You’ve already completed your bachelor’s degree, perhaps years ago. Maybe you majored in computer programming, or maybe you majored in anthropology. Once out of school, you began at the entry level and worked your way up. But now, you want something different. You want to begin a career in graphic design. How do you make a 180-degree career change?

Seek a certificate

Many technical schools, community colleges, and even traditional four-year universities offer certifications in Web design or graphic arts. These programs, when combined with previous professional experience, such as a bachelor’s degree and several post-college years in the workforce, can be powerful tools with which to break into graphic design.

The advantages of pursuing a certification over a degree are time- and cost-savings. First, aspiring graphic designers are saved the hassle of having to take college general education requirements all over again. Some college classes, especially basic English, math, and science courses, might seem like they’d be a breeze to re-take, but the hours of work they require can be trying for adults with full-time careers. Just as important, graphic and Web design certifications are less expensive. 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.

To find the right program for your career needs, consider the major factors: cost, time until certificate completion, and breadth of skills taught. If you want to break into Web design, you will need to know how to work with text and images – and will likely need to understand how to use photo and graphic editing programs; Web design programs; file transfer protocol (FTP) clients; and probably, some Web scripting languages, as well. Graphic designers might need to know most or all of these skills, as well – and, more likely than not, will also need to understand typography and vector graphic creation.

Sell your design skill sets

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. Or, you might have lucked out by getting to take a portfolio preparation class as part of the certification process. In either case, 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. If you feel that your design portfolio is lacking pieces that show off certain skills, you can always add onto it after you’ve finished the design program.

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. Start-ups typically have tight budgets, and many new companies cannot spend money on a design professional with years of experience. If your portfolio is good, and you can sell your skills, you can work your way up to a significant freelance client load.

If at first you have difficulty landing interviews, or land them, but can’t land the job, don’t despair. It takes many people – some of whom wind up being quite successful – a while to break into a career they really love. Perhaps your resume or cover letter is not attracting a would-be interviewer’s attention. If you suspect this is the case, seek a professional to critique these items. Or, maybe you’re not a confident interviewer. Grab a friend or relative and practice your presentation. Finally, it might be possible that the positions for which you’ve applied are not good fits: you’re over-qualified, under-qualified, or are competing against too many applicants. Keep trying, and in the meantime, keep your graphic and Web design skills sharp. Soon, you’ll land the position of your dreams.

Modern business is about being visible. The more “seen” a business is, the more income it generates. For businesses – be they large or small – to survive, it is vitally important that they reach out to every segment of society. This is possible only by being seen at the most happening and visible arena available – the Internet. Businesses have understood the potential of advertising themselves on the Internet and this has created a niche for people who know to make such advertising possible. Advertising on the World Wide Web is greatly different from traditional advertising. It demands an ability to fuse a business sense with artistic flair and style and when the two combine seamlessly, a great website is born.

Conceiving a Website
Creating a website to advertise a business is not a job to be taken lightly. How the site looks and interacts with the end user is very important and this is where professionals who excel at graphic design and web design enter the scene. Looking good is something all of us want. It is no different for websites. The visual impact of a website is a matter of great concern for web developers. Surfers of the Internet go through the net at a very fast clip and to capture their attention is a challenge. This challenge can be easily met if the website is professionally created and is clear, imaginative in concept and provides all information in an easy and non-fussy manner. This will help in generating greater viewer ship which will directly increase value for the website.

Designing a Website
The look of a website almost always decides it success. For a website to achieve optimum viewer ship, it has to be constructed and designed keeping the end user in mind. It is important that a design incorporates the basic principles of shape, texture, lines, direction and colour with excellent graphics to be attractive and impact-full. For this the quality of the graphic design of the website would have to be totally eye catching and innovative. People are attracted to the way graphics are used to entice them and the newer the concept, the more followers one finds for them.

Along with the visual quality it is primary that the content of the site also be of high quality. If graphics are excellent but the language used in the site is substandard, the entire vision of the website is lost. If graphic design is the body of a website then content is its very soul. To ensure that both aspects of the site are paid proper attention and to maximise the effect that both can have together, great attention needs to be paid to the chosen web design.

Choosing the best possible options of these two elements and finding providers of the same is surely a formidable task. It necessitates that the people doing the developing of the site are able to integrate the vision of the business with a design that will sell the business in the most favourable manner.

When I was considering what to write about for my first post, I thought why not write about something that I have learnt, so I can share with yourselves. Setting up as a web and graphic design freelancer is not easy. Some people think it is the easy option, but they are wrong. The easy option is getting a standard salary and getting sick pay and nice holidays here and there. When you are stood on your own two feet – it is tough. You must consider, if you are ill you need to make up the hours at another time and if you would like a holiday – you do not get paid.

