Four Steps to Becoming an Entry-Level Graphic Designer
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Whether you’re a recent high school graduate or a seasoned professional yearning for a more rewarding career, getting an associates degree is a great place to begin the journey to your first or second (or tenth) career. If you are passionate about art, a natural visual communicator and want a career where you can exercise your creativity, an associates degree in graphic design may be your best option.
The American Institute of Graphic Arts reports that entry-level graphic designers earned a median salary of $35,000 in 2008. That’s not a bad starting wage. How do you go about becoming one of these lucky entry-level graphic designers? Just follow these four steps!
1. Assess Your Artistic and Creative Skills
If you can’t draw to save your life, the field of graphic design is probably not for you. The ability to draw, or at least sketch, is generally a reliable indicator of raw artistic talent. If you always lose at Pictionary you’ve either had bad luck in partners or you should choose a less artistic field than graphic design. On the other hand, if you’ve carted a sketchbook around for most of your life, spend significant amounts of free time creating “art” and are a Pictionary champ, you should proceed to step two.
2. Enroll in Graphic Design School
An online associates degree graphic design can be obtained at many colleges, universities and private art schools as well as 2-year and 3-year professional schools. While an associates degree in graphic design can be a practical educational choice for a recent high school grad who wants to begin his or her career without spending years in college, it can also be a practical choice for someone who has already obtained a bachelors degree in a related (or unrelated) field.
3. Complete the Required Coursework
According to AIGA, the professional association for design, most graphic design programs consist of educational seminars and projects. Graphic design students learn to analyze problems and come up with solutions using composition, space, typography and images. Some hand work is still done, but much of modern graphic design is completed on computers. There is a great deal of emphasis placed on learning to use the latest design software programs including Quark, Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop. Design students learn by doing, and often get quite a bit of one-on-one interaction with their instructors.
4. Prepare Your Portfolio and Interview for Jobs
You will complete many design projects as you earn your associates degree in graphic design. As you complete your education, you will assemble the best of your designs into a portfolio. Your portfolio can be used as a tool to prove to potential employers that you have the skills and creativity required to benefit their company. Bring your portfolio with you to every job interview. It can also be a good idea to create an online portfolio (as part of your professional website) and include the html address on every cover letter and/or resume you send out to potential employers.
What Kind of Job will an Associates Degree in Computer Graphic Design get me?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, graduates with an associates degree in computer graphic design are often employed as assistants to senior graphic designers or in positions where technical design skills are the main requirement. Graphic designers are employed within many industries; basically anywhere visual communication is needed. Industries that employ graphic designers include printing, publishing, software, marketing, advertising, public relations, financing, banking, insurance, healthcare, retail and more.
