Planning Your Graphic Design Career

Roberto Blake

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It goes without saying that having a plan for your career is important. However for many creatives this is a real struggle that never is addressed. In most graphic design courses when attending college it is assumed that you intend to go to work for an employer as an in-house graphic designer or work for an agency. As a result many graphic designers stop their career planning once they either land a job or start getting clients.

But there is more too it than that. You have to have an overall goal for the long term of where you wan to be and what you want to accomplish. Earning an income is important, but it should also facilitate what you want to accomplish personally and professionally, especially as a creative individual.

See also: How Designers Can Communicate With Non-Designers

Your Career is About More Than a Job Title

If your dream is to see your work on the cover of magazines, is the job your currently doing going to lead to that outcome? If not, then are you positioning to elevate yourself to a job role or a place in the industry that will help you accomplish that?

Clearly identify what you want from your career in the short and long term and do an honest self-audit; determine if you’re on a clear path to accomplishing your career goals, and if not then you may need to reevaluate your situation. You should also be speaking with your supervisors and identifying your career track and what growth opportunities exist within the company (if you’re working in-house or at an agency) and how you would qualify to move up the ladder. If career escalation is not clear or something that you don’t see happening within a company, consider leaving once you’ve built up the necessary experience and network. While job loyalty is value, it should never come at the expense of your own ambition and earning potential.

Moving up the ladder often is a matter of negotiations and having leverage. It is not enough to work hard, you have to increase your own value proposition. What makes you an ideal candidate for promotion? This will not be as simple as staying late and showing up early. You need to understand the challenges of the roles above your current position and prove that you can tackle those challenges and in many cases declare your intentions.

Career elevation is not something you can approach passively.

See also: What Does Constructive Criticism for Design Look Like?

Freelancing is a Career Too

The idea of becoming a freelance designer or even starting your own design practice is something that is overlooked quite a bit in college. This could be why the reverse is true within the online world. That being the case, it is not given the same thoughtfulness from a career perspective or even considered one in many circles. Many consider freelancing something you do in between jobs or when you’re moonlighting to make extra income.

The reality is that freelancers can play an important role even within an established organization and are even contracted and project leads, art directors and creative directors by companies agencies and studios. Positioning yourself is important and you have to do more than just keep your website up to date and keep your client roster full. As a freelancer it is important to always be aware of what it happening within the industry and build a strong network of contacts.

Keeping up with what is going on in the world of business, marketing, advertising and technology takes up a considerable amount of time but is essential if you want to speak intelligently to clients and grow your business. This requires tremendous self discipline and consistency.

See also: Introverts and The Art of Self Promotion

Are You In The Right Part of the Industry?

Often times you have to take an early opportunity to build up experience. Today designers are grateful to break into the industry at all and be acknowledged as a “real designer”.  The problems start a few years later when such designers find themselves still at that job, with little or no increase in salary, having gained much more experience and increased their value. In addition, while they love design they many not love the work they are doing for feel fulfilled by it. This can be draining and can diminish someones love of the craft. Some of you reading this may be having this experience right now.

There is a saying: “do the work you want to get hired for.”

With early jobs, whether you are a creative professional or some other service professional, you often find yourself “stuck” in the industry you start in or the part of the industry you start in. Often when your first job is as a server, you end up working in food services for a very long time. It is the same with designers. If you start in print, motion graphics or web, it will be difficult in many cases to convince anyone you can do something other than that.

While everyone needs to start somewhere, be sure to make it very clear what you want to accomplish in your career, even while accommodating what your current job requires. You may be surprised to find that your employer or supervisor or even your colleagues will help you in achieving those goals and transitioning if necessary.

Continue to invest the time in pursuing the work you are passionate about and checking things off of your “career bucket list”. Seek those opportunities even if your current job role doesn’t offer them. Good resumes are built on accomplishments, not job duties. Make sure you are not cheating yourself out of the best career you can have, by simply just doing your job. Build a career you can be proud of, by doing work you are proud of.