables, hinting, Python scripting, etc.). It's important to carefully read a lot of type books, and, of course, look at a lot of type.

If you can get some small projects under your belt, you might find one day that you are qualified to help a "real" foundry with some contract assistance, which will give you more experience with how a font company needs to have their font data prepared. (It's often a level higher in precision and quality.)

In the end, like others here have said, foundries (like most employers) want a person with an ability to perform skillfully, intelligently and reliably. Such qualities usually come with experience and simply logging a lot of hours doing the same thing over and over again. All of this takes time, patience and commitment -- but there are lots of ways to get there.

One more thing worth mentioning: Once you have the skills, you will need to convince people of that without the benefit of a university's stamp of approval. The value of networking and schmoozing should not be underestimated.

I agree that having original design vision is optional. It's a goal that drives many people into the field, but like lots of other creative fields (e.g. music, theater) there are always lots of opportunities for skilled craftspeople who are not destined for stardom.

Hi Rui,

We're sorting out some staffing needs right now, so if you're interested you might want to send a resume to Carleen Borsella at jobs2007@typography.com. Thanks!

Jonathan Hoefler
H&FJ

Nick how does the intern work for you?

Great. He knows a bit of Russian, so I've had him doing a Cyrillic version of Handsome.
He also knows Flash, and has been contributing to my site redesign.
He's having a good time.

Thank you all, you have been a great help.

Thanks for the tip Jonathan Hoefler, I think I'll do that.