While looking for topics and ideas to write about i decided to look for something i had an interest in. What will my life be like once i’m in the real world. So i did some research on what to expect out of a career in Graphic Design.
What to Expect out of a Design Career takes a pessimistic look at the “dream” of design greatness—that you’ll do brilliant work in college, go to work at a respected firm and move up the ladder to a big office with a new computer doing plum assignments.
Right out of college that’s unlikely. Reality might find you in a cubical with an old, slow computer designing data sheets and catalogs for a company you have no interest in. To be sure there are young design superstars, but it doesn’t happen every day. Being a graphic designer is not like being a famous artist or actor. A designer’s job requires both craft and talent—it takes time to perfect. The career path of a graphic designer is one of a life-long career. As the author of the blog says “attention to craft can earn you a very good living over time, [it can] even achieve a level of wealth if you are skilled, hardworking, have an ounce of vision and good management skills.” So, as potential graphic designers all we can do is keep learning and perfecting our craft so that when our time comes for the real world we’ll be ready.
2 Comments
I think the essay you site is both too optimistic and too pessimistic. While it’s true that getting featured in Print’s annual “30 under 30″ is an honor most of us will not receive, I’ve seen enough students land in an interesting and challenging position within a couple years of graduation to think that’s not so exotic either. I do agree that many young designers do not take craft as seriously as they could. Great design is impossible unless you have a grasp of the basic visual vocabulary that forms its basis.
It seems like there is such a small chance of getting that “dream job”, and while the job market for designers can be quite competitive, I think that, as our professor said it’s not “so exotic”. While there are lots of designers, there is also a high demand, and lots and lots of opportunities out there.
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