Showing posts with label career in design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label career in design. Show all posts
Monday, 29 November 2010

Illustrator Career Advice

Posted by Online Jobs at 10:46

Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 
 
If you are wondering how to become an illustrator, below are tips and advice on training for and beginning careers in this area of the design industry, as well as job prospects in the UK.
The Job Description
Illustrators produce drawings, paintings or diagrams that help make a product more attractive or easier to understand. They work on a wide range of products, including books, book jackets, greetings cards, adverts and packaging and detailed technical diagrams for manufacturers.
Typical responsibilities:
discussing requirements (the ‘brief’) with authors, editors or designers
negotiating prices and timescales
deciding on appropriate styles for the illustrations
creating illustrations using hand drawing and painting and computer design packages
consulting with the client and modifying designs if necessary
making sure the work is completed within set budgets and deadlines.
Illustrators may specialise in one type of illustration, such as children’s books or medical illustration – see Medical Illustrator profile. As they are usually freelance, illustrators also need to market their work and complete the administrative tasks associated with running a business.
Person Specification
The key personal attributes of good illustrator include:
excellent drawing skills and an appreciation of detail
the ability to work to a brief and think around a problem
creativity and imagination
knowledge of CAD (computer aided design) and computer graphics
the ability to manage your time well and meet deadlines
good communication skills for making presentations and 'selling' ideas.
How to become an illustrator
If you have artistic talent, determination and relevant experience you may be able to develop a career in illustration without a formal qualification. However, most professional illustrators have a degree in illustration or another art-related subject.
Entry requirements for degree courses often include a recognised art and design foundation course. You may also be considered with other relevant qualifications and could be accepted on the strength of your portfolio. Check with individual universities and colleges for their entry requirements.
To search for colleges and universities offering art and design foundation courses and degrees see Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
Marketing your work
You will need an up-to-date portfolio of your work to show to prospective clients. You might be able to find a portfolio-building course at a local college if you need help in assembling your work.
You can also market your work by contacting relevant companies directly. You can find advice about getting started as a freelance illustrator, lists of publishers and other useful information in The Writers' and Artists' Yearbook, published each year by A & C Black. You should be able to find it in your local reference library as well as in bookshops. See the Artists Information Company website for a range of resources to help artists market their work.
Using an agent
If you work as a freelance illustrator you will usually sell your work through an artists' agent to sell your work, who may take a commission of up to 40%. You can find lists of agents, publishers and specialist organisations such as those for children's books on the Association of Illustrators (AOI) website (in Further Information). If you join the AOI you can have your contact details and samples of your work displayed on the website.
Training and Development
You can develop your skills as an illustrator by doing postgraduate degrees and diplomas in fine art and illustration. You will usually need a first degree to get on to one of these. Courses are available part-time, and you might be able to specialise in a particular area such as children's book illustration.
As a member of professional organisations such as the Association of Illustrators (AOI) and the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators you can take part in their training events and seminars.
You can develop and update your skills in using computer packages such as Illustrator, QuarkXpress and Adobe Photoshop by attending part-time courses available at many colleges.
The Pay (a rough guide)
As illustrators are usually freelance, there are no set salary figures.
Professional organisations such as the Association of Illustrators will advise on rates of pay, and the Artists Information Company website has resources to help artists price their work.
Job Prospects
As an illustrator you will usually work freelance and may use an agent or sell your work directly to clients. It can be difficult to become established and known to commissioning clients and agents. As a result, you may need to supplement your income with other part-time work whilst building up contacts.
You could work for a design agency, publishing company or magazine, although you may also need graphic design skills to do this. Very few illustrators work for commercial clients directly.