Whilst there are a couple of negatives, we must not forget the positives. You may choose you hours, so you think you fancy a lie in this morning? Have one! Fancy finishing an hour earlier, then do it! Got an appointment or need to take someone to the airport, be flexible! You world is your oyster and that is the most important thing. You choose your destiny.

I always have a glance at the island. Yes the island. What island, I here you say? The island in which Richard Branson created. He worked hard and he has a lot to show for it. So every Monday morning, I will watch the short snippet and that my friends, is my motivation. You may be comfy on what you are earning, but some of you may push yourselves. Being an extremely ambitious person, I like a challenge, hence the freelancing situation.

I could potentially earn as much as I want. How you ask? Well if the work is not coming to you, then you shall go to the work. Here are 8 tips as to what I would recommend doing before starting out as a freelancer and when you do actually start out.

1) Be organised.

You cannot get anywhere by being messy and unorganised. Use a diary to jot down appointments and schedule in your work. I always make a to-do list when I start the day and put times next to it (1hr, 2hrs etc) so my day is planned out.

2) Create your identity

You must consider who you are and what you want to be. You can’t just be a designer who is like everyone else. Basic logo. Basic Website. What makes you different? What do you like working on? What is your graphic style? What makes you unique? When you can answer those questions, you can then form a completely new identity for yourself. Then there is the exciting part – your logo and stationary!

3) Get yourself known

Whether you go leaflet dropping, business card handing-out, phoning potential clients. Whatever you THINK needs to be done, needs to be done. Remember, you are not just any old harry. As a designer, you need to think outside the box. What will get you noticed, what will make people want you to work for them? I know from just starting out as a freelancer that the funds are not there. They don’t have to be, you can create a design concept on the cheap side and still look quality. What you put in, you will get out.

4) Portfolio

Ok, so you need to organise your print portfolio into a nice clean leather folder, A3 is usually a good size. No hairs though and everything nice and shiny. If you show you can take pride in you work, your client will know that you will take pride in ‘their’ work. Which is always a good thing!

I would say 8-10 good pieces, you don’t want to bore people with your 50 average projects – choose only the best! Start with a good piece and end with a good piece, don’t let your folder go from amazing to absolutely stinking awful!

An online portfolio is also important. I usually send a link in an email as many people will ask you to email them your work. I also include a PDF digital portfolio with 8-10 pieces of the best ones on my website. A PDF is always good as this will be stored on the computer and you never know when they may need you!

5) From home, not from home….

A lot of freelancers enjoy working from home, which is great if you have kids, get to spend more time with your partner etc etc. However, this actually put me off going freelance. I knew I would get sucked in to Jeremy Kyle or start cleaning or my partner would ask me why I have not done anything as I have “been at home all day” (not realising that I have been working).

I like routine and I like getting up and going out, meeting people and I guess I thought it may be a bit lonely. Whilst I did not have the funds to buy an office I decided I would find somewhere for FREE.

You have lots of options, there are many cafes that setup wireless connections, the library, the park on a nice day. I managed to find a scheme called the ‘Northern Lights’ which was based at the University I went to. They help start up businesses and you can use their facilities FREE of charge. So a desk, telephone, printers, internet, hire a meeting room etc. It was great. You must look into this, you find you can focus more and get more done! Especially if it is open 24/7.

6) Website

Make sure you have one! Even if you are more a graphic designer than a web designer, it is important you get your work online. Keep up to date with what is going on! Everyone has a website nowadays, you need to keep up with the times. Create a website that reflects you and your personality. Show people what they are going to get!

7) Advertising

There are various options from paid advertising to free. Let’s start with paid, you can put some money on google AdWords or facebook advertising. There are hundreds of websites. Print advertising, promotional advertising. The free ones are options like Gumtree, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. You must network. You must chat to people. Remember! You cannot be out there for yourself. You have to help one another and you have to be keen to learn. If you are not interested in networking with other people, then why would they recommend you to someone when they haven’t even spoke to you… your just on their friends list on facebook? They’re not! Chat chat chat. Help help help. Blog blog blog. It’s a lot of hardwork, but worth it in the long run!

8 ) Enjoy

Lastly, remember….enjoy! You must enjoy being a freelancer. I find graphic and web design as more of a hobby I love it that much. I go to sleep at night dreaming about the next exciting project, I don’t find it sad. I find it rewarding. Reward yourself when you do something good and don’t forget that even though there maybe some mountains to claim, you will only see bright things when you get to the top!