Top tips for students considering a career in graphic design

Here at BergHind Joseph we are often contacted by students looking to gain valuable insights into how a design agency operates and the day-to-day life of a graphic designer. Sometimes it’s A-level students weighing up whether to pursue a degree or foundation studies in design; in other instances it’s degree students looking for highly valued hands-on experience.

Our most recent visitors, Christy and Subrina, fell into the first category – contemplating degree studies – so with them in mind, we thought we’d offer up the following tips for students considering a career in graphic design.

1. Talk to professional designers.
However supportive your lecturers may be, you may find more rounded and impartial views from within the design industry, as most of us have been there, after all. We’re generally a pretty friendly bunch, so as long as you’re polite and find out who the best person is to contact, you’re likely to get a positive response. What’s more, building up contacts is more crucial now than ever, so the sooner you start the better.

2. Research your subject
With a multitude of graphic design books, magazines and blogs to hand, it really pays to explore your subject – ensuring you’re fully prepared for those entrance interviews! Here are a few recommendations:

books: http://www.magmabooks.com/content/bookshop/cats.asp?c=GRA&sc=11
magazines: http://blog.inkd.com/designers/the-15-best-magazines-for-print-designers
blogs: http://www.davidairey.com/design-blogs/

3. Visit universities and colleges, when it’s not an official open day
Don’t expect them to thank you for it, but you’ll probably get a much better feel for how the course is run, class sizes, student engagement, computer access, etc. this way. Open days often become an exercise in sweeping things under the carpet!

4. Avoid rushing your design education
If your design experience is limited, there is no substitute for Foundation courses and National Diplomas. These offer an invaluable platform for degree studies, introducing the many different disciplines within graphic design and encouraging creativity and experimentation.

5. Don’t be too intimidated by the statistics
With thousands of new design graduates unleashed into the industry every year, it’s true to say that competition for jobs has never been so intense. That said proactive graduates with great portfolios will always get noticed. So, if you are truly passionate about design and are prepared to put in the hard word, it’s an incredibly rewarding career choice.