if any professionals could answer me a couple of questions I'd greatly appreciate it.
1. do graphic designers still need to present printed portfolios or is just a portfolio website enough?
2. is it a steady work flow if you work for an agency? are you still allowed to freelance?
3. after graduating whats the best route to take? I live in new york so I assumed my best option would be to apply to places in the city. is a good portfolio with an associates in commercial arts and a certificate in website design enough? should I go to more school?
appreciate any feedback, thanks for looking. pic unrelated.
1. It would be a plus to show you have design skills in general. Just digital may suffice for digital jobs.
2. Steady work but it has its busy and chill times. You should be allowed to freelance.
3. Depends what you want to do and how good you are.
That's a solid answer, I think, although of course there are always exceptions.
>>240705
I really just want a digital design job at an agency that pays decently. I'm not sure what title that should be but my ideal salary for it would be like 40-60k. I'm not trying to be senior art director or anything like that.
I appreciate the insight. I know my questions are all pretty vague and depend on the situation.
also do you think an internship would pay off? Id rather skip that if possible but id do one if it was beneficial enough.
1. Honestly, I think it's personal preference at this point. Having a printed portfolio sure as hell doesn't hurt though, and if there's ever a time to go the extra mile, it's when you're applying to jobs. Obviously doesn't make sense if your work is mostly digital though.
2. What >>240705 said. Work ebbs and flows in most kinds of office jobs though, I think. It's very standard practice to allow employees to freelance as long as they're not working on shit that could be seen as competition for your day job's clients.
3. As far as prospects go, if you're already in NY then the world is your oyster. I'm from Kansas; holding down a relatively good design job, but I'm gonna jet as soon as my gf graduates, and we'll have to find jobs in some city far away. Gonna be a risky pain in the ass.
A lot of places that post job listings ask for a minimum of a BFA or equivalent degree, but I'm not really acquainted with getting hired in NY so I can't tell you how hard it'll be. Generally speaking though, portfolio is king. If your work stands out and you bust your ass looking for jobs and finding ways to network, you should get hired somewhere.
>>240706
An internship would absolutely be helpful and increase your prospects of getting hired because maybe you're great at the art of design, but people also want to know that you've dipped your toes into the art of working for a living and being a decent coworker. If you can afford to, take one. If at all possible, keep your dignity and don't take an unpaid one. But again, if you can afford it, do it.
>>240706
40k to 50k sounds about right for an entry level account exec job at an agency
an internship (any relevant job experience really) is definitely going to help
get a letter of recommendation from your internship
>>240745 An entry level art job, no less.
Is graphic design a magical land where money flows like a river?
>>240745
40k to 50k is the regular salary of an entry level (ie account exec) job at any decent sized agency in any north American city
my first job out of college (and this is in the last 5 years) was for a digital agency doing Web design and development for 45k/yr
getting paid for your art internship is also not impossible (although it's more likely to be an honorarium)
>>240766
I'm not sure how true this is tbh--it's more likely compsci graduates in silicon Valley, not design....
maybe if you're an expert on ux/ui but that'd be very difficult right out of college...
>>240703
>>240703
>1.
A print portfolio is a plus, but can be costly to set up and keep up to date.
Definitely have a website and keep it up to date. It's also a good idea to create a pdf of your portfolio formatted to be viewed on a screen.
>2.
Most businesses are going to have some sort of non-compete agreement that you must sign upon employment. For instance... if you're working for a company who specializes in album artwork and other music/band merch. they're not going to want you to do that same work on the side as freelance. You'd be directly taking business away from them.
>3.
Your location is already great.
A bachelor's degree + a strong portfolio will open many doors in NY. A summer internship is also a huge advantage, especially if it's local or at a place where you intend to move after graduating.
>>240706
40-60k salary
Giving an estimate on what you may earn starting out is going to fluctuate quite a bit depending upon the job location. The best answer is that you'll be just getting by and banking very little for the first few years. Once you're no longer a peon, your salary should increase quite a bit.
>>240766
I know anything IT related tends to pay well, but we're talking art here...
>>240804
>>240801
> 40k to 50k is the regular salary of an entry level job
Holy shit, you're serious.
Why does graphic design pay that much better? What kind of gigs should I pursue if I want to go for the money?
(For context: I'm a professional illustrator who has been freelancing for ~3 years and extensively studying drawing for 10. I work in a clear vector style. A while ago I got hired by a big publisher to do a book cover. I did the illustration + typography + back, and learned how to prepare documents for print. Now I'm occasionally asked to do more graphic design stuff. Didn't know this was a goldmine compared to regular illustration, holy shit. Most illustrators struggle to make 10-20k. Even the talented ones. Are illustrators just less business-savvy? What's going on?)
>>240901
> 40k to 50k is the regular salary of an entry level job
An entry level GD position pays what's needed to just get by. You aren't going to make any good money till you've got at least a few years under your belt. If you can secure a full time job while balancing freelance work, you can make a decent living.
>Are illustrators just less business-savvy?
Most people lack business knowledge. It would be wise to take a few courses.
>>240901
the question asked about agencies, which tend to be much more lucrative than in house or freelancing
and honestly, there aren't really any "graphic design" agencies that simply provide clients with graphics--most offer graphic design as a service under a greater umbrella like corporate/creative branding, digital strategy, advertising etc etc
that's where the money is so you should look at what you're interested in (eg learn Web coding languages, ux, ui, analytics for Web Dev on top of having strong design skills)
a huge part of it is just keeping up with trends and skills yourself since the "formal" education is limited /unnecessary
and ofc, you have to be a strong communicator and multitasker to work with clients and different projects
my two cents based on my agency experience
