Where did you get the idea that it is an easy and stress free job? I agree that you often can get jobs that you like and that makes it exciting to work, but I think that you also will have just as many clients who wants they job finished yesterday, wants it done for nickels, believe that all you do is start a software and press a button and the job is done (no matter what they wanted done) and clients who thinks they know the job much better than you...

But I would say you should have a passion for your job no matter what you do


Still, I love my job

If you are looking for money you need to find a different field.
If you are looking for money you've come to the right place.

A career is what you make out of it. Either design or development. Of course in either you start behind the 8 ball due to the current market saturation. You want money, get into plastics engineering or similar high tech, high education fields.

You seem to be fielding around with your questions since you've joined here and not really listening to anything that is being said. If you think graphic design is an easy button for money, or even web development which is more the backend coding rather than designing though the two fields can overlap, you won't have the patience to get through the first couple years of experience you need to become even a lowly Entry Level grade designer. Entry Level in the design field is at least 2 years of real world experience. Figure out how to get that when you have none and you will be off to a good start. And right now it seems you need the 4 year degree to go places. That isn't going to get any better. Studios downsizing left and right has put a lot of savvy, high level designers out there bumping a lot of newbs totally out of the market.

Good luck.

I am not here to debate, only get some opinions from experienced designers.

4 year degree and then do the job??? mmm...I know designers who didn't do that. I do not believe a diploma or degree is what makes the designer...or even any professional...

Leaders in my opinion without diplomas/degrees (in all industries):
- Gordan Ramsay
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Kanye West...

List will go on...

I don't ever for once believe a paper is going to make you succeed.

Then, why come off argumentative and egotistical? The below statements says argument to me.

There are exceptions to every rule. Does that mean that it is going to happen for you? Not unless you talented beyond belief. And, likely...reality says that you will not get a job without a degree.

Firstly, what does the above list matter? They are not designers.

Secondly, you do your self a huge disservice when you mention Kanye West with me. They guy is idiot and has made more mistakes than Lindsey Lohan.

It always does.

There are no guarantees, that is true. But, a piece of paper does give you a much better starting position. Obviously, the choice is yours. You can bang head up against the wall, think your the best designer who has ever been screwed over without a piece of paper. There are INCREDIBLE designers who will prove that last statement false. I know lots of designers and artists without a job right now. How do you get your foot in the door when you do not have a piece of paper helping you? In truth, you don't.

The choice is always yours. You do not have to pay for a degree. You can work your way through. But, statistics have shown a degree makes for a higher wage quicker. Just a suggestion.

What about having a portfolio? Which companies are you refering to that does not accept a talented designer which has a portfolio without a diploma or degree? He would be stupid to let a designer who is talented go...

enough said...lol...

A porfolio will get you looked at, your resume/CV will get you hired. If you don't have a degree...that is a death sentence to most interview processes. There are numerous companies out there who will overlook candidates because of no degree. Stupid? That's relative...how good is the designer? If you have 4 or 5 years experience...then they might overlook that.

K. A. N. Y. E. W.E.S.T.



just kidding

I was able to get MY position without a degree. In 1988. And I was already working for the company in another capacity. I knew the people involved in hiring for the position.

Today? You wouldn't even get a pinky toe in the door without a degree. Our HR department scans resumes for requirements listed for the job. If your resume doesn't exactly match the qualifications, it hits the round file.

We recently had trouble hiring a candidate we KNEW was perfect for the job. She'd worked with us before for six years. The problem? The job description was written to require a BFA, and her resume listed a BA. So it got kicked.

Take it from me. Get a degree.

BFA Degree?

Very specific huh.

HR people don't know anything about design. They just look at your resume for specific requirements. Once your resume passes the HR department, THEN your portfolio gets looked at by a creative director or someone who knows design.

In this economy, it's not uncommon for there to be 100 - 1000 applicants per job depending on the company. Creative Directors don't have time to sit down and view hundreds of portfolios. The resume is what narrows it down. Which means anything without a degree listed automatically gets thrown in the trash.

No wonder so many start their own businesses.

Up until 2009 I would have agreed with you on the degree thing.
Now?
Nope.
Those who didn't have their chops in and their name out there before the bust in 09 will probably not ever be hired without a degree. Unless you know someone who can get your 'awesome' portfolio looked at. You aren't going to learn 'awesome' on the intertoobs.

I'm in a fairly open market where it comes to designers. But almost every studio I know now keeps designers as freelance contractors only. Not many fulltime positions at all. If you aren't already on the known list, you have absolutely no chance as a new grad of getting a job that way. Even getting internships has become so difficult we've taken on a few design majors as carpenters' helpers, no design whatsoever except what they see come through the door from others, and have a hand in building.

As many above have said, a candidate usually has to get past the HR screening first. This is true in almost every field (I am qualifying the statement because I am sure someone can name some exception). The bigger the company, the more important the HR screening is. I have worked for companies (mind you, in an entirely different field) that require not only the right type of degree but also a GPA of 3.0 or better. If a candidate does not meet the criteria, the candidate does not get to make it to the next round. It all depends upon the screening criteria that the HR department has been told to use. If they allow x number of years of experience to substitute for formal education, then the strength of the portfolio may be all that is needed.

Now, if you can make it to the next round where you are actually being interviewed and can show a portfolio and describe your experience, then the GPA and degree do not matter as much.

Education in of itself does not make a person a professional. Neither does working in a field for 20 years. However, exposure to the craft and the ideas of many people with experience helps you understand a field much better. Education helps to speed along the process of training and formalize your exposure to many different aspects of your chosen field.

Back to your original questions. I think before these can be answered, you need to carefully define "designer" and "developer". Both of these terms can apply to a wide spectrum of abilities and required knowledge. What skills are you thinking of when you use these terms?