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Web Site Designer Career Advice

Posted by Online Jobs at 10:44

Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 
 

 
If you are wondering how to become a web designer, below are tips and advice on training for and beginning careers in this area of the design industry, as well as job prospects in the UK.
The Job Description
Web designers use a combination of programming and design skills to build or revamp websites. A good web designer needs both creative and technical skills. They must be able to picture how a site will look (at the 'front end'), and also understand how it will work (at the 'back end').
As a web designer, you would work on a wide range of projects which could include anything from an interactive educational resource to an online shopping site.
Typical responsibilities:
meeting the client to discuss what they want their site to do and who it is aimed at
preparing a design plan, showing the site structure and how the different parts link together
deciding which text, colours and backgrounds to use
laying out pages, postioning buttons, links and pictures, using design software
adding multimedia features like sound, animation and video
testing and refining the design and site features until everything works as planned
uploading the site to a server for publication online.
Depending on the project, you may be contracted to maintain your client's website once it is up and running.
Person Specification
The key personal attributes of good website designers include:
an understanding of internet programming and scripting languages
a good working knowledge of the main web design software
strong creative skills
good problem-solving skills, together with a logical approach to work
the ability to explain technical matters clearly to people who may have little knowledge of IT
an ability to work to deadlines
an understanding of legislation and guidelines for website accessibility
a willingness to keep up to date with changes in technology and software
a working knowledge of equipment such as scanners, and digital photo, video and audio equipment.
You will need good business management and negotiating skills if self-employed.
How to become a website designer
You do not need any formal qualifications to become a web designer, but most designers have experience in other design fields or have taken training in web design software, either through college or by self-teaching.
Employers will want to see evidence of your ability, so you will need a portfolio of work to demonstrate your creative and technical skills, usually in the form of a CD, DVD or 'live' websites. This could include college, paid or voluntary work.
If you have little or no experience in web design, you could take a college course, which would give you a good grounding in design and technical basics. Courses include:
BTEC Interactive use of Media levels 1 to 3
OCR Certificate for IT Users – Level 2 (CLAiT Plus) and Level 3 (CLAiT Advanced)
OCR iMedia Users levels 1 to 3
City & Guilds E-Quals IT Users awards (7266) – Level 2 (Diploma) and Level 3 (Advanced Diploma).
You could also take more advanced courses, for example foundation degree, BTEC HNC/HND or a degree in a design or multimedia subject. Relevant subjects include:
web design and development
multimedia design
digital media development
interactive computing.
These courses are very widely available. To search for colleges and universities offering foundation degrees, HNC/HNDs and degrees visit the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
E-skills UK and the British Computer Society have information on their websites about careers in web design. You can also find details about web accessibility standards through the World Wide Web Consortium website.
Training and Development
In this type of work, it is very important to keep your skills and knowledge up to date, as technology moves on very quickly. You will find it useful to have a good working knowledge of at least two of the following design packages:
Dreamweaver
Photoshop
Flash and Fireworks
GoLive
FrontPage (for PCs).
You may also need experience of both Apple Mac computers and PCs. You can do courses at local colleges covering these packages and you can find many online training sites, which are often free to use.
If you want more flexibility and control over your designs, some understanding of coding, scripting and programming is helpful. This includes:
HTML, DHTML and XML
JavaScript
Active Server Pages (ASP)
PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor also known as Personal Home Page).
You could also learn how to use cascading style sheets (CSS), which would allow you to control formatting and styles across multiple web pages.
Although not essential, you could take an industry certification scheme such as the Certified Internet Web professional (CIW) Master Designer course. See the CIW site for more details.
The UK Web Design Association is a free membership organisation for web professionals. Its website contains numerous links to online training resources, web-related issues and job searches. Non-members can also access these links.
The Pay (a rough guide)
Salaries for new web designers are between £15,000 and £20,000 a year.
Experienced designers can earn up to £30,000.
Senior designers and those with specialist skills, for example Flash programming, may earn up to £40,000.
Self-employed web designers negotiate their own rates.
Job Prospects
You can find work with web design companies, in the IT departments of large public and private organisations, or as a freelance designer. There is a lot of competition for contracts but prospects for skilled web designers are very good.

