Need some career advice.

DarkMecha

So first, a short bit of backstory:

I earned an associates in advertising and graphic design in 2005. I've got about 4 years work experience in that field, the best job being when I worked at UNCG on a project called Econ 201. The rest is just random jobs and some freelance work when I could find it. I love art and design, but jobs in it are often hard to come by. I noticed that many graphic design jobs want people who can also code, mostly html, css, php and javascript but sometimes others. So with that in mind I decided to look into going back to school, and found out I was eligible for a Pell Grant at the same community college I earned my previous associates at. I'm currently in my 3rd semester for an associates in web technologies. I was working part time at this local store, managing the back end of their ecommerce site, but was laid off on the 7th. In searching around for jobs I noticed many web / design / coding related jobs required bachelor degrees, which is out of the question for me. I can't afford it in time or money (I'm 29, I want to get my life on track, not spend it in school).

This brings me to my question - I need advice on job possibilities and starting my own freelance business. For now I'm happy to work just about any job that uses some of my skills, even if it isn't the most creative or whatever. I'm also really interested in starting a freelance business using my skills, I just don't really know how to get started. I'm concerned my lack of a bachelor's degree is going to hold me back, so any advice on how I might overcome such a handicap would be helpful indeed!

I'm going to be as open minded as I can about any career / freelance advice you guys can give me. The only restriction I have is that, due to a foot condition that makes standing for long periods unbearably painful, I cannot work any retail jobs (they always want you to stand forever). I'm also in school full time atm, but that will change after I graduate next spring, so any post-college advice would also be appreciated.

Thanks.

Aldo

I am certain there are various graphic designers on these forums who can give you an idea of what employers are expecting of someone like you.

My bit of advice is to have a portfolio online where you show your best work, the kind of quality your customers will get when they pay you to design something.

Also: you just have to watch this keynote talk, even if you know all of it, it's a good reminder of what freelancing entails:

DarkMecha

Thank you Aldo, that was a great watch. Bookmarked for future reference as well.

I've done some freelance here and there before, but only as a side thing for extra money. It went sour a few times and I didn't get paid all or any of the agreed upon fee, so I now see the absolute need for a contract. I'll be honest, the legal aspect of freelancing is abit scary to me, but it's just one I'll have to come to grips with going forward. I took a class back when I was getting my GRD degree called Client Media Relations that dealt with some of these issues. I still have the book for that so I'll have to go read through that again. It's abit old by now but I think the contract templates and other information will still be valid.

As far as lawyers go for this kind of thing, how does paying them work usually? Is it a kind of thing where they get paid if they win or do I have to pay them some large chunk up front?

Aldo

DarkMecha wrote:

Thank you Aldo, that was a great watch. Bookmarked for future reference as well.

I've done some freelance here and there before, but only as a side thing for extra money. It went sour a few times and I didn't get paid all or any of the agreed upon fee, so I now see the absolute need for a contract. I'll be honest, the legal aspect of freelancing is abit scary to me, but it's just one I'll have to come to grips with going forward. I took a class back when I was getting my GRD degree called Client Media Relations that dealt with some of these issues. I still have the book for that so I'll have to go read through that again. It's abit old by now but I think the contract templates and other information will still be valid.

As far as lawyers go for this kind of thing, how does paying them work usually? Is it a kind of thing where they get paid if they win or do I have to pay them some large chunk up front?

I'm not from the USA, so I feel uncomfortable describing how lawyers work over there. I hope someone else can point you to good information.

The contracts my company uses (I'm not in design, but this kind of thing is pretty much universal) do not really change over time, so I think your text book would be a great place to start. It should teach you about what kind of stuff you should discuss with clients before you start working for them.

Jasconius

If you're 29 years old and you have 4 years of experience then your degree should be irrelevant.

Any place worth working for will accept equivalent job experience instead of a higher degree.

There's no reason to spite yourself by not applying because you're missing half a piece of paper.

Also, do not confuse lack of employer interest with you not having the right degree.

Graphic design is a disastrously over-saturated job market, which is why you now see a whole lot of jobs where they want people who do it and then something else, like programming or whatever.

Any skill you can adopt in addition to your graphics skills is an asset.

Shotgun your resume everywhere, and NEVER stop working. Even if its for-fun stuff. Designers with huge periodic gaps in their portfolio can be a red flag. Don't let your best stuff be stuff you did two years ago.

Kias

To be fair, work experience looks best when it is alongside that degree. While I completely understand not wanting to be stuck in school any more (I am both a non-traditional student and a teacher at the college level), it may be worth reconsidering the 4-year degree if that is a requirement you are running in to a lot. I think the problem a lot of people run in to when considering their bachelor's (other than cost, which there is actually a lot of support for if you decide it is what you need to do) is they feel they must finish as fast as possible and be full-time, when in reality with the advent of so many online oriented programs and work friendly class schedules it is entirely feasible to make job hunting the number one priority while still attending a class or two each semester (including summer courses, which are essentially fast tracked credits).

This does two things: 1) Keep you sharp and on top of your field while each completed class is another step forward to having that piece of paper. 2) If you find time to attend an evening class in person, it is an excellent networking opportunity to speak (or share your experience) with others who are in your field. This is doubly relevant for you if you intend to start your own business and need quality employees (I was able to do this when my work was looking for quality instructors and now two of my classroom peers are now doing very well teaching here). College programs, especially state universities from my experience, make it a point to forward out relevant job opportunities to their students, and you coming in with all your experience (the primary weakness of a traditional student's resume) will make you stand out from the crowd.

That aside, have you asked around at the college you attend now about employment advice or programs? Community College's very often have people who can give very useful advice or, at the very least, point you towards someone else knowledgeable enough in the field (particularly as it relates to your area/location). Granted, this sometimes mean mulling through some painfully generic career basics, but don't let that get in the way of finding something useful.

Sorry if this is school heavy, and I totally get if it's just not in the cards as you mention in your OP, it's just that I hear a lot of very similar stories on a regular basis, and people are often surprised just how much time and money community colleges and (certain) universities put in to helping their students/graduates get set up in their field. For example, your concerns about legality issues are probably something one of your instructors/professors has encountered before and could give advice on that is relevant to your state. And since you are already enrolled, you may as well use every resource at your disposal.