Career in graphic design?

**miller514** · 06-01-2010, 03:16 PM

My daughter is looking at seeking a degree in graphic design. Does anyone know how the current job outlook is in that field?

**Russ** · 06-01-2010, 03:20 PM

Here are a few links. But, keep in mind that some of these may be for schools teaching Graphic design so take what they say with a grain of salt.

Also search on many job websites and see if you can find anything there. ( monster.com, careerbuilder.com)

Outlook for Graphic Design Jobs

Graphic Design Salary and Outlook Information

Graphic Designers

**Contrary Housewife** · 06-01-2010, 04:45 PM

I know two unemployed graphic designers. And a 3rd who got laid off last summer and had to change careers.

**Gabe** · 06-01-2010, 07:00 PM

Slot of graphic design jobs are offshored.

**akolb** · 06-01-2010, 07:37 PM

I have a ton of friends who have a graphic design degree. Most bartend or have another job while freelancing their skills out to small businesses.

There are a LOT of graphic designers out there. Unless you are really really good and have a different "look" to your work that will set you apart, you will be freelancing small jobs mostly.

...this is coming from a full-time bartender who graduated with honors with my degree in Art.

**OOwl** · 06-01-2010, 10:49 PM

I work for a company with a Design department. Fourteen years ago, it had 20 employees; today they have two. Most graphic designers freelance from their homes now, so it would be a great job if she wants part-time, flexibile hours, and doesn't mind irregular income, finding her own insurance/retirement fund, and marketing herself out there to prospective customers. My sister works as a graphic designer from home, which is great for her since she has three kids and a husband with a good job. The student loans for graphic design school are ridiculous too (one woman I know of has a $35,000 bill to pay and she's currently cleaning houses for a living, NOT working as a graphic designer). If a person already has the talent in graphic design, just taking some Adobe CS classes offered will go a LONG way toward teaching you what you need to know to work in the industry rather than attending one of those years' long schools with the HUGE fees. At my company, and with the sales staff that hire graphic design services from freelancers, it's WHAT they know, not the "degree." Best wishes to your daughter.

**The Muse** · 06-02-2010, 09:23 AM

I work in web production for a major worldwide company and I've spent most of my career in marketing and ad agencies.

For the best of the best, it's a great career, but it's highly competitive. A lot of graphic designers freelance, all of the agencies and my current company use freelancers at the project level. There is work, but it's a hustle and difficult to find a well paying fulltime job with benefits, unless you're an Art Director, which requires experience. Lower level designers are not paid well and many of them have found that designing within corporate branding guidelines isn't exactly what they envisioned when they entered this "creative" field.

I don't mean to discourage her, but that's the reality. It's a very difficult field.

**miller514** · 06-15-2010, 04:20 PM

Thanks everyone for giving it to me straight, I really appreciate the information, as does my daughter.

**nancyy** · 07-14-2010, 02:24 AM

Graphic artists are absorbed by big corporations, marketing firms, business entrepreneurs and various publishing and media companies for website development, new product marketing, print advertisement and maintenance. They can seek employment as web page artists, graphic designers, web page programmers, print media specialists, or multimedia designers after completing a graphic arts degree (collegeamerica.edu/graphic-arts-degree.html).