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Graphic Designer Career Advice

Posted by Online Jobs at 10:42

Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 
 

 
If you are wondering how to become a graphic designer, below are tips and advice on training for and beginning careers in this area of the design industry, as well as job prospects in the UK.
The Job Description
Graphic designers use images and lettering to get information across and make an impact. This could be for all kinds of purposes, including advertising, book covers and magazines, television graphics and websites.
Typical responsibilities:
discussing the project requirements (the ‘brief’) with clients, senior designers or account executives
providing cost quotations
choosing the most suitable materials and style
producing rough sketches or computer visuals to show to the client
using specialist computer design software to prepare designs
keeping to budgets and deadlines
producing a final layout with detailed specifications for typefaces, letter size and colours.
You may also produce 3D (three dimensional) designs for packaging, exhibitions and displays.
Person Specification
The key personal attributes of good graphic designers include:
creativity and imagination
skill in using computer design packages
drawing ability
knowledge of printing techniques and photography
the ability to manage your time, meet deadlines and work within a budget
excellent communication skills
good spelling and grammar
normal colour vision and good spatial awareness.
How to become a graphic designer
There are no set qualifications for becoming a graphic designer. You would usually be employed on the strength of your skills rather than your qualifications. However, most professional graphic designers have a BTEC HND, foundation degree or degree in graphic design or another art or design based subject.
To search for colleges and universities offering HNDs, foundation degrees and degrees, visit the website of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Please check with the individual colleges and universities for their entry requirements.
As talent and contacts are the key to getting work, you may be able to develop a career in graphic design without a qualification. You will need to keep an up-to-date professional portfolio of your work, and have a working knowledge of computer packages such as:
Quark Xpress
FreeHand
Illustrator
Photoshop
3D Studio
Flash.
You can do courses in these at local colleges and with private course providers.
Unpaid work experience will give you the chance to develop your portfolio, make contacts and impress potential employers. Visit the British Design Innovation website to search for work placements, contacts and job vacancies. You could also create a website to show your work.
Training and Development
You would need to keep your skills up to date throughout your career as a graphic designer. You may be able to attend short courses, for example in computer packages such as Quark Xpress, FreeHand, Illustrator, Photoshop, 3D Studio, and Flash, but you will also learn new skills on the job to meet the needs of particular projects.
The Chartered Society of Designers and D&AD run courses and workshops for members which you may find useful for professional development. For example, D&AD runs Workout, a range of one-day development courses. Joining professional bodies will also give you the opportunity to make contacts in the industry.
The Pay (a rough guide)
Newly qualified designers earn from around £12,000 to £15,000 a year.
Experienced graphic designers can earn between around £19,000 and £25,000.
Senior graphic designers with extensive experience can earn up to £50,000 or more.
Job Prospects
Most graphic designers work for agencies that specialise in advertising or corporate communications, or for in-house design teams in large organisations like retailers, local authorities or banks. Other employers include multimedia companies, charities and educational establishments. Many graphic designers become self-employed, working alone or in partnership.



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Career : Costume Designer Career Advice

