Hello!..and maybe some advice.

[DirtyHabit]

Hey guys,
Joined the forum because I am considering going back to school after 5 years to study graphic design. I graduated from a state school with a BA in Sociology with a minor in Art. I intended on going on to be an art therapist, but ended up in a good job and stuck with it out of school. The company is now under hard times and it looks like I should start looking elsewhere.
I would like to go back to school for graphic design, but Im not sure where to start.
My main question here is, can I get a design job without a degree in this field? I have seen several places that offer associates or non-accredited programs in graphic design...would I be able to get a job after going through them? I have read that many people judge you based on your portfolio, not so much the degree...giving that I already have one, albiet in a different area.
I never problem in college with art, infact I passed every art class, except art history, with A's. I know enough about adobe to get around, but not enough.
Just looking for some advice. Would a degree be beneficial to me or a small school/program nights and weekends do just the same?

Either way, Ill stick around and get some of my stuff on here and hope to participate.
Thanks guys!

[Red Kittie Kat]

Welcome Aboard!!! :)



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/RedKittieKat/welcomes/welcome44.gif



When you get settled please read through the threads located here (http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=42). They will give you all the info you need on how the forum runs, the rules and regs, and give you some background info on our long running, inside jokes ;)

[budafist]

Hi and welcome Dirty Habit.

It seems that when times are hard like this, lots of people are going back to school to upskill so that they better compete with the limited jobs that are out there. It's hard to get a design at the moment - as you've experienced, not only is the market saturated with skilled workers, skilled workers are getting laid off through no fault of their own but because of struggling companies. This makes it hard to get a job whether you have a degree or not.

Sorry to sound like a spoilsport, but if you want to do this in the current climate, you can, but you will need a lot of self belief and passion to get you through.

[Ben Kessler]

DirtyHabit, welcome to the Forum!