Complete Noob =)

[dtabs]

Hi, Im new and looking for some advice, career wise...

When i was at school, i discovered i was quite arty and creative and got abit of attention from other school kids and teachers for my art work.. i took art and design as a GCSE and considered Graphic Design as my main career choice.

To keep a long story short, i planned to go to college to pursue that career option but i didnt and got a job instead (not in graphic design)... So i decided id work for a few years and go back to education after.

I so wish i hadnt!, as the job i got was kinda "dead-end ish", and most of all, i didnt return to education and i didnt continue to practice my artistic and creative abilities :(.. i choose to spend that time out with friends instead like the silly young fool i was..

So, ive just turned 24 and its like ive just been hit with the reality stick, hard! I feel like im panicking because i always en-visioned myself as havin a really good, well paid career when im older and ive not even started yet!! D=

So im back to considering a career in Graphic Design and getting back into education asap. The thing is, im naturally arty and creative yeh, but i havnt put them into practice for quite a while and worried i may have lost my touch, or even if im creative enough to be good enough for a career in this field. Also, ive been reading alot of negativity surrounding Graphic Design.. as in, lack of jobs, jobs to grads ratio, low wage, fierce compition ect.. id really hate struggling to find work and having to fight to the death for it after spending years in education.. Are things really that bad?!.. its kind of off-putting but i really cant see myself being in any other career other than design.. i do have a passion for it, i just need to give it chance to grow!

So, i guess the thing for me to do is to test my ability and creative-ness! But how shall i do this? Am i best searching for some 'mock' type briefs on the net and posting it for people to comment on? Do you guys know any good briefs to work too? or compitions? blogs or articles to read? anything to get the ball rollin..

I know my way round photoshop btw, im no expert but i know a thing or two :)

Thanks.

P.s, what career option alternatives are there to a graphic designer? E.g, for a creative-less, photoshop pro? (not that im creative-less, but something to fall back on..)

[Paul Murray]

Don't fret, I'm 25 and still studying for a design degree after wasting a few years doing a film course and working in a dead-end job.

Creativity CAN be learned, it's not something some people have and some don't, some people are just more open to it and it's all about looking at things differently and questioning everything.

If you want to go back into education and get a design degree then you're going to need work to show (plus a certain amount of UCAS points depending on the course you choose before you're even considered). You can search for sample briefs (I know there's a few on Smashing Magazine) but it might be best to just explore your own imagination a bit too and create some unique stuff.

Following Photoshop tutorials may help but the majority of those tutorials aren't graphic design, it's more illustration.

I wouldn't worry too much about software skills, that's all taught on courses (you'll probably learn InDesign before you even touch PS) and you'll be working with fineliners, marker pens and layout pads first anyway.

Graphic design isn't a fall back career choice though. It's hard work, frustrating and stressful, and that's just the degree course! If you really feel it's what you want to do then go for it, it's your life.

[graphicbreeze]

Don't feel bad about your age I am 32 and in my graduating year. I spent many years getting stoned and wasting my life away. Sadly it took brain surgery for my epilepsy to snap me put of it. The crappy economy could be quite different by the time you graduate.

If you do plan on getting educated and don't like having to wait till the beginning of the school term go to lynda.com. You can teach yourself allot of fundamental stuff about the adobe suites.

[dtabs]

Don't fret, I'm 25 and still studying for a design degree after wasting a few years doing a film course and working in a dead-end job.

Creativity CAN be learned, it's not something some people have and some don't, some people are just more open to it and it's all about looking at things differently and questioning everything.

If you want to go back into education and get a design degree then you're going to need work to show (plus a certain amount of UCAS points depending on the course you choose before you're even considered). You can search for sample briefs (I know there's a few on Smashing Magazine) but it might be best to just explore your own imagination a bit too and create some unique stuff.

Following Photoshop tutorials may help but the majority of those tutorials aren't graphic design, it's more illustration.

I wouldn't worry too much about software skills, that's all taught on courses (you'll probably learn InDesign before you even touch PS) and you'll be working with fineliners, marker pens and layout pads first anyway.

Graphic design isn't a fall back career choice though. It's hard work, frustrating and stressful, and that's just the degree course! If you really feel it's what you want to do then go for it, it's your life.

Ah, ok.. yeh ive been followin alot of photoshop tutorials lately just to experiment and stuff.. i think exploring my own imagination and creating some unique stuff would be a good idea too, i just dont think i know where to start?? do you mean in photoshop?

I didnt mean to suggest graphic design is my fall back career btw, its my first/main choice, i meant somethin to fall back on from graphic design lol.. :)

Don't feel bad about your age I am 32 and in my graduating year. I spent many years getting stoned and wasting my life away. Sadly it took brain surgery for my epilepsy to snap me put of it. The crappy economy could be quite different by the time you graduate.

If you do plan on getting educated and don't like having to wait till the beginning of the school term go to lynda.com. You can teach yourself allot of fundamental stuff about the adobe suites.

Blimey.. thanks for the reasurance. Your right though! I will check out your tip too thx ;)

[graphicbreeze]

Who's Blimey??
I don't really have my real name posted in here anywhere

[Paul Murray]

Ah, ok.. yeh ive been followin alot of photoshop tutorials lately just to experiment and stuff.. i think exploring my own imagination and creating some unique stuff would be a good idea too, i just dont think i know where to start?? do you mean in photoshop?

In whatever medium your comfortable with. I think practically everything I showed for my Uni interview was made in Photoshop but the interviewer wasn't bothered about the software, more the execution of the idea.

I recommend keeping a little notebook with you at all times if you don't already (they love to see sketchbooks too) and jot down any ideas that pop into your head, quotes you hear, basically anything that takes your fancy that might come in handy later on.

If you go for an interview they want to see that you have a passion and a basic knowledge of design (you're there to learn though so don't fret about not having a D&AD pencil!) so find some designs that you like (advertising, book covers, logo's etc) and read up on the designers.

:)

[graphicbreeze]

Oh boy, that's not good. Our teachers always asked us to hand in the sketches we made with every assignment and they never returned our sketches.