Posted by Online Jobs at 10:40

Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 
 
If you are wondering how to become a costume designer, below are tips and advice on training for and beginning careers in this area of the design industry, as well as job prospects in the UK.
The Job Description
Costume designers are responsible for the overall look of the clothes and costumes in theatre, film or television productions. They research and design costumes, and lead a team that may include a design assistant, wardrobe supervisor, wardrobe assistants and costume and wig makers.
As a designer on a large production, you would create the costume ideas and delegate the practical work to others in the costume department.
Typical responsibilities:
study scripts
discuss ideas with the production designer, director, and make-up, set and lighting designers
create costume ideas to fit the production’s design concept and budget
research suitable costume styles, fabrics and designs
sketch costume designs
work closely with a team of costume makers, who would turn your sketches into wearable garments.
On smaller productions, you might also carry out some of the practical tasks, such as:
managing the costume/wardrobe budget
buying or hiring outfits
fitting, altering and adapting costumes
cleaning, ironing and mending
making sure that wardrobe items are available at the right time
managing continuity of costumes.
Person Specification
The key personal attributes of good costume designers include:
creativity, imagination and problem-solving ability
excellent design skills
good communication and 'people skills'
leadership ability
organisational skills and awareness of budgets
a good eye for detail
the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
good research skills, with a knowledge of costume history and modern fashion
a flexible and adaptable attitude
knowledge of the production process, including technical aspects such as lighting and sound.
How to become a costume designer
To train as a costume designer you will need a high level of design skill and creative vision, as well as practical sewing skills. In practice, many costume designers have a BTEC HND, degree or postgraduate qualification in costume design, fashion, theatre design or performing arts (production). Check with colleges or universities for exact entry requirements.
Alternatively, you could start as a wardrobe assistant or costume maker and work your way up to designer as you build experience and contacts in the industry.
Whatever your qualifications, you should find practical work experience and build a good portfolio or 'showreel' of your design work to show to potential employers. You can get relevant experience through:
student theatre and film productions
amateur theatre
working as a costume ‘daily’ (a temporary helper) on TV or film sets
casual wardrobe work in theatres
working for a theatrical costume hire company.
You may be able to start in the film and TV industry through a training scheme for new entrants, such as Film and Television Freelance Training (FT2) Design First, an apprenticeship-style programme for trainees in the wardrobe, art, props and make-up/hair departments.
Places on the scheme are limited and the selection process is tough. To apply, you should be aged 18 or over and be prepared to live in London during training. See FT2’s website for more details.
Major broadcasters and regional screen agencies sometimes run their own new entrant training schemes – contact Skillset Careers for more information.
Training and Development
Most of your training would be on the job, starting as a design assistant or wardrobe assistant and learning from experienced designers.
You should continue to build your portfolio/showreel and develop your skills and contacts throughout your career. You may find it useful to join organisations like the Society of British Theatre Designers and the Costume Society, for professional recognition, networking and training opportunities.
You could also take short courses in skills such as computer aided design (CAD) or pattern cutting.
The Pay (a rough guide)
Freelance rates can vary widely. You could negotiate fees based on the type of production and your experience and track record, or you may be paid according to Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) or Equity guidelines.
Earnings in film and television can be higher than in theatre.
Job Prospects
You would be most likely to work on freelance contracts for film and television production companies, theatres and touring theatre companies. You could also be employed by design consultancies that specialise in theatre design.


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Monday, 22 November 2010

Effective Graphic Design Resumes - How to Write a CV and Increase Your Chances of Graphic Design Employment

Posted by Online Jobs at 16:01

 Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 

 

Introduction

When writing graphic design resumes over the years, I've read a number of "How to Write a CV" books, and one thing above all has struck me in the introductory pages. More often than not, the author begins by explaining what a minefield it can be to write your own CV, and goes on to say how much of a shame it is that there are so many so-called experts out there giving bad advice about writing CVs. Then they produce their own book full of their own opinions on the subject.
I'm not going to begin by rubbishing other authors. I am grateful for the proliferation of differing opinions on the subject. It's enabled me to come to balanced conclusions about how to write an effective CV. My opinions are based on what I've read about CV creation, graphic design resumes I have written and graphic design CVs that have been sent to me as a potential employer.
Instead of my asking you to trawl through many diverse methods of graphic design resume writing, it's my intention to give you an idea of what I believe to be a good format. It's highly flexible and can be customised to suit the position you want to win.

Graphic Design Resumes
Take a Step Back

The Latin "Curriculum Vitae" means: "The way your life has run". The French "Resume" means "Summary". Start with this in mind. The CV is a summary of YOUR working life, no one else's. Consider carefully what you'll include in a CV and how it'll look. Most people know roughly what a CV should contain, and that's enough for them. They throw everything they think might be vaguely relevant into it, often using other people's CVs (not just graphic design resumes) as a guide to graphic design resume writing. Your CV is your first impression. Make it a good one. The person charged with the task of selecting a short list of possible candidates has probably seen every line in the book. "I work well individually and as part of a team" is a very popular line. It has become almost as predictably present on the average CV as the dark lines left by a poor quality photocopy on cheap paper.
If you're responding to a recruitment ad, read it very carefully. Has it been thrown together in a hurry, or is it professionally designed? You can learn a lot about the advertiser by studying their adverts. Make sure you make careful note of exactly how to respond. Some specifically say "no resumes" and instead require an application form to be filled out. Others want your covering letter to be hand written. This will be time well spent, as it's often the case that a candidate is so pleased to find a recruitment advert that suits them that they forget to read the details and rush off a hastily prepared letter and CV, no matter what's required of them.
Find out as much about the company you are applying to as possible. Is this job really for you? The purpose of your CV is primarily to highlight your potential value to the company. It could also be used to provide material for an interview. If you are not confident that the job is right for you, it'll be picked up very quickly.
Consider what experience you have that will help you do the job well. I have found that a good and fast way to find out about a company is to visit their web site (if it exists). There's often a wealth of information available, and possibly details about the person you're writing to. It's always helpful to be in possession of more information than you might need, particularly at the interview stage.
When writing, try to think of what the reader's reaction will be. Try to sell them what you think they want to buy. This doesn't mean to say that you should be untruthful; it means that you should tailor your CV to your audience. Make the most of the information relevant to them, but don't over-egg the pudding. If you give yourself more credit than you deserve, it'll bite back if you get an interview when you are asked you to elaborate.

