How To Turn Your Passion For Graphic Design Into A Full Time Job

Professional graphic designers create visual concepts for clients with the help of computer software or by hand.

​You communicate ideas with company managers and clients to captivate and inspire consumers. Other tasks as a full-time graphic designer may include meeting with clients and art directors, reviewing design errors and recommending suitable solutions, and presenting design concepts to companies and art managers. Your passion for creating graphics may help you land the job you desire. Here are five ways to help you start your career as a professional graphics designer:

Pursue a Formal Study in Graphic Design

A graphic designer with a certification may look better in the eyes of hiring companies as opposed to graphics enthusiasts without the right qualifications applying for the same job position. Get a graphic design certification to boost your chances of gaining clients or being hired for the position you want in a particular company.
Albeit not everyone can afford to pay for a three-year course in a prestigious university, there are online courses that can give you a certification without paying a cent. You may want to take these free online instructional programs in graphic design to help you build a diverse portfolio. A professional portfolio helps create a strong impression while providing proof of your value to clients and firms.

Don't Stop Working on Your Software Skills

Skills may deteriorate over time without proper practice, and that notion is true for graphic design as well. Put your passion for creating visually-compelling images to practice for as much time as you can. Working on your graphics creation, editing, and reviewing skills can help you deal with several offline and web design challenges.
Many graphic design jobs demand you to be proficient in using particular software like Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, GIMP, or InDesign. There are several courses on the Internet to help you enhance your skills in using specific graphic design software. You may even want to start watching YouTube video tutorials while following along instructors to get the hang of using a visual design application of your choice. But if you prefer someone personally teaching you of the hows of using these applications, you can start by signing up for a face-to-face learning course like an Adobe Illustrator training session.

Start as a Freelancer

After acquiring a graphic design certification, you might decide not to pursue a full-time job in designing graphics for a firm just yet. Instead, you might want to cater to a few freelancing jobs first. You can also use this time while you wait for the replies from the job applications you sent. Freelancing is an ideal way to continue to improve your skills as opposed to twiddling your thumbs while looking aimlessly at your email inbox hoping for a reply.
As you take on real-world projects, you help cement everything you’ve learned up to that period. Enhance your problem-solving skills in graphic design by translating theoretical ideas into meaningful practices. Successful freelancing projects may even give you a competitive edge against other applicants as you place your accomplishments in your portfolio and resume.

Become an Intern

If you’re not into the idea of freelancing, you can still gain experience while working as an intern for a graphic design company. Expand your connections and build your resume when you opt for this path. It may even lead to the firm absorbing you as a full-time staff member if you perform well throughout the internship period.
Learning through online courses and personal practice can only get you so far. To have a mentor teaching you about the ropes of professional graphic design will help you fill in the gaps regarding the tools, languages, and skills you might not encounter while practicing the craft alone.
Also, an internship helps you become exposed to real-life job expectations and deadlines. You can get customer-oriented ideas and put those thoughts into visually-attractive images for product labels, websites, and other mediums.

Always Stay Curious

Don’t forget to fuel your curiosity in graphic design. If you’re in a creative slump or you’ve hit a brick wall in searching for new ideas, it may be time to look at design challenges from a different perspective. Think outside the box, and you’ll find solutions that may be hiding in the corner of the room that you didn’t notice before.
Curiosity can also help sustain your enthusiasm and dedication to succeed in your desire to become a full-time graphic designer. Look at current and upcoming web design trends to draw inspiration from brands and other successful design choices coming from famous companies. Use these ideas to stimulate your interests as you pursue your path to becoming a full-time professional graphic designer.