Briefly describe your job.
I design marketing material (flyers, postcards, brochures, logos, etc.) in a fast-paced office, using Photoshop, Illustrator and Quark.

How long have you been working in this field?

I have been working in this field about 7 months

When and how did you decide to choose this career?

I have always liked to draw cartoons for fun. In college I worked for the school newspaper where I drew cartoons to illustrate stories. The design team taught me how to enhance them using Photoshop. I also did layout design where I learned some basic typography and graphic design rules. That is when I realized that I wanted to learn more about it.

What education and training did you receive before entering your field?
I have taken art classes since I was very young, and continued at a magnet arts high school. In high school I took college level painting and illustration classes in an art school in New York City, and then went to an art academy in Philadelphia for a year after high school. In college, I majored in psychology, worked for the school newspaper and took graphic design and painting classes for fun. 

How did you begin OR what was your first job in the field?
Since I didn't major in graphic design and had very little experience, I first worked as an intern in a non-profit organization in Orlando for one summer.

From that, I had enough of a portfolio to start applying for jobs. I found an entry level graphic design/printing company, which I am still working for.

Describe a typical day on the job?
Every day we divide the jobs that we are working on between all of the designers. We call or email each client to follow up to see what they thought about the design or to get more information from them.

We have about 12 projects each per day to work on, so we are always designing, sending proofs, following up, etc.

What do you like most about what you do?
My favorite part about what I do is creating logos and identities for new companies.

What has been the most rewarding experience so far in your career?
It is rewarding to help people visually communicate their ideas, when they can't do it themselves. 

What do you like least about your job?
Many clients draw out exactly what they want, and ask that we re-create it on the computer.  That does not let the designer have much creative freedom.

What is the biggest challenge for you in this job?

It is very fast-paced, and it can be challenging to be creative under the pressure of someone telling you that they needed their design "yesterday," or that they need their marketing material in order to make a living.

What would you like to say to someone considering this career?

Find out what employees look for now, so you can prepare for what you will need later. You get an idea by reading job requirements on websites like craigslist.

What are the most important personal and professional skills necessary to succeed in your field?

As in anything, it is very important to be organized and have a strong work ethic.
Aside from that, in graphic design it is important to listen to what the client wants. It sounds simple enough, but many designers don't really hear what the client is asking for, and do something completely off track. It is still possible to be creative within the guidelines of what the client wants.

What would a person interested in entering this field have to do to get a good job in it?
I didn't major in graphic design, but there are still other ways to learn about the field and get experience. I worked for my school newspaper, took a graphic design class, and always painted. My graphic design professor said that he is more interested in someone's design skills and creativity than their expertise in the computer programs. It is important to understand that the computer is just a tool that can be easily learned.

Also, don't wait to be hired somewhere to get experience. Look for friends or
family who might need a graphic designer, and test out what it is really like.