Graphic Design Resumes
Structure and Presentation

The layout of your CV should be concise, informative, easy-to-read and printed on good quality paper. If the reader has a pile of graphic design resumes to read, they don't want to spend more time than necessary plodding through your reams of beautifully written prose. Use short sentences and don't go off at a tangent. Left justify your type, and whichever font you use, decide on a style and stick with it throughout. There's nothing more off-putting than a document filled with different fonts, text sizes, colours and alignments. And if the job you want is as a graphic designer, there's more pressure to make your presentation appealing.
Avoid gimmicks like brightly coloured paper, or a CV folded into the shape of an aeroplane. They may provide a few moments of light relief for the reader, but it is generally accepted that it's the content that gets you the job, not your ability to be different. Recruitment is a serious business and should be treated as such. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, and the employer might specifically request an "off the wall" resume if it's relevant to a creative job. However, I can't remember the last time I saw such a request!
As a graphic design employer, I want to be confident that any prospective graphic designer knows what looks good on a page. I also want to know that they have a good feeling for presentation. I've seen it all - illegible graphic design resumes accompanied by hastily written scraps of notepaper covered in coffee, CDs full of Quicktime movies of off-the-wall college projects, traced pictures of Goofy (yes, Goofy)... none of these work for me.
Personally, I want to see clean, correctly spelled, easy-to-read graphic design resumes, and if there are any good quality, appropriate pieces of artwork from a portfolio, they can be a clincher. As for a covering letter, please avoid letting on that your intention is to learn as much as possible from your new employer before leaving and setting up your own studio in direct competition! It happens time and time again, and it's a bit of a turn-off!

Graphic Design Resumes
Content for Your Graphic Design CV

There are two basic resume layouts I'll mention here - it's up to you to make them your own. In my opinion the traditional "Tombstone" format of CV is out of date and should be avoided - the references to religion and national insurance numbers suggest that it might be more suitable for someone who wants to apply for a job sometime in the 1960s! Its order of contents goes something like this:
  • Name
  • Occupation
  • Address
  • Telephone Number
  • Date of Birth
  • Place of Birth
  • Nationality
  • Marital Status
  • Next of Kin
  • Health
  • Driving License
  • Religion
  • National Insurance Number
  • Secondary Education
  • Higher Education
  • Professional Qualifications
  • Employment History (chronological)
  • Other (interests, achievements)
This format follows a more concise structure, and is what we'll focus on:
  • Name
  • Address
  • Telephone
  • Date of Birth
  • Career profile
  • Career and achievements to date
  • Professional qualifications and training
  • Tertiary education
  • Secondary education
  • Personal information
The main difference between the two approaches is that in the second example, relevant work experience is brought to the fore. The reader will be presented with the information of interest straight off the bat. Education is, of course, very important, but actual work experience is always given more weight. If your employment history is left to the end, the reader has to crunch through everything else before they find the information that is instrumental in getting you to the next stage.

Graphic Design Resumes
Make a Start

Name, Address, Telephone, (e-mail address)
To begin with, your name and contact details should be laid out in a balanced block, either ranged left or centred. Avoid putting this information in more than one column unless you're confident that you can make it appear ordered and easy to read - and if it's a graphic design job you're after, this should pose no problem!

Graphic Design Resumes
Career Profile

Spend some time preparing a brief career summary using 20 to 30 words. This should encapsulate your key skills, your attitude to work, your career aspirations and the experience you have gained thus far - a mission statement.
Use short sentences. Be brief, concise and avoid clichés. Although this synopsis will be short, you should spend some time getting it just right. It'll also help with the rest of the resume's content. All the information in your CV should reinforce and complement your career summary. Avoid the use of the first person. Use the past tense, not the present.

