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What is required to have a career in graphic design?

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Ken’s Answer

Graphic design has many varied applications, and it is very important for you to find the one that suits you best based upon you personality traits. The requirements for your successful career in graphic design depend very much on the niche into which you find comfort and satisfaction and achievement.


Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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Brenna’s Answer

Hello Marcella and fellow pursuers of graphic design,

In addition to the great tips offered here by the other professionals, here are skills to develop with time and experience.

- Build relationships.
Before you jump into any project, know your team mates, your audience, and your stakeholders. How you interact with people first and foremost can either make or break you as a designer, regardless of how good your design skills are.

- Problem-solve with creativity and an open mindset.
Challenge the status quo and feel encouraged to look at a problem with a different lens than someone else. Ask for feedback at each checkpoint of your design phases and never fall in love with your work so much that you can't take the critique.

- Manage your project with clear communication.
Know what your expectations are, and establish expectations of others clearly so that everyone involved is set up for success. When you ask for review cycles, feedback, anything that puts the ball in someone else's court -- state specifically what you need and when you need it by, or your deadlines will become unmanageable.

- Lead with a consultative approach.
Don't be an order taker. Come into a project consultation with the approach of the expert. We don't go to a doctor and say, "My arm hurts so what I need from you is a shot of cortisone and have it done today." No, we consult with a doctor's expertise and ask for their professional opinion on how to solve our needs. Same should go for a graphic designer. You are the expert. You advise the client with your proposed solution after you've fully scoped with a needs analysis.

While there are classes you can take to build these skills, honing really takes place in real application. If you have the opportunity to take on pro bono work, apply these concepts to prepare you for a successful career in creative design.

Thanks for exploring this topic and best wishes to you in the future.
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Jake’s Answer

Graphic design is a practice with many different fields, each with their own conditions. While design tends to be more open to people of different educational backgrounds, many places like creative agencies and larger corporations require a degree in a design related major. However, if school isn't an option, it doesn't mean you can't have a successful design career. Experience is one of the most important aspects of a graphic designer. No matter which path you choose, make sure to constantly develop your skills. Even taking on small projects from friends, family, community groups, etc. help give you real world experience and build your technical skills. Take the time to figure out which design fields interest you and pursue projects and knowledge related to that field. Focusing in one area allows you to clearly market yourself, but its always good to diversify your skills so you can be adaptable as well. It's a long process, but the more you design, the easier it is to grow as a designer!

Jake recommends the following next steps:

Explore which design fields interest you (branding, web design & development, UI/UX, etc.)
Take on any projects you can get your hands on and develop your technical skills
Figure out a creative focus and pursue that type of work and knowledge. There are a lot of resources online (YouTube, Medium, social media)
Practice. Practice. Practice
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