photoshop career

T
Posted By
thomas
Jan 27, 2004
Views
598
Replies
20
Status
Closed
i’m 20 years old and currently working on my bachelor’s degree in graphic design, i still have about 2 years left of schooling…i already got my associates majoring in computer art & design…i know photoshop pretty much like the back of my hand, and i know other programs quite well too (illustrator, flash, quark, etc)…and throughout my schooling so far all of my teachers have been very impressed with my work and have said i have a bright future in front of me…my question though goes out to any and all of you who actually work in this or a related field…how is the job market? i understand that it is competitive but how does a young face like me fare in the real world? any real life stories or experiences would be quite helpful…thank you

-tom

MacBook Pro 16” Mockups πŸ”₯

– in 4 materials (clay versions included)

– 12 scenes

– 48 MacBook Pro 16″ mockups

– 6000 x 4500 px

B
Bernie
Jan 27, 2004
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 23:23:58 -0800, "thomas"
wrote:

i’m 20 years old and currently working on my bachelor’s degree in graphic design, i still have about 2 years left of schooling…i already got my associates majoring in computer art & design…i know photoshop pretty much like the back of my hand, and i know other programs quite well too (illustrator, flash, quark, etc)…and throughout my schooling so far all of my teachers have been very impressed with my work and have said i have a bright future in front of me…my question though goes out to any and all of you who actually work in this or a related field…how is the job market? i understand that it is competitive but how does a young face like me fare in the real world? any real life stories or experiences would be quite helpful…thank you

-tom

Just a comment totally unrelated to your chosen careen path : apparently grammar is not your strong suit. And, shift key broken?

Regardless of what you may have be previously led to believe, neatness does count…especially on a resumΓ©.
MR
Mike Russell
Jan 27, 2004
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 23:23:58 -0800, "thomas"
wrote:

i’m 20 years old and currently working on my bachelor’s degree in graphic design, i still have about 2 years left of schooling…i already got my associates majoring in computer art & design…i know photoshop pretty much like the back of my hand, and i know other programs quite well too (illustrator, flash, quark, etc)…and throughout my schooling so far all of my teachers have been very impressed with my work and have said i have a bright future in front of me…my question though goes out to any and all of you who actually work in this or a related field…how is the job market? i understand that it is competitive but how does a young face like me fare in the real world? any real life stories or experiences would be quite helpful…thank you

-tom
Brian wrote:
Just a comment totally unrelated to your chosen careen path : apparently grammar is not your strong suit. And, shift key broken?
Regardless of what you may have be previously led to believe, neatness does count…especially on a resum
G
Glenn
Jan 27, 2004
Tip one: There is no excuse for your typing, learn to accept constructive criticism.

"thomas" wrote in message
oh well thank you very much for the helpful comments you dumb ass…i type my posts the same way in use IM, i type things out very quickly and i
don’t
feel the need to capitalize things when it’s just a post to a
newsgroup…if
its so hard for you to understand without the capitals i apologize, but i really don’t give a shit. and besides that i don’t see how my grammar is that terrible…and maybe before you try to criticize someone for it you should take a look at your own post. First of all, maybe you would like to use the word "career" instead of "careen"…also, between the word path
and
the colon there shouldn’t be a space. "And, shift key broken?" is a
sentence
fragment…you also have used the wrong form of the verb be…perhaps you meant to say "you may have been previously" and not "you may have be previously"…finally…the word resum
T
thomas
Jan 27, 2004
oh well thank you very much for the helpful comments you dumb ass…i type my posts the same way in use IM, i type things out very quickly and i don’t feel the need to capitalize things when it’s just a post to a newsgroup…if its so hard for you to understand without the capitals i apologize, but i really don’t give a shit. and besides that i don’t see how my grammar is that terrible…and maybe before you try to criticize someone for it you should take a look at your own post. First of all, maybe you would like to use the word "career" instead of "careen"…also, between the word path and the colon there shouldn’t be a space. "And, shift key broken?" is a sentence fragment…you also have used the wrong form of the verb be…perhaps you meant to say "you may have been previously" and not "you may have be previously"…finally…the word resum
T
thomas
Jan 27, 2004
mike
thank you for the ideas…i have been working on a website in my spare time…unfortunately i have little of it to devote with classes and whatnot…do you see it important that i have my own domain name…does it look unprofessional to use a free service…i appreciate the insight.