Graphic Design Resumes
Career and Achievements to Date

Your jobs should be listed (with dates of employment) in reverse chronological order. This ensures the reader is presented with the most relevant information first. Use short sentences and avoid the use of the first person. If possible, show your career path advancing towards a peak. For example, if you are applying for a graphic design position the reader would be impressed to see previous jobs showing your advance from Junior Designer to Project Manager to Creative Director. This shows that you're committed to your profession - you're progressing towards a clear goal.
If your career path shows that you have taken career breaks' and jumped from one type of job to another, it could paint an unreliable picture. Always accentuate the positive in any situation. If you've taken a career break, highlight what you have learned and show that you're ready to return to work. Only mention salary if asked and don't mention reasons for leaving your job; leave those details for later.
Only include McDonalds-type-jobs if they are all the experience you've had. If they are, you'll have some convincing to do with your portfolio. Build it up with case-study projects (they don't have to be real) that are marketable, like stationery and advert designs. Don't fill your portfolio with vast amounts of contemporary, free-form college work - it doesn't sell!
Focus on your achievements more than responsibilities. What have your successes been? How did you succeed, and in what way did they benefit your employer? If you have had little or no job experience of relevance to the position for which you are applying, emphasise the experience you've gained from any relevant education you've received.

Graphic Design Resumes
Education and Graphic Design Training

Professional training such as graphic design degrees or qualifications should be listed at the top of this section, because it's likely to be more relevant to the reader. Include dates and brief details of what was covered in the courses you took. Next, list any higher education you received followed by secondary education, including the names of the school, college or university. Include no more than two secondary schools, and don't go into endless detail about your exam results - just list them in a well-formatted way, showing the most relevant passes first.

Graphic Design Resumes
Personal information

In this brief section, create the impression of diversity. Balance your indoor interests with outdoor activities, and if they relate in some way to your work, so much the better. Don't over exaggerate! If you have a full driving license, mention it if you think it'll be relevant.

Graphic Design Resumes
Important Points

Don't mention your health unless necessary; the employer will assume you are in good shape! As for referees, add them if you feel they will be able to give relevant, positive information to any prospective boss. The more relevant the better.
Don't mention your current salary on your CV unless specifically asked. At this stage you're in a very weak bargaining position - the time to discuss salary is after you have been through the interview and you're offered a job, when your position is stronger. After making an offer your new employers will know that they will have to go through the entire selection process from scratch if they don't hold on to you!
It may sound obvious, but check your spelling and grammar! Bad spelling usually indicates one of the following: the author can't spell, is too lazy to spell correctly, is inattentive to detail or simply doesn't care. Any one of these spells "rejection". I work in a business that demands good grammar and spelling from its graphic designers. Our job involves not only graphic design skills, but also a working knowledge of proofreading and copy editing. Nevertheless, I estimate that only one in ten graphic design resumes sent to my studio is free of spelling and grammatical errors. Even when the graphic designer's resume is fine, if the covering letter contains even the slightest mistake it ruins the effect! It's a waste of time to send a poorly prepared CV and covering letter.

So you got yourself an interview! How best to get through it?

Now you've written the perfect graphic design CV and got an interview for a graphic design job, what's the best way to convince the prospective boss to hire you? See the article about graphic design interviews. ( jobs employment )

 

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Find Career Information on Graphic Design Employment.com

Posted by Online Jobs at 15:57

  Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 



On our website you'll find career information on graphic design employment. There are tutorials covering the basics of graphic design which demonstrate the essential skills required before landing your first graphic design job.
Already up to speed? Great! Below you'll find some great graphic design job websites with live listings from all sorts of sources. There are corporate graphic design jobs, freelance opportunities as well as jobs in graphic design firms.
Finding the right kind of graphic design employment can be an exciting time. Whether or not there are a large selection of jobs to consider, it's a good idea to find out as much as possible about any prospective employer. The more you know about the company, it's main area of expertise and the kind of clients they target, the better you can prepare for a possible interview - and prior to that you can tailor your resume and portfolio accordingly.
And you obviously want to make sure it's the kind of company you want to work for! Naturally most of what you need can be gleaned from the internet. If the studio has an online portfolio it'll give you a good idea about whether or not your style and skills will be suited to the position.

