Is a graphic design degree really necessary?
March 26, 2010 by
Filed under graphic design degree
How important is the actual degree to retaining employment in the graphic design market? Won’t simple talent and skills suffice?
And experience with reference.
Thats a hard question..i know several people that don’t have a degree but they have so much experience it’s rediculous a company won’t hire them due to lack of a degree. I’d recommend getting one, even if you have the experience, because in the long run you may not have experience they WANT, regardless of what you think, and if you are hired, there maybe a client that wants alot of work you may not be able to handle without the experience of that degree. I’m in the middle of finishing my bachelors degree for web & graphic design, it gets harder every few months…..but you never know there maybe a company that’s just right for your talent and you hit it off pretty good. Good luck!
as you go on in the design world, a degree will help secure better jobs and let employers know you’re serious. and in school, you’d learn a lot more than just how to apply your talent.
As someone who has worked in the field and as someone who used to do hiring in the field, I would say a degree is a great asset.
There are lots of very talented professional graphic designers that haven’t gone to school like David Carson for example. But I personally think that a designer with a degree is a little more well versed in the field and the history of graphic design than those that just try to go at it without the education.
They have 4+ years of study and can pull from that experience and reference when they enter the workforce, and that is important especially that first year. I think there is a big misconception that graphic design is just learning some software and knowing a little about fonts. When in reality it can be really complex. There are facets about typography I never would have discovered if it weren’t for my graphic design education, and I know that I would not have gained the same kind of knowledge just by diving into the field.
I would say if you have the time and the $ investing in a design degree is a good idea. Good Luck!
Really most of getting a job is about networking. You’re going to face pressure to get some kind of degree. If you’re getting work now I do recommend a degree. Notice I didn’t say Graphic Design degree. Nothing really does beat a dynamite portfolio and references. A bookkeeping course or two can be VERY helpful. Strangers will be impressed by that piece of paper which says graphic design on it, but if your references are good enough you can probably get away with just telling them you have a degree. And business courses can help you make the most out of the work you do get.
no. they probably are going to want to hire the “cream of the cream”
and never think that simple skills are enough.
strive to be the best.
but this is advice from a 7th grader.