Hello, I recently finished studying and I am now looking for a job, but saying I feel lost seems like an understatement.
My situation may be a little different from the usual one: I actually studied a completely different field till I was 25, so I’ve been studying graphic and web design just for a couple of years (I am 27 now). I followed a course which I hoped was fast yet complete, but in the end it was just sloppy and mostly unhelpfull.
I had to learn most things on my own and now when I look at other designers (way younger, more prepared and faster than me) I think I’m still missing soooo much. So I keep studying and studying to keep up with my colleagues. The result? The stress is kind of killing my creativity and I am unable to improve my portfolio. Sure, I am learning new skills, but am I doing the right thing?
I don’t have actual friends in the field and my colleagues are always on their own, that’s one of the main reasons I decided to join this community. I don’t know with whom to talk about these things!
Could someone maybe tell me what I am missing and/or if there is something I should definitely improve or prioritize? My current skills are the following:
- Photoshop (good knowledge)
- Illustrator (average knowledge - currently studying)
- InDesign (average knowledge - currently studying)
- Fireworks (basic knowledge)
- HTML5 and CSS3 (good knowledge)
- I know how to use some Jquery libraries
- SVG (basics)
- UX and UI (average knowledge - currently studying)
- Bootstrap (average knowledge)
- Wordpress (average knowledge - currently studying)
- SEO (very basic knowledge)
- Logo Design (basic knowledge - currently studying)
- Perspective (basic knowledge - currently studying)
I have no knowledge whatsoever of: history of graphic design, designers, typography, product design, printed products, 3d, motion design, video making or editing, php, mysql, javascript, AdobeXD, After Effects, Invision, e-commerce, color matching, composition, icon design, and I guess I could keep going…