This type of experience has become the standard in the industry and you will find that most employers are going to look not just for hard-copy style graphic design, but also look for computer graphic design. In order to do that there are a few things that you are going to need to have and know before you can successfully enter the field of graphic design.
You do not have to have a college education, though it is helpful to have gone to an art school or have taken a program that is designed specifically for graphic art. Everything you need to know you can technically learn out in the field. You can purchase the equipment and software completely free of the industry and simply learn it based on interest. This is helpful in building your portfolio, which is often used by employers hiring graphic-design artists in lieu of a more traditional resume.
It may not, however, be enough for you to have done learning on your own to obtain the position you want. Most employers are going to want to see some kind of experience with an accredited trade school or college-level education in graphic design. They may also want to see marketing or business experience, depending on the type of position you are looking for.
When applying for a job, your portfolio should be tailored to the position and company, though you may want to include some additional pieces. The company is going to want to see things that are relevant to the business they do. In order to do this you are going to want to do a bit of research into not only what the company has had done in the past, but what they are currently working on and what they have planned for the future.
Usually most companies that employ graphic-design artists are going to have Web sites. This is a great place to start your research. This may seem like a lot of work initially, but it will help you not only to choose companies that you are really going to want to work for, but will also help you secure a first and in some cases second interview.
No matter what type of job you are looking for you are going to want a job that is going to serve you in the future. You will want a position that is going to provide you with what you need in order to expand not only your experience but also your portfolio. You are going to want something that will provide you with the ability to strengthen your areas of focus. You also want to be able to work in areas that you may not have had the opportunity to focus on or really get into before. This one of the biggest things that you are going to want to look for in a new job. Especially if you are looking into the field of graphic design, you want something that is going to allow you to grow into or grow with your art. Graphic-design artists may work in highly specialized fields such as graphic novels or illustrations, or they may work simply making logos or design concepts for advertising. No matter what you get into as a graphic artist, it is important to remember that it is an art and should express not just what the customer wants but your own individuality as an artist as well.
Becoming a good graphic-design artist is about learning your art and expressing it in a way that provides you with the benefits of being able to express your creativity with a well-paying position. You can do this through a company. This is how many people get started, or you can consider the options of branching out on your own when you have learned everything you want to. Finding a position should involve one of two steps: the first is to learn skills in order to be able to move out onto your own and become a freelancing graphic artist or business owner or to find a position that is going to provide you with a way to grow throughout the years without having to leave the company.
This is the kind of stability that you want to look for; it is also the kind of stability that you will want in the creative world. It may take a bit of time and some research to find, but there are thousands of companies out there that make use of graphic artists. You can pick the ones you want to work for in order to find the options that best suit your goals. In order to do that, you will need to have extensive personal experience or professional schooling, though many places prefer both, and you will need to have a portfolio that expresses your work as a graphic artist.