-tom

"Mike Russell" wrote in message
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 23:23:58 -0800, "thomas"
wrote:

i’m 20 years old and currently working on my bachelor’s degree in graphic design, i still have about 2 years left of schooling…i already got my associates majoring in computer art & design…i know photoshop pretty much like the back of my hand, and i know other programs quite well too (illustrator, flash, quark, etc)…and throughout my schooling so far all of my teachers have been very impressed with my work and have said i have a bright future in front of me…my question though goes out to any and all of you who actually work in this or a related field…how is the job market? i understand that it is competitive but how does a young face like me fare in the real world? any real life stories or experiences would be quite helpful…thank you

-tom
Brian wrote:
Just a comment totally unrelated to your chosen careen path : apparently grammar is not your strong suit. And, shift key broken?
Regardless of what you may have be previously led to believe, neatness does count…especially on a resum
C
cole
Jan 27, 2004
"thomas" wrote in message
i’m 20 years old and currently working on my bachelor’s degree in graphic design, i still have about 2 years left of schooling…i already got my associates majoring in computer art & design…i know photoshop pretty
much
like the back of my hand, and i know other programs quite well too (illustrator, flash, quark, etc)…and throughout my schooling so far all
of
my teachers have been very impressed with my work and have said i have a bright future in front of me…my question though goes out to any and all
of
you who actually work in this or a related field…how is the job market?
i
understand that it is competitive but how does a young face like me fare
in
the real world? any real life stories or experiences would be quite helpful…thank you

-tom

I agree with Brian – take up English.
Then do a related course like photography or something.
You’ll get a job for sure
MR
Mike Russell
Jan 27, 2004
thomas wrote:
mike
thank you for the ideas…i have been working on a website in my spare time…unfortunately i have little of it to devote with classes and whatnot…do you see it important that i have my own domain name…does it look unprofessional to use a free service…i appreciate the insight.

I think all that matters is what your images and layouts look like. If you have something original that looks good no one will care whether you use a free service or not.



Mike Russell
www.curvemeister.com
www.geigy.2y.net
SP
Steven Post
Jan 27, 2004
Three words: stick with it.

I’ve been freelancing for five years. There were some really tough periods in there, but now, despite the fact that the job market in Boston is very soft, I’ve got as much work as I can handle.

Diligence, I think, is even more important than talent.

sp

In article
wrote:

"thomas" wrote in message
i’m 20 years old and currently working on my bachelor’s degree in graphic design, i still have about 2 years left of schooling…i already got my associates majoring in computer art & design…i know photoshop pretty
much
like the back of my hand, and i know other programs quite well too (illustrator, flash, quark, etc)…and throughout my schooling so far all
of
my teachers have been very impressed with my work and have said i have a bright future in front of me…my question though goes out to any and all
of
you who actually work in this or a related field…how is the job market?
i
understand that it is competitive but how does a young face like me fare
in
the real world? any real life stories or experiences would be quite helpful…thank you

-tom

I agree with Brian – take up English.
Then do a related course like photography or something.
You’ll get a job for sure

H
Hecate
Jan 28, 2004
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 23:23:58 -0800, "thomas"
wrote:

i’m 20 years old and currently working on my bachelor’s degree in graphic design, i still have about 2 years left of schooling…i already got my associates majoring in computer art & design…i know photoshop pretty much like the back of my hand, and i know other programs quite well too (illustrator, flash, quark, etc)…and throughout my schooling so far all of my teachers have been very impressed with my work and have said i have a bright future in front of me…my question though goes out to any and all of you who actually work in this or a related field…how is the job market? i understand that it is competitive but how does a young face like me fare in the real world? any real life stories or experiences would be quite helpful…thank you
Tip No 1: Unless you’ve been using Photoshop since you were about 10 I doubt very much that you know Photoshop ;like the back of your hand – so the tip is, learn some humility. No one likes a pushy artist.

