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Career Exploration

Graphic Designers

Also called: Artist, Designer, Graphic Artist, Graphic Designer

What they do:

Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.

On the job, you would:
  • Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
  • Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
  • Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.
On the job, you'll need:

Engineering and Technology

  • design
  • computers and electronics

Arts and Humanities

  • music, dance, visual arts, drama, or sculpture
  • English language

Communications

  • multimedia

Business

  • sales and marketing

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • talking to others

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Social

  • changing what is done based on other people's actions
  • understanding people's reactions

Verbal

  • read and understand what is written
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • create new and original ideas
  • come up with lots of ideas

Artistic

People interested in this work like activities that include creating, designing, and making your own rules.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Cooperation
  • Innovation
  • Initiative

Web platform development software

  • AJAX
  • Oracle JavaServer Pages JSP

Video creation and editing software

  • Adobe After Effects
  • YouTube

Computer aided design CAD software

  • Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
  • Autodesk Revit

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Average.

New job opportunities are likely in the future.

Median Annual Salary: $57,990

Education

Bachelor's degree or high school diploma/GED is usually needed.