Aspiring graphic designer looking for tips and advice :)

[JET]

Without going into a long description of my personal 45+ year history in graphics work, having been in positions of hiring graphic designers and illustrators, I'll offer this:

• Build the strongest portfolio of your work that you can. I can tell much more about a student's real-world ability from that than from their school transcript.

• Don't think yourself an expert on the basis of your degree. At best, that just makes you an interested beginner. Your real education will begin on the real-world job.

• Don't get "married" to any particular software. Software comes and goes, and different companies use different software for different reasons. Take advantage of every opportunity to gain at least working familiarity with as many different tools to which you can gain access. Everyone has their "favorite" program. But too many applicants reveal their emotional dependency upon one particular program and fear of using any other. That's a "button pusher; a one-trick pony." And it's a red flag to the interviewer. I can teach a monkey to push a button. What I always looked for is indication that the applicant understands the underlying principles of the graphics tools, processes, and workflows.

When I see, first, a strong portfolio from an applicant who, second, is able to answer a few " how and why" questions, it doesn't matter one whit to me what brand software with which the applicant has the most "muscle memory." I would every time favor an obviously talented applicant who uses a different program but understands what she's been doing, over one who has merely memorized commands and buttons of the program currently deployed. Such a person is easily adaptable and a stronger asset.

JET

[wizard509]

• Your real education will begin on the real-world job.

•

How true that is.

Keep your eyes open and learn.
keep a sketchpad with you and jot down your ideas. You never know when an idea strikes that you may not remember later.
In my case I wanted to be a painter so I had to learn perspective both for myself and if need be teach others to draw so I could concentrate on painting and meet the deadlines, most of all I learned by doing.