Tip No 2: Remember that you’re working for someone. it doesn’t matter whether you’re freelance or directly employed, you’re still working for someone. And what they want is what they get, not what you think they want.

Tip No 3: Flash is all very well, nice and, dare I say it flashy, but these days it would pay you to know Dreamweaver in preference to Flash (unless you intend to only work on prepress/print).

And like someone has already said, learn to communicate clearly – one long breathless paragraph will not encourage people to read through and reply and doesn’t give the impression of clear thinking.



Hecate

veni, vidi, reliqui
T
thomas
Jan 28, 2004
steven
thank you for the insight. i appreciate it.

-tom

"Steven Post" wrote in message
Three words: stick with it.

I’ve been freelancing for five years. There were some really tough periods in there, but now, despite the fact that the job market in Boston is very soft, I’ve got as much work as I can handle.
Diligence, I think, is even more important than talent.

sp

In article
wrote:

"thomas" wrote in message
i’m 20 years old and currently working on my bachelor’s degree in
graphic
design, i still have about 2 years left of schooling…i already got
my
associates majoring in computer art & design…i know photoshop pretty
much
like the back of my hand, and i know other programs quite well too (illustrator, flash, quark, etc)…and throughout my schooling so far
all
of
my teachers have been very impressed with my work and have said i have
a
bright future in front of me…my question though goes out to any and
all
of
you who actually work in this or a related field…how is the job
market?
i
understand that it is competitive but how does a young face like me
fare
in
the real world? any real life stories or experiences would be quite helpful…thank you

-tom

I agree with Brian – take up English.
Then do a related course like photography or something.
You’ll get a job for sure

T
thomas
Jan 28, 2004
hecate.
thank you very much for the tips…i have done some work with dreamweaver, but not that much really…i’ve always just done the HTML and CSS by myself, but is crucial that i completely learn this program? what about learning things like XML or PHP?
thanks again for the help

-tom

"Hecate" wrote in message
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 23:23:58 -0800, "thomas"
wrote:

i’m 20 years old and currently working on my bachelor’s degree in graphic design, i still have about 2 years left of schooling…i already got my associates majoring in computer art & design…i know photoshop pretty
much
like the back of my hand, and i know other programs quite well too (illustrator, flash, quark, etc)…and throughout my schooling so far all
of
my teachers have been very impressed with my work and have said i have a bright future in front of me…my question though goes out to any and all
of
you who actually work in this or a related field…how is the job market?
i
understand that it is competitive but how does a young face like me fare
in
the real world? any real life stories or experiences would be quite helpful…thank you
Tip No 1: Unless you’ve been using Photoshop since you were about 10 I doubt very much that you know Photoshop ;like the back of your hand – so the tip is, learn some humility. No one likes a pushy artist.
Tip No 2: Remember that you’re working for someone. it doesn’t matter whether you’re freelance or directly employed, you’re still working for someone. And what they want is what they get, not what you think they want.

Tip No 3: Flash is all very well, nice and, dare I say it flashy, but these days it would pay you to know Dreamweaver in preference to Flash (unless you intend to only work on prepress/print).

And like someone has already said, learn to communicate clearly – one long breathless paragraph will not encourage people to read through and reply and doesn’t give the impression of clear thinking.


Hecate

veni, vidi, reliqui
S
supchaka
Jan 28, 2004
Find a different profession is all I can say πŸ™‚ LOL Some people can mak it, some don’t. As I have seen a million times in business, and as yo have probably heard, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. If yo don’t know anyone, start looking for another job! Seriously though, don’t know a single person who has a story where they submit a resume get an interview and got hired for the bitchin job. Theres always friend of a friend, or someone lower in the company working their wa into another position.

One thing in your favor is that you are young and have no real worl experience. 99% of the time an employer will take a kid over someon with a ton of experience. I know because I’ve done it. That mor experienced person equals up to: 1. more money 2. their own opinions 3 attitude 4. more money. A kid can get the job done and keep their mout shut, and so what if they arent the greatest, they are ok in th dollar/performance ratio.

