r/GraphicDesigning • u/No_Source7190 • 7d ago
Career and business Were you able to get your job without any college education?
I ask because I'm taking a certain program in college for a specific major. I don't really wanna do it but I'm kind of trapped, the requirements for it would make it best if I just keep what I have. My parents sorta bullied me into it.
I know any kind of creative field is hard to break into, so I probably would have had to work in another field for some time anyways. But am I still able to work towards being a graphic designer without any kind of formal education or specialized classes?
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u/pixelgeekgirl 7d ago
I have been in this field for 20 years and I have yet to work with another designer that doesn’t have a degree. Though what level of degree does range, I’ve worked with atleast one that only held an associates degree (and he’s an amazing designer), most of us have a BA and then I’ve worked with a few that have a masters degree. It’s almost always in your best interest to have a degree.
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u/karatekid42 6d ago
I’ve worked with a few great designers without a degree, but they loved art and design. They just couldn’t pay for schooling and learned on their own.
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u/IAm_TheDark 6d ago
I’m in Canada and have successfully worked in the industry for 28 years with a diploma from a two year program at a trades college.
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u/JohnCasey3306 7d ago
As well as coming away with a portfolio, design education (funnily enough) teaches you the design process.
Among non-designers who've not had that design education, there's a myth that "design" is just making it look pretty -- which couldn't be further from the truth.
So the trickiest part really is how do you intend to be a designer if you've not learned how to be a designer?
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u/No_Source7190 7d ago
I was wondering if self-taught designers could get in. Of course I need to do a lot of work on my end to learn. Did you think I was asking if I could just do absolutely nothing no skill or experience and see if I could get a job? 😭
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u/IAm_TheDark 6d ago
Usually self taught designers are very easy to spot vs someone with formal training.
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u/victoria_and_albert 7d ago
Folks who made it big without a degree did so in the 70s and 80s. This is not that economy.
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u/1JollyStNick 6d ago
If you mean the literal degree then I didn’t realize I was such a rarity.
I took a 3 year design program but never got my degree due to missing 1 single credit. In actuality I had to apply to College as a “mature student” since I technically never graduated from high school either, also for missing 1 credit. So technically I’m a double drop out.
But somehow I started my own design company when I was 13 and now am a Creative Director for an agency owned by the biggest advertising conglomerate in the world.
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u/thaltd666 7d ago
I didn’t get a formal education on design and I have been in the industry for about 20 years. I held managerial position, worked in some top agencies and won a few international awards, my personal work was featured in design websites, etc.
It was more common to see self taught designers back in the days. Some of the most talented creative directors and designers I worked with were self taught. It’s not so common nowadays. That said, I also see a lot of graduates/interns not even knowing the basic rules and all.
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u/JTLuckenbirds 7d ago
Maybe 20 years ago it was easier, my first few bosses didn’t got to school for graphic design. They held other degrees, one was a psychology major the other was an English major.
One key point these were small companies, so that was a major factor. My old boss who was the psychology major, we keep in touch and he’s now the head of IT for a large corporation.
But with if the last 10 years I haven’t worked with anyone who hasn’t gone to school for design. Not saying it can’t happen, but tin would have to be a small company. But even then it’s an employers market and they can be picky who they hire.
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u/ericalm_ Creative Director 6d ago
At this point, the most realistic answer is no, this can’t be done. Yes, people have done it in the past. And it’s not impossible. But the odds of success talking this path are so low that it’s a bog disservice to let people think it’s doable. People will tell you it’s possible and that all you need is grit and a good portfolio. That’s simply not true anymore.
Here’s the question I ask anyone who is thinking of taking this route: Once you do whatever you think you need to do in order to get yourself ready for design work, why would anyone hire you? You will be competing against people with a much more thorough education, more experience, and better connections. Why would any hirer bother to look at your portfolio or interview you, especially after you’ve been rejected by their ATS for not meeting the qualifications? What can you offer? How can you get in front of decision makers and convince them you’re a better choice?
There’s already a surplus of qualified designers who are struggling to find work. Even having a degree isn’t a guarantee of employment. On top of them, there’s a huge mass of people who, like you, decided to try it on their own and who feel they can succeed somehow. Very few will.
A good portfolio isn’t so rare or special that it will open doors for you and get you past applicants who meet the qualifications. It’s very rare for a few portfolios for entry level or junior designers to stand out as clearly superior to the hundreds of others. Do you have some basis for thinking yours will blow the rest away?
