Doodling can make you money if you do it for the right person or enterprise. Yes, graphic design is a dynamic and creative career choice for almost anyone who is seeking a new job after being unemployed or leaving a position. If you are a creative person and love illustration (or you can simply do it the best), then being a designer will certainly be the career for you.
Unemployment is a rising problem in almost all nations around the globe. Economic situations are more difficult and complex. However, if you stick to doing the thing that you do best, then you can easily get a job as a designer and enjoy a decent income. In this post, we are going to take a quick look at a few basic aspects of graphic design and learn how to be a designer to get re-employed.
1. What Can We Say about Graphic Design in General as a Career?
In the simplest sense, a graphic designer means an illustrator who communicates with his or her audience through pictures and art majorly. Yes, it does involve the words but that too in an illustrative way.
From a business perspective, a graphic designer is a person who illustrates and creates visual content for print and digital media to help a brand connect and communicate more effectively with customers or consumers. A designer can use colours; images; shapes; words, and other tools to create visual content.
2. What Kind of Visual Content Are We Looking At?
As mentioned earlier, doodling can pay you money. A designer works independently to come up with new creative ideas based on the information and the purpose of the company. Although the work is majorly purpose-driven, we can still say that there is a dominant presence of creativity in it. A designer uses his or her innovative thinking to come up with the following types of visual content:
- Advertisements
- Commercials
- Logo; Typography; Colour Pallets
- Book; Magazine covers and internal designs/ layouts
- Brochure/ Catalogue design
- Signage
- Video game design
- User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX Design
Graphic designers are also responsible for making creative and interesting photo edits and social media posts or banners. Sometimes, mascot design and other design aspects for such physical things are also given to designers in a company.
3. Will Graphic Design Be a Good Career When I am Unemployed?
When you are unemployed or have no job, any kind of work will help you out. It will pay your bills and help you manage urgent payments (if any).
With a graphic design career, you may get a variety of opportunities. Designers are required in a diverse way. If you know where designers are placed, finding a job wouldn’t be troublesome. Look at the following points to understand this more:
- You can easily get into marketing jobs with the help of graphic design expertise. Digital marketing teams will always welcome designers warm-heartedly.
- Advertisement and PR are two of the most common areas to get a job as a designer. You may like these jobs as well because of travelling to different areas for things such as campaigns.
- You will find it interesting to work as a designer in the art industry, including television and films. You can get greater freedom in working there.
- Many graphic designers find themselves happily employed in the publishing business.
- If you are interested in the video game industry, you must know that the game artist is designated. If you have skills in designing using software and hand-drawn illustrations and can come up with out-of-the-box ideas to come up with impressive game art design, then you can get yourself a job pretty fast.
You may need to learn a little. However, you may not have to go for a long and time-consuming degree course for learning how to design. Consider the shorter courses from regular colleges or universities. You can also check out online courses.
In many cases, we have seen an unemployed person start his or her next job or business from home. Graphic design may help you in that area too. You can choose to work remotely or in a freelance way with your employer. In this route, you may work with international brands or clients and earn good money as well.
Yes, educating yourself and setting up your workstation at home might be a little troublesome when you are unemployed. Maybe you cannot afford to make these investments for a low bank balance. Some people might also suffer financial issues such as bad credit scores. They might take out one of the short-term loans for the unemployed as an alternative. Direct lenders offer these loans at the best rates and more than one repayment package. Therefore, finding a direct lender first might be a good idea before searching for loans.
4. How to Be a Graphic Designer Even If I am Unemployed?
You may get a step-by-step guide here to learn about how to get into this industry. Maybe all of the steps mentioned below won’t be relevant to you. However, most of them will, and following them, you may hopefully find a job as a designer soon.
- Get educated first. We have already mentioned that certification is unimportant for a job, but creativity is. However, short online degrees or other programs also offer certification these days. To get documented proof of your studying, go for a course that will award a certificate at the end of your education. However, you may not have to follow this point if you are a skilled designer.
- Now, it is time to make your portfolio. Again, you can ignore this point if you have already made one. However, it is always a good opportunity to work on your existing portfolio and make it even more improved. Put the best work you have made in your portfolio. Don’t hesitate to use offline illustrations. Just scan them and make their digitised versions.
- If you have managed your finances for a few months, then going for an internship can work well for you. Although they don’t pay initially, they can transform into permanent designations in a few months. You can turn to your savings to secure funds for this time. Or you may learn a little about short-term loans for the unemployed. Since you can pay these loans back with the money you will earn at your next job, they are great in offering you a little time to organise yourself and get your career back on track.
- Join a community of graphic designers. Find them online. Join forums. Or simply contact other designers you may know. It might help in quick employment.
- Go for creating profiles as a job seeker. Attach your portfolio to that profile. Also, make searches by yourself and contact more than one employer in a day. Appear in as many interviews as you can, and be a little aggressive with them. You will surely get a job soon.
-
To Conclude
Keep in mind that finding a job equals your efforts. If you have worked hard in this time of unemployment and have made a few smart moves, then gaining another position will be easy. Just try your best. You will be rewarded for sure.