So when you find a job, suck up that pride, you arent going to get ric anytime soon, put in your time and look for advancements and try t make new friends within the industry. They can give heads up abou positions opening here or there. Just remember theres about 150 peopl waiting to replace you once you do get a job, its a matter of whethe you want to keep it or not.

Good luck on your journey

supchak
———————————————————— ———– Posted via http://www.forum4designers.co
———————————————————— ———– View this thread: http://www.forum4designers.com/message37789.htm
G
Glenn
Jan 28, 2004
Try to find some graphics work now, even if piece work for a print shop or maybe 3D texture design for games. But experience helps obtain that first job upon graduation.

Like someone else said, web page design is pretty inexpensive with the pool of high school age kids that will do a good job for a minimal price besides the competition from foreign outsourcing. But I assume a knowledge of web page design is a somewhat required these days for a well rounded computer graphics designer but the industrial coding is better left to the computer science majors.

"thomas" wrote in message
hecate.
thank you very much for the tips…i have done some work with dreamweaver, but not that much really…i’ve always just done the HTML and CSS by
myself,
but is crucial that i completely learn this program? what about learning things like XML or PHP?
thanks again for the help

-tom

"Hecate" wrote in message
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 23:23:58 -0800, "thomas"
wrote:

i’m 20 years old and currently working on my bachelor’s degree in
graphic
design, i still have about 2 years left of schooling…i already got my associates majoring in computer art & design…i know photoshop pretty
much
like the back of my hand, and i know other programs quite well too (illustrator, flash, quark, etc)…and throughout my schooling so far
all
of
my teachers have been very impressed with my work and have said i have
a
bright future in front of me…my question though goes out to any and
all
of
you who actually work in this or a related field…how is the job
market?
i
understand that it is competitive but how does a young face like me
fare
in
the real world? any real life stories or experiences would be quite helpful…thank you
Tip No 1: Unless you’ve been using Photoshop since you were about 10 I doubt very much that you know Photoshop ;like the back of your hand – so the tip is, learn some humility. No one likes a pushy artist.
Tip No 2: Remember that you’re working for someone. it doesn’t matter whether you’re freelance or directly employed, you’re still working for someone. And what they want is what they get, not what you think they want.

Tip No 3: Flash is all very well, nice and, dare I say it flashy, but these days it would pay you to know Dreamweaver in preference to Flash (unless you intend to only work on prepress/print).

And like someone has already said, learn to communicate clearly – one long breathless paragraph will not encourage people to read through and reply and doesn’t give the impression of clear thinking.


Hecate

veni, vidi, reliqui

T
tom187
Jan 28, 2004
"thomas" wrote:

oh well thank you very much for the helpful comments you dumb ass..

— snip —

Always remember that if you’re seeking a career in the grapics industry there is the distinct possibility that a potential employer reads these newsgroups. I know some employers in non-graphics fields who specifically search for Usenet posts from prospective employees.

And, in an unrelated comment I must disagree with a previous poster (sorry Mike ;-)) regarding having your own domain for an "online portfolio" site. I think the minimal expense and effort involved in registering a domain of your own pays big dividends in terms of demonstrating commitment to your future. You wouldn’t mail out a written resume on free paper with someone else’s advertising splashed all over it, would you?

Best of luck,
——————————-
Tom

Unsolicited advertisements cheerfully ignored.
T
thomas
Jan 28, 2004
haha
this is the kind of response i was afraid i’d get. is it possible to make a living off working freelance? or maybe starting a small design firm for myself and just advertise like a mofo.
i really appreciate all the responses to my question.

-tom
"supchaka" wrote in message
Find a different profession is all I can say πŸ™‚ LOL Some people can make it, some don’t. As I have seen a million times in business, and as you have probably heard, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. If you don’t know anyone, start looking for another job! Seriously though, I don’t know a single person who has a story where they submit a resume, get an interview and got hired for the bitchin job. Theres always a friend of a friend, or someone lower in the company working their way into another position.

