Always look for ways to expand your skill set. I did! Read on to find out how.
Ok, so I don’t really hate Graphic Design and I never really stopped. I just scaled it back…for a short period of time and here’s why.
Picture it…you have now graduated from design school and you land an internship. GREAT! Next thing you know, the internship is over. You think…what now?
At that moment, I thought to myself, I have to expand my skills to become more marketable, but what will I do? Working in a large design agency for those short months, I was only exposed to working as a Graphic Designer and the whole production process. Working strictly as a designer, I knew that would only take me so far. It wasn’t until I was given the opportunity to work in a small boutique design agency where I saw how my career could develop.
Working in a small agency, I was exposed to:
Storyboarding for photoshoots and TV commercials;
Marketing campaign conception to implementation;
Event coordination; and
Pitch books to gain new clients.
Being part of a small team exposed me to the world of marketing. Stepping outside of my Graphic Designer role and being given the responsibility by the creative director to work directly with clients was eye opening.
Then the financial market crash happened and the agency had to close its doors. A pivot had to happen. After some thought, this allowed me the opportunity to a break from working and decided to pursue my Masters in Marketing. Gaining the theory behind this area of focus provided me with the foundation to learn about the world of marketing. Having the necessary tools under my belt after graduating, armed me with the necessary tools to progress in my career.
Fast forward to 2021, I have been working at KPMG in Bermuda and I have worked on everything mentioned above including social media campaigns, web, and I also work with colleagues across the world which helps with building my networking skills. Oh yeah, I still get to work on projects that allow me to flex my Graphic Design skills. I not only flex these skills while at work, I also create digital templates called printables, through my business Dropping Anchor, which allows the buyer to purchase and then customize the document for their needs. The printables I currently sell, range from Bermuda specific to vacation rental/ Airbnb templates.
If a young designer asked me for career advice if they still wanted to stay in the creative world long-term, I would say, take a look at marketing and graphic design job descriptions. Compare the two and see which appeals to you. See what each are looking for and look for ways to gain experience in both those areas. Key tip: In Marketing roles, you usually have the opportunity to flex your Graphic Design skills.
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