How to begin a career in graphic design

Well first off test you skills or even check out getting a certification. Alot of community colleges offer this type of certification.

The big advantage to certification over getting a degree is Money and Time. The fewer credits you take to complete an educational program, the less money you will spend, overall. By focusing just on design skills, certificate programs allow adult students to forgo unrelated academic material.

Sell your design skills

Once you've learned skills directly applicable to graphics fields, you need to sell yourself, and your talents, to prospective employers. You will probably have a collection of projects you completed during your certification program that demonstrate some of your skills. Carefully scrutinize your portfolio before you begin applying for jobs. Make sure that each piece you decide to include is a piece of your very best work, and that it showcases your talents to the fullest.

Keep practicing. You might not land a graphic or Web design job immediately out of school. In that case, you need to work hard to make sure your skills stay sharp. Keep doing projects in your spare time, and read design how-to books and industry periodicals. Or, consider taking on freelance or contract projects to continue developing your skills and your portfolio.

A great way to begin freelancing is to start as a photo re-toucher. Many people do not know how to fix or edit photos, or do not have the time. They rely on skilled re-touchers to help make their family, wedding, or professional portraits look great. Other ways to break into freelance design include logo and branding development, or Web page building for start-up companies.