Breaking into the business!

[archang3l]

I'm a recent graduate with a BFA in Graphic Design. I've been in a somewhat unrelated field for the past 10 years. Here is my dilema (forgive me in advance for a possible long post). I have done some freelance work for the past 2 years or so...very random. My current job pays better than most design jobs but I feel I need a change and I've always had a passion for art. I'm curious as to whether I should attempt finding a part time job while still employed in my current FT job. A job lets say at a print shop or somewhere that I can get true hands on real-world experience. In South Florida, graphic design jobs are rarely that...they require tons of experience and most want Flash, Dreamweaver, HTML, and other web skills along with Graphic skills. In your experiences, what did you do to break into the business? Any advice would be greatly appreciated...I'm not getting any younger and I'd like to put my degree to better use than just sporadic little logo and/or t-shirt creations. BTW, I love this site... excellent and very knowledgeable members!!!:)

[Scott Weichert]

Well, it's important to realize which direction you want to go - print or web. Intermingling the two is often the most profitable. There are a great deal more web positions out there because, frankly, messing up a web project doesn't cost thousands of dollars. One minor error on a print job can be costly. So print designers tend to be treated as more a commodity and not as easily brushed off.

If you want real world experience in either then a part time job (especially for print) will be very beneficial. Spending 6 months to a year doing print production (not design) will really help when you design for print. I've found often schools don't always teach what they should teach for print production. All the pretty pictures in the world mean nothing if you can't reproduce them. Some schools give basics for print, some don't cover it at all.

To go more of a web route, I don't think you need a part job. Simply learn html, xhtml, and css very well. You can do that on your own making mock up sites. Find a site and redesign it, then repeat. Although 90% of job notices will ask for Flash, ASP, PHP, Javascript, .NET and a billion other things, the reality it's very rare for anyone to have all the skills they want. They know that. If you go in strong with a solid set of skills but are lacking one or two they won't write you off in most cases. Tell them up front that you don't know XXX but you're willing to learn. Especially where Flash is concerned. Flash is a "buzzword" HR departments know relates to the web. It doesn't mean they are actually using Flash for anything in many cases. Knowing Dreamweaver is superfluous if you know HTML and XHTML. Learn to code by hand without Dreamweaver and you'll be ahead of anyone that depends on a WYSIWYG application.

If you are looking to just do more work, rather than a part time job, you may just want to start marketing the freelance more. Spend more time seeking that type of work then spend your own time working for yourself. All it takes to make it freelancing is approximately 6-12 good, reliable clients that return for work regularly and about 6 months of savings to live off of while the freelance grows. If you know your stuff, turn around projects on time and can accurately project deadlines you'll be fine. But it's helpful to be able to handle both print and web for freelancing. You won't make it on logos and t-shirts alone by yourself. At least not in my experience. In today's day and age I've found you really need to know how to design a logo, set up a 40 page manual for print, and design a static brochure web site for the same company. Additional things, like video editing, php/asp programming, flash content will all be beneficial as well but you can get by without them.

Just my 2¢....

[archang3l]

Thanks Scott...great advice. I have been thinking about going the web route for some time now. My fear is that I have no interest in programming and as you mentioned, many jobs do want you to have some web programming knowledge other than the usual HTML, XHTML,and CSS. I'm comfortable in Photoshop and Illustrator but I honestly hate InDesign...I suppose since it doesn't feel as creative as PS and AI. In this field...no Quark or InDesign proficiency almost guarantees no graphic design job. I have played with some website creation and do enjoy it. I feel it allows me to incorporate my design skills and be creative at the same time. As you said, I need to focus on which direction to go and attack it full force. I'm sure half of my stress is coming from spending these last two years in College and not really seeing much success. The hefty student loans lingering over me are not helping either!!! I graduated feeling very excited about this new world and have slowly started to feel more and more unprepared for the graphic design world as time passes by. I agree, many if not most schools don't prepare you well for print and/or what to expect once you graduate. I'm going to start taking my web design studies a little more serious and focus my attention in that direction. Meanwhile, I'll still consider working at a print shop for the experience...you can never learn enough IMO! Thanks again for the advice...

[TORCH511]

Talent, Hard Work, Persistance and Luck. Learn everything you can, be flexible with the work that you do.

It's a funny business. I can not depend on a free-lance income so I have to have a 9-5 and a lot of design work seems to be just that. Positions in the design industry are harder to come by. A little easier to find the 9-5 work in the production side of the house doing pre-press (my expertise). I am with Scott in recommending spending a little time if you can working in a print shop. I started here Ink Mixing then Screen Printing before moving to production management before getting my current position and that experience is invaluable to me now.

What broke me into here? I only have my job because my predecessor died. I guess that is luck depending on what side of the grave you happen to be on. I was much in the same boat as you are, very similar and I had all but given up on a 9-5 job, and I can not depend on freelance income. Creatively I am not as talented as most of the people around here so I had all but given up looking.

[nutella]

So the moral of the story is.... to break into the business, a little poison will help... :D










ok bad joke but couldn't help it.