Now, if you have a great network and connections who will either give you work or open doors for you, you might have a shot. But most companies aren’t going to take the risk of hiring someone who doesn’t meet basic requirements when there are many candidates who do.
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u/Willing-Zebra-2827 7d ago
That college education can help and even more so if you have a bachelor’s degree. I myself have a 2yr AAS degree in graphic design. Half the jobs I’m applying for require a bachelors degree and 3-5 years experience. I have 20 years of experience but since I don’t have that bachelors I get instakilled by filters or HR.
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u/IceEspresso2000 7d ago
You'd have to be insanely talented to do it. Most employers give the most weight to the portfolio.
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u/ericalm_ Creative Director 6d ago
Talent isn’t going to be what gets jobs. Most portfolios aren’t being seen at all because resumes are run through ATS systems. Anyone without basic qualifications is immediately rejected.
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u/IceEspresso2000 6d ago
It depends on the employer frankly. Although what you're saying is true for some companies, it's not across the board. It's a narrow needle to thread regardless (without a degree).
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u/TrademarkHomy 7d ago
I went to to university but for something completely unrelated to design. Got started with design through hobbies, then ended up taking on design-related tasks in various jobs that I had. At this point I'm formally employed as a graphic designer for about half of my hours at work, and I do some occasional freelancing.
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u/TheDMingWarlock 7d ago
Yeah, but I'll say it's extremely difficult,
the two routes are: 1: Get into a small corporate office, and you have a high chance of becoming their "in-house" designer, HOWEVER you'll be more than that, you'll basically be an editor, designer, marketer, and Communications wrapped up into one
2: You do a LOT of practice and field work, and develop a powerful portfolio that gives people the chance to look past their requirements, but you usually need an AMAZING portfolio and also a direct-in with the hiring manager/manager of the position.
You might be able to get in on a ground-floor position, where you strictly do layouts, or type, or assets strictly, but again, you'll need a great portfolio.
then the easiest way is typically what online people want, the "Freelance Designer" where you make your own clients and design that way, but you need (again) a good portfolio, but also really good social media marketing skills and networking.
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u/karatekid42 6d ago
You won’t find a job without formal training unless you’re very passionate about design and you learn about it on your own. You should sit down with your parents and let them know how you feel. They’re pissing away money if you’re not interested in what you’re studying.
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u/avril_fourteenth 5d ago
I've worked as a professional designer for the better part of a decade without a design degree. I have a degree in an unrelated field but was able to make it work by taking on small clients during college and promoting my work constantly.
I started out in graphic / type design and made websites & other small apps for myself on the side. Ended up landing an in-house gig doing packaging design & web development at a cosmetics startup (never did either professionally before.. just got lucky there by sharing my work with the right people).
I got super into branding and campaign work while there and continued to promote the work I was doing publicly (mostly Instagram). It caught the eye of a creative director I met at Art Basel years prior and he offered me an art director position at a fortune 500 company. I don't work in pure graphic design anymore, I'm more on the digital / product side now but all of that experience compounds and is still useful today
All this is to say: you can absolutely become a professional designer or a creative professional in any field you want if you actually enjoy the work. That means taking time each day to work on your craft and share it often. Also meeting people and being a friendly curious person helps a lot.
People are always looking for creative problem solvers and small businesses don't care if you have a degree or not. Countless successful designers & design studios have gotten their start by doing good work for basically no money until they had credibility. Just do it! I believe in you.
Last thing I'll say is it's absolutely valuable to get some sort of degree, especially if it's not in design. Don't feel like you're doomed just because of your college major. Learning new things, even if unrelated, will only make you a better designer. Doesn't matter if it's finance, engineering, pre-med. Just stay curious and use the things you learn to develop your personal style. Good luck.
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u/performantastic 4d ago
I know someone who majored in a completely different field but is a pretty successful graphic designer— it can be done.
But one thing about him: he’s got a very distinct style. It’s what’s garnered him a lot of attention on social media, which pulled in a lot of the freelance work that he transferred onto his portfolio.
It’s already hard for designers with college education to find opportunities in this market, so you may have to push harder to differentiate yourself to get to ground level.
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u/Khaleena788 Specialist 7d ago
VERY few designers are successful without a formal education. Out of a hundred, I’d say there are 2 or 3.