I am a Japanese and live in Japan having worked in the graphic design industry.
In here, most of the workers in this industry work for over 14~16 hours everyday (and sometimes all night) and, in most cases, employees don’t get paid for the extra hours.
It’s common knowledge in Japan that a designer usually has to work longer, harder and a salary is lower than other jobs and thus some workers change their jobs as they can’t find hope in their future so to speak.
Of course there’re some exceptions, like getting a high salary or don’t have to work for that long etc.., but it’s quite few.

And I wonder if design firms in other countries (like in the U.S.) also work this hard or…?

Any opinions or information would be appreciated.

Using a business card template
One common mistake people make when they produce their business card is to use a business card template when making the design. Business card templates, are of course easy to use and lets you create business cards quickly. This is all, well and good, but the mark of the true professional is to have their own custom business card design. It conveys the right message of attention to detail and professionalism. Using business card templates are a mark of an amateur. So don’t use templates so that you won’t look like one. Besides, business card templates are boring anyway.

Using the wrong kind of font and font size
People can get carried away a bit with their fonts. They think the more intricate the text design, the more beautiful a business card is. Wake up, this is wrong. This is not a school art project. The font for a business card should be clearly readable and at the right size. A common business card mistake is to use a too intricate script or handwriting font. They may look nice, but people want to know your name not your signature. Also, some people use fonts that are too small. Of course small fonts are no problems for the younger professionals out there. However, I have seen many a “veteran” businessman squinting at a new colleague’s call card. Make your business card friendly and have the font size at a standard value where all people from different age groups can read your name unaided.

Mismanagement of color choices
Colors are nice, but they should be used with taste. The worst possible business card mistakes are with color business cards with bad or wild color combinations. That lime green business card with violent pink lettering won’t be too welcome unless the circumstances are special. Always match your colors so that they are complimentary. Do not be “too loud” and pick garish bright colors that basically slice at the eye. I have seen a lot of color business cards fail because the color they picked seemed o informal for an investor’s taste.

Incorrect or “corrected” custom business cards
Have you ever finished your business card printing only to discover a major flaw that has been duplicated in all the copies? The worst mistake you can do here is to manually slash the offending mistake and write the correct information by hand. Do not do this. This is mark of being unprofessional. A true businessman would always proof read his/her custom business card before giving the go ahead for printing.

Printing your business card at home
Well, sometimes you really can’t blame anyone from cutting corners and saving money on business card printing. However, printing your business cards at home is a major “no no.” Those “homemade” business cards are always easy to tell by their amateurish look. Looking like a novice is hardly the image you should foster. “Newbies” may get a chance since they are a new and fresh business contact, but some people might look at an amateur business card as a sign of weakness and exploit it. So if you can, please avoid making your business card at home unless you have the skills to do so.

Great! Those are the common mistakes people make when making their business cards. Always try to avoid these when you create your own custom business card. Ask you business card printing company for more help when you start the custom business card printing process.

Sell A Product That People Will Actually Buy.