Becoming a graphic designer is the dream of many young students. Besides knowledge and skill, you must possess excellent creativity to become a competent graphic designer.
So, is it possible to work as a graphic designer without a degree? What knowledge and skills should you learn? I will discuss this profession’s features and give you an in-depth answer.
In this post, I will give you the motivation and faith to keep following this path!
Can I Get A Graphic Design Career Without A Degree?
Most companies nowadays require some basic certifications in graphic design. Therefore, enrolling without a college degree is a significant disadvantage.
Though it may affect your career prospects, you find many job opportunities. Yet, you must have the necessary knowledge and graphic design skills.
Companies pay more attention to the candidate’s abilities and knowledge. They will give you a test to check your graphic designing skill and creativity.
If you are confident in your ability, ask them to join this test. Some friends of mine can land job opportunities by demonstrating their skills to recruiters.
For instance, you can show the customers some of your previous work or projects. If they are good enough to impress the customers, the companies will give you the opportunities.
You can start your business or become a freelancer. Set up a graphic designing team and work on your own projects rather than joining major businesses.
5 Graphic Design Careers You Can Pursue Without a Degree
Here are some popular graphic design career paths you can consider. These professions prioritize knowledge and skills rather than certification.
Let’s check out each field’s features to know which is most suitable for you!
1. Typesetter
A typesetter typically works for many publications. Your main job is to design the layout of the texts and images appearing in a publication. For example, you must determine the space and size of text on certain pages.
Your goal is to enhance the attractiveness and readability of a publication. It can range from online newspapers to magazines, prints, and books.
By using your graphic designing skill, you can help the publication attract more readers. If you work for large publications, your earnings may be very high.
2. Sign Maker
Your main job as a sign maker is to create new ideas for the signs. Then, you will work on your ideas and design the advertising signs for customers. A sign would involve common factors like pricing quotes, projects, and product information.
You can choose between online signs and physical signs. Yet, excellent creativity and aesthetic view are essential for this job. A sign should be attractive enough to convey an idea and make it viral for viewers.
3. Video Editor
A video editor should be good at using graphic designing tools and software. You will edit a video to attract more viewers and increase its quality.
Some tasks involved in this job are video trimming or adding visual effects.
4. Web Designer
Web designing is not all about programming and coding. It involves the creation of details, images, and layouts for a website. Your job as a designer is to create those elements to suit customers’ desires.
You can choose to join a web designing team of a company or create one website of your own.
5. Graphic Designer
A graphic designer can work on everything that calls for visual aspects. It can be logos, magazine layouts, websites, or advertisements. You can work as a freelancer or join a firm to find customers.
How to Start a Career in Graphic Design?
You can join a university course in graphic design. You can self-tutor and train your skills at home to get ready for this profession.
Here are some steps and suggestions to consider!
1. Learn the Basic Principles
A solid knowledge source of graphic design principles is essential for this job. Though this profession involves many diversified fields, each requires profound knowledge and expertise.
You must learn the core elements like color, shape, space, texture, and lines. The materials about these elements are all available on many forums and websites.
2. Sign Up for a Course
After grabbing some fundamental knowledge of graphic designing, you should join a course to advance your skills. The course will bring you in-depth knowledge and help you improve your designing skills faster.
You can select an online course to become more flexible with your schedule. Ensure to pick a course about the subject you like, and it must suit your level.
3. Learn Key Tools
There are endless tools and software a designer can use in his working process.
Some popular examples are Adobe Creative Cloud, Indesign, and Photoshop. The tools you need will vary based on your tasks and purposes.
Nevertheless, you will have to deal with this software mainly in your future job. So, practice with them as much as possible to improve your technical skills.
4. Start Building Your Own Projects
The most effective method in practicing graphic designing is building your own project. For instance, you can start by drawing logos or mock ads for customers.
You can also get creative and design new projects from the existing ones. Some customers may even pay for your assignments if they are good enough.
Yet, try the non-profit organization first if you can’t find the opportunities.
5. Work On Your Portfolio
After you have met all the requirements, start building your portfolio to impress the recruiters. Remember to list all the experience and skills you have acquired over the last few years.
Final Thoughts
A degree is proof of your hard work, knowledge, and ability. It will give you an edge when applying to many firms. Yet, your actual capacity is the most important thing when working as a graphic designer.
If you are passionate about this job, work every day to improve your knowledge and graphic designing skills. You can join the exams to acquire additional certifications as you have reached the advanced level.
If you have any remaining questions, feel free to comment and ask me. Thank you for your time!