 

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Become a Graphic Designer - Design Careers & Design Education Advice from Professional Designer. 2

Posted by Online Jobs at 14:58

  Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 



By Elle Phillips, Elle Phillips Design
1. Why do you want to be a Graphic Designer?

The answer to this question is very important and can have direct impact on if you can make it in this highly competitive field.
If you wish to be a designer simply because you have a friend who makes a lot of money and you want to make lots of money too, then you should probably reconsider your options. The success of most designers comes with time, effort, skill and knowledge. Granted, there are some designers out there who are born with phenomenal skill and require little effort to do what they do best, but the majority of us work hard to keep up with the latest trends, maintain excellent customer service to our clients and continually stay educated on the latest hardware and software. There is a certain amount of skill required to becoming successful as a designer, and it’s no easy task. If you’re in it simply for the money, be prepared to make very little your first few years out of the gate, or nothing at all if you’re just no good at design.
If you want to be a designer because you feel you have some artistic abilities or your friends often compliment you on that great birthday invitation you put together for your sister, then you might have something going for you. It is definitely not a requirement that you posses the ability to draw, but it certainly helps. In my personal opinion, most artists (visual, musical or otherwise) have a natural eye for color, shape and composition. Call it “right-brained” if you will, but it’s commonly the case that naturally artistic people are drawn to more artistic fields – and graphic design is one of them.
2. Do you feel you have what it takes to be a successful Graphic Designer?

Just touching on the point I made above, some sort of artistic eye or creative flair is often helpful to becoming a designer, but there are many more traits required.
Are you willing to learn? Technical knowledge of the programs used to create today’s layouts is a MUST, so you need to ask yourself if you’re tech-savvy enough (or willing enough) to learn how to turn what’s in your head into tangible, print-ready collateral. It’s not a matter of learning one or two programs… to be truly successful, you will need to know a very wide variety of layout, illustration and photo manipulation programs, as well as web authoring programs and coding languages if you wish to pursue website design.

 

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Become a Graphic Designer - Design Careers & Design Education Advice from Professional Designer

Posted by Online Jobs at 14:56

 Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 


So, You Want to be a Graphic Designer… Now What?
By Elle Phillips, Elle Phillips Design
Please welcome our guest writer, Elle Phillips, back to All Graphic Design. Today she wrote an article that is full of wonderful advice to individuals who are looking to become a Graphic Designer. She was inspired to write this wonderful article by a young man who emailed her about his dream of becoming a Designer. Elle realized that she could write an informative article to help many other people who also wish to become a Graphic Designer. We are lucky enough that she decided to reach a larger audience, by publishing her article on All Graphic Design. Elle received a lot of traffic to her site by publishing her previous article - Designing A Catalog From Conception To Completion - A Catalog Design Tutorial - on All Graphic Design. If you also wish to publish your article on All Graphic Design, please visit our Submit a Graphic Design Article page to see how to do so.
So, You Want to be a Graphic Designer… Now What?
I recently received an email from a young man who stated that he “likes to draw” and wants to become a Graphic Designer, but wanted to know how to get started. At first I thought the obvious answer was “get a graphic design education,” but after more thought I realized it isn’t always that simple.
With today’s continually rising tuition costs and the cost of hardware and software that is so necessary in our industry, simply going out and “getting an education” isn’t always possible. Whether you’re right out of high school, a Mom looking for a career she can do from home, recently out of the Military or simply someone who feels they have a knack for design and is ready for a career change, consider that you have a few options on how to gain the skills you will need to pursue your dream job. But first, ask yourself some questions:

 

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Confused about graphic design job descriptions?

