Graphic Design as a profession - Pro/Con

Hi there

That might be an unusual question here. Well, I am 30 years old, and I am now thinking about changing my career and becoming a graphic/communication designer. People tell me I am good at drawing, and I really enjoy being creative.

Nevertheless, I’d like to be realistic about this profession, means, I’d like to assess if it makes sense to change my entire life to follow this dream (though I always wanted to study it since I was 14). I would need to study for at least 3 years to start with. Yes, I’d like to be happy in my job, but also earn enough money to afford my living (I don’t live in luxury, but travelling is a big hobby). I worked as an Online Marketing Executive in London previously.

It would be super helpful if you could answer the questions below, so I’ve got more of an idea:

> What is the occupational outlook for a communications designer in these days?
- Unemployment
- Working hours
- Salary
- Working in agency, client-side or self-employed – Dis/advantages
> What do you dis/like about this profession?
> What do you think of ‚Elance’ and other websites, where communication designers find jobs online? Can you live on that?
> Do you know good communication design universities? What do you think about an Open University course?
> Which characteristics personality-wise are essential in order to be a successful graphic designer?
> What does a typical working day for a communications designer look like?

Many thanks for your help!

 

Unemployment is something several professions face and this is one of them, working hours can be long no matter if you're on an agency or if you're freelancing on your own. Self employment would be lot more advantageous, if you're able to build a client list big enough to always have job to do, which is the hard part of that approach.

 

Ok, as an experienced graphic designer who is currently working for a company designing material I would suggest not to do it.

If you go the freelance path, you're going to be spending more time looking for clients than working for clients and if you go the route of working in an agency or company setting, you run the risk of being too different for their styles and tastes.

Many people will tell you they have a rewarding career as a graphic designer, but neglect to tell you the truth of working with their clients. Clients are usually mean spirited who know how to do your job (when they really do not), and they never know what they want until they see what you bring to the table; then they know what they DON'T want.

On top of that, most people ask us to create work for free because "we can use it to build our portfolio" but the truth of the mater is, we went to school for it, have a degree in it, and are validated in our experiences. You wouldn't ask anyone NOT in the art field for free work, so why do we get crapped on.

As for working in a company or agency? It took me over a year to find a job in my market, while sitting on my butt freelancing. Barely scraping by.

Would I suggest anyone to go into the design field? Not a chance. The communications field? Absolutely. But graphic design isn't for the feint of heart or the soft skinned.

 

thanks for your feedback!

 

Being creative is something wonderful, so never give up, since the job you love becomes a passion and no more a job.

Now, the problem is that you'll probably have less money than you think and you'll have to understand how much this will change your mind about freelancing.

 

I would suggest you follow a more traditional path.
Bare with me, I know this is not what you asked for.
You can start in a workshop, then gradually build your way up. It will not require so much time and effort, and it will probably help your social circle as well.
What you truly desire is being close to art and imagery. Earning your way with what is dear to you. Art doesn't require you to spend 100k's and you can make a decent sum out of it without being famous or anything. Plus, the more you invest in it, the better you will be, and, at the end, you won't come to people to ask their ideas, they will come to you and buy yours.

Graphic designing is a more mechanical job than you imagine, especially when you first start.
Also, without having much exeprience, you need to be versatile in a lot of anatomies, since most of the work will be fabntasy-oriented.
Whereas when you draw by yourself, you pick your own subject.

I know I wasn't helpful in the direction you asked for, so let me know what you'll make out of it.