One thing in your favor is that you are young and have no real world experience. 99% of the time an employer will take a kid over someone with a ton of experience. I know because I’ve done it. That more experienced person equals up to: 1. more money 2. their own opinions 3. attitude 4. more money. A kid can get the job done and keep their mouth shut, and so what if they arent the greatest, they are ok in the dollar/performance ratio.

So when you find a job, suck up that pride, you arent going to get rich anytime soon, put in your time and look for advancements and try to make new friends within the industry. They can give heads up about positions opening here or there. Just remember theres about 150 people waiting to replace you once you do get a job, its a matter of whether you want to keep it or not.

Good luck on your journey!

supchaka
———————————————————— ———— Posted via http://www.forum4designers.com
———————————————————— ———— View this thread: http://www.forum4designers.com/message37789.html
T
thomas
Jan 28, 2004
yes true. thats what i was worried about. thanks for the tips.

-tom

"Tom Thomas" wrote in message
"thomas" wrote:

oh well thank you very much for the helpful comments you dumb ass..

— snip —

Always remember that if you’re seeking a career in the grapics industry there is the distinct possibility that a potential employer reads these newsgroups. I know some employers in non-graphics fields who specifically search for Usenet posts from prospective employees.
And, in an unrelated comment I must disagree with a previous poster (sorry Mike ;-)) regarding having your own domain for an "online portfolio" site. I think the minimal expense and effort involved in registering a domain of your own pays big dividends in terms of demonstrating commitment to your future. You wouldn’t mail out a written resume on free paper with someone else’s advertising splashed all over it, would you?

Best of luck,
——————————-
Tom

Unsolicited advertisements cheerfully ignored.
H
Hecate
Jan 29, 2004
On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 23:54:36 -0800, "thomas"
wrote:

hecate.
thank you very much for the tips…i have done some work with dreamweaver, but not that much really…i’ve always just done the HTML and CSS by myself, but is crucial that i completely learn this program? what about learning things like XML or PHP?
thanks again for the help
A basic knowledge is certainly a good thing to have, but most web site designers will use Dreamweaver to get the job done. For commercial sites it’s also important to know about ASP, JSP, PHP and so forth. Whilst XML is nice, currently it’s not of massive use in web design, which is what I’m talking about as browsers are not yet set up to completely translate XML. Plus,m there is the usual disagreements about standards. XML, at the moment, is of more use in MS Office and within some Adobe products.

If you’re aiming to be a graphics designer, you don’t need to know how to program sites, you need to know how to design look ad feel. But, learning about the underlying languages is good, You’ll get less hassle from the site programmers if you can ask sensible questions πŸ™‚

It’s not something that is crucial but, if you were to get a job in a web design house, despite the fact that you may know what you’re doing in the graphics field, if you were employed to say, design front ends, they’re likely to want you to be able to operate DW at least at a reasonable level of competence.

Hope that helps. πŸ™‚

Good Luck πŸ™‚



Hecate

veni, vidi, reliqui
MC
MArtin Chiselwitt
Jan 29, 2004
thomas wrote:
haha
this is the kind of response i was afraid i’d get. is it possible to make a living off working freelance? or maybe starting a small design firm for myself and just advertise like a mofo.

Of course it’s possible. However, you have to be prepared to work VERY hard and long hours. I have been earning a living from freelance/running a small business in the UK for the last 3-4 years now, but it’s taken me a long time to get where I want to be. I have seen a lot of people ‘going under’ in recent times. You have picked an incredibly competitive industry to work in and you CANNOT LEARN ENOUGH, ‘imho’. Learning new software skills is part of the territory now. All the people I work for expect me to know a wide range of applications, Flash, Dreamweaver, Photoshop et al… Even on occasion 3D and audio! Fortunately, I teach people on a one-to-one basis and at a university where I get ample opportunity to aquire knowledge and learn new skills using their machines and software! [and the money’s not bad either!] It is not enough to just have talent. You have to develop a good, solid contact base over time and remain persistent and true to your individual vision. Rewards will come, in time. "Advertising like a mofo’ will not really benefit you in the short-term… Unless you have something unique to offer.
Somebody has already mentioned the aquisition of a little humility.. :] You would be wise to heed this advice. I have used Photoshop for over 5 years now and, although I consider myself quite expert in it, I still learn new things about it almost every time I use it and a lot from newsgroups such as this one. So, all I am saying is, be respectful and LISTEN to the advice of your peers.
Anyway, just some thoughts. I wish you much luck in your career,

