Graphics & Multimedia: In-Depth Career Guide to Graphics & Multimedia: In-Depth Career Guide

Which Types of Jobs Are Available for Those Interested in Graphics and Multimedia?

Those in graphic design jobs are charged with communicating ideas visually on behalf of clients or employers. Graphic designers think differently from many of us, taking a spatial, three-dimensional approach to solving problems.

What do graphic designers communicate? Anything from advertising slogans to annual reports on media as diverse as company signs, trade show exhibits, Web sites, video games, magazines, product packages, films, television programs, and even cell phone displays.

The benefits of graphics and multimedia careers are numerous--you get to utilize your creativity, be involved in communicating important messages to the public, work with diverse groups of people, repeatedly sink your teeth into challenging projects, and even, if self-employed, call your own shots as to whom you'll work for or what kinds of projects you'll take on. But competition in this field is tough, which is why looking into graphics and multimedia degree programs is a good idea.

Formal Training Required to Work in Graphics and Multimedia

It is possible to work in graphics and multimedia careers with only a certificate or two-year associate's degree. However, because of the expansive and rapidly changing technology of this field and its competitive nature, those with bachelor's degrees have the best chances for employment. Additionally, because technology does change so rapidly, and because most graphic designers are judged by style evolution, continuing education is a must--especially if you intend to advance to leadership roles.

The best graphics and multimedia courses involve extensive amounts of studio work, actually designing hands-on. According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), "Learning takes place through the analysis of problems and possible solutions using composition, typography, photography, images, and space. Students use materials and processes from basic hand skills to computers to create communications."

Your studies in a graphic design program may involve taking on real-world client problems to solve through graphic design and multimedia, developing a style of your own as you create a portfolio to show potential employers.

In addition to formal schooling, graphic designers must be curious and creative by nature and be able to find inspiration in the world around them. They must also be excellent communicators; if you can't sell your ideas, you won't have much success in this career. Plus, because creative work naturally comes with a certain amount of criticism or rejection, it helps to have a tough skin and be willing to take risks.

The Typical Career Path of Someone Interested in Graphics and Multimedia

With training in graphics and multimedia, you could find yourself working in an advertising or marketing firm's creative department, for an in-house marketing department at large corporation, at a sign company, at a publishing house, with a film or television production company, as a university design professor, or for yourself as a freelance designer. Many graphic designers specialize in a certain type of design, which may fall into the following list of typical graphical designer duties:

• Web design
• Video game design
• Computer software design (multimedia)
• Advertising/marketing design (print ads, Internet ads, commercials, etc.)
• Television graphics
• Signage design
• Package design
• Educational design (educational CD-ROMs, etc.)
• Illustration
• Identity design (corporate logos, business cards, etc.)
• Corporate communications (brochures, annual reports, etc.)

Of the nearly 25,000 people who enter graphic design careers each year, only about 30 percent are still in the field five years later. This is a highly competitive, highly challenging career fraught with possible rejection at every turn. Clients come and go, economies boom and bust, and everyone's looking for the "next big thing." Staying on top of your game is essential in this field, but those who do may wind up in leadership positions, such as chief designer, art or creative directors, filmmaker, or even agency director.

Job Outlook and Salary Information for Those Interested in Graphics and Multimedia

Although graphic and multimedia designers will always be needed to communicate messages visually, the competition to get and keep these jobs is intense. That's why graphics and multimedia jobs are projected to grow about as fast as average from 2008-2018, at a rate of 13 percent, with continued slowing in design jobs for print. Those with Web site design and animation experience should have the best opportunities.

According to the AIGA, entry-level designers earned a median annual salary of $35,000 in 2008. Staff-level designers earned a median $45,000, and senior designers earned a median $60,000. Entrepreneur designers earned a median $57,000.