Posted by Online Jobs at 14:50

Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 

 

Well step no further, as Design : Talkboard takes you through the maze of job titles and graphic design careers specifications. Soon, you too could have a fancy name on your business card and an impressive title on your door!
Are you new to design? A graphic design student looking for jobs or career advice? Or a professional graphic designer trying to further your prospects? Perhaps you are confused about the various job descriptions and design career specifications in the creative industry? On the other hand, maybe you are just trying to work out what to put on your business card?
Well, never fear, because help is at hand. The following is the Design : Talkboard primer of the specifications and roles of some of the many varied job descriptions that you may come across in, what can be loosely described as, the design industry.
We can't promise that every description will be identical for every single graphic design company - jobs and roles can vary dramatically between companies - but they will pretty close. Some design agencies will only have one or two Art Directors and a team of Artworkers implementing their ideas. Whilst others may have a ‘flatter' company structure, where everyone (in theory) has input into the design process.
Some of these job titles also vary depending on the country, so it's worth bearing that in mind when looking for advice on a design career. And it's also worth remembering that the industry is constantly changing. In particular, ever since graphic designers have been involved in the interactive and web design industry, most creative job descriptions have had to be re-evaluated several times. But that's the subject for another discussion – watch this pace.
Anyway, let's press on. This article will cover the following job descriptions;

 

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Graphic and Web Design Career and Salary Outlook

Posted by Online Jobs at 13:59

 Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 



Career opportunities in Graphic and Web design and related design fields continues to grow despite a weak global economy, and entry level salaries are strong.
Working in design is like no other field in the world. Design work is not rote, not routine, and not predictable. It is ever-changing, always challenging, energizing and fun. Day to day, month to month, year to year a designer’s professional life can bring both stability and a sense of adventure. It is at once pragmatic and romantic, practical and edgy.
Design is firmly established as a serious career option with growing career opportunities and strong salaries.
This has not always been the case, but the world has changed. Design has taken its place as a serious career option with growing career opportunities and strong salaries. Finally a fun career can also be a serious career with strong earning potential. For proof, review the career opportunity and salary statistics below, and then browse the pages of this section of Sessions College.
91% of Sessions Online students state that Sessions Online has been central to achieving their professional design Career objectives.
(Source: Assessment of Sessions Online Student Outcomes, Eduventures, May 2008)
What follows are statistics most relevant to those seeking full-time or freelance employment in graphic and/or web design and related fields of design. Sources are noted throughout and listed in more detail at the bottom of this page. We encourage the reader to visit the sources for further exploration of the remarkable opportunities available to a graphic and web designer with a formal education like that provided by the Graphic and Web Design Degrees and the Graphic and Web Design Certificates of Sessions College.
  • According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts, solo designers who freelanced or worked under contract to another company reported median earnings of $57,000 in 2008 (Source: AIGA 2009 Salary Survey)
  • Employment of graphic designers is expected to grow 13 percent from 2008 to 2018 as demand for graphic design continues to increase from advertisers and computer design firms. (Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
  • 2008 median compensation levels for Graphic Designers* were as follows: (Source: AIGA 2009 Salary Survey)
    - Entry Level $35,000
    - Staff Level $45,000
    - Senior Level $60,000
    - Directors $95,000
    * “Graphic Designers”, as defined by the US Bureaus of Labor Statistics covers not only print design but also web and interactive design. Click here for further detail.
  • Employment opportunities for web designers, visual designers, and flash designers grew by 48%, 29%, and 226% respectively from May of 2005 to February of 2009 according to job listings portal site Indeed.com. ( Source: Indeed.com )
  • The United States national average annual salary for designers across all design fields in 2008 was $49,753. This reflects an 8.1% increase from 2006. (Source: How Designs biennial design salary survey.)
  • Median annual wages for graphic designers were $42,400 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $32,600 and $56,620 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $74,660. (Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition)
  • Most employers prefer to hire experienced desktop publishers; among persons without experience, opportunities should be best for those with certificates or degrees in desktop publishing or graphic design. (Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition)
  • 91% of Sessions Online students state that Sessions Online has been central to achieving their professional design Career objectives. (Source: Assessment of Sessions Online Student Outcomes, Eduventures, May 2008)
  • 75% of Sessions Online students reported higher income after attending the Sessions and 70% credit Sessions with the increase in income. (Source: Assessment of Sessions Online Student Outcomes, Eduventures, May 2008) ( jobs employment )

www.sessions.edu

 

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