mart c
T
thomas
Jan 29, 2004
mart c
thank you very much…that was very helpful…i didn’t mean to come off as cocky when talking about my skills, i know that im young and have alot to learn, i appreciate all of the good advice from everyone and the insight into the world i will soon be entering.
i have on other question…has anyone here taken the Adobe Certified Expert test for photoshop? i have thought about taking the test myself, but was waiting for CS to come out…im curious if anyone here has taken it, and if so, if it is really worth spending the cash to take it…does this really impress employers or clients?
thanks again everyone

-tom

"MArtin Chiselwitt" wrote in message
thomas wrote:
haha
this is the kind of response i was afraid i’d get. is it possible to
make a
living off working freelance? or maybe starting a small design firm for myself and just advertise like a mofo.

Of course it’s possible. However, you have to be prepared to work VERY hard and long hours. I have been earning a living from freelance/running a small business in the UK for the last 3-4 years now, but it’s taken me a long time to get where I want to be. I have seen a lot of people ‘going under’ in recent times. You have picked an incredibly competitive industry to work in and you CANNOT LEARN ENOUGH, ‘imho’. Learning new software skills is part of the territory now. All the people I work for expect me to know a wide range of applications, Flash, Dreamweaver, Photoshop et al… Even on occasion 3D and audio! Fortunately, I teach people on a one-to-one basis and at a university where I get ample opportunity to aquire knowledge and learn new skills using their machines and software! [and the money’s not bad either!] It is not enough to just have talent. You have to develop a good, solid contact base over time and remain persistent and true to your individual vision. Rewards will come, in time. "Advertising like a mofo’ will not really benefit you in the short-term… Unless you have something unique to offer.
Somebody has already mentioned the aquisition of a little humility.. :] You would be wise to heed this advice. I have used Photoshop for over 5 years now and, although I consider myself quite expert in it, I still learn new things about it almost every time I use it and a lot from newsgroups such as this one. So, all I am saying is, be respectful and LISTEN to the advice of your peers.
Anyway, just some thoughts. I wish you much luck in your career,
mart c
T
thomas
Jan 29, 2004
hecate.
thank you again…i love that i can talk with people who have already been through this whole process and know from the inside what it’s like…i appreciate it.

-tom

"Hecate" wrote in message
On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 23:54:36 -0800, "thomas"
wrote:

hecate.
thank you very much for the tips…i have done some work with
dreamweaver,
but not that much really…i’ve always just done the HTML and CSS by
myself,
but is crucial that i completely learn this program? what about learning things like XML or PHP?
thanks again for the help
A basic knowledge is certainly a good thing to have, but most web site designers will use Dreamweaver to get the job done. For commercial sites it’s also important to know about ASP, JSP, PHP and so forth. Whilst XML is nice, currently it’s not of massive use in web design, which is what I’m talking about as browsers are not yet set up to completely translate XML. Plus,m there is the usual disagreements about standards. XML, at the moment, is of more use in MS Office and within some Adobe products.

If you’re aiming to be a graphics designer, you don’t need to know how to program sites, you need to know how to design look ad feel. But, learning about the underlying languages is good, You’ll get less hassle from the site programmers if you can ask sensible questions πŸ™‚
It’s not something that is crucial but, if you were to get a job in a web design house, despite the fact that you may know what you’re doing in the graphics field, if you were employed to say, design front ends, they’re likely to want you to be able to operate DW at least at a reasonable level of competence.

Hope that helps. πŸ™‚

Good Luck πŸ™‚



Hecate

veni, vidi, reliqui

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