Career issues

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silicon

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7 Dec 2012
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Hello everyone!

This is my first post so i suppose i should introduce myself. Im a 19 year old Student currently on a gap year after graduating college (Barley) studying HNC Interactive Media. I live in Scotland and have a keen interest in the Creative Industry's.

Now to the purpose of this post... to put it in plain English I don't know what to do next!

The course iv just finished was a overall course that included web design graphics design, programming, video editing etc.. I enjoy all of this! i self taught myself Photoshop after effects and 3D Max from the age of 14 till now but that dosnt count as a qualification and my portfolio is far from being complete.
I live not far from Edinburgh and have looked into some courses to do, this is my issue. Im stuck between programming, wed design / development and some form of graphics design that implements 3D modelling / animation. Id say my main skill is web design but i enjoy the others just as much. not only that but im starting to find that when i do web design i have no motivation.

I have researched these fields and from what i can understand is there all difficult to get into, and also difficult to make a living from it if you cant compete with those already out there in the world. As you can imagine right now i have a big decision ahead of me, as what i choose is going to be some what my career for the future.. and i need to make sure its the right path!

Id really love some advice and even to share your stories with me would be a great help.

Thank you for your time
 
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webhound said:
My advice would be to take a course in plumbing or learn to become an electrician, something like that before its too late!
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This to be honest, all the guys I know from school that went on to get a trade are doing well for themselves compared to us lot that went to uni.
 
My advice is to build your portfolio up, spend a week on it, make it look the dogs, make it stand out from everybody else, then go to the places near you that do what you want to be doing, go in, have a chat with your portfolio, ask for there advice about your work and in return ask them questions about what they look for in someone when hiring, and would you be one of them.

That is what I did when I was 19, straight out of college, started as a junior designer then senior designer. I am now 22 and I am now the Creative Director for the company.
 
In terms of Uni courses Design Multimedia and Graphics at Sunderland might be worth a look, it covers all the areas you're interested in.

But at 4k a year I don't think I could recommend it, graduated in 2011 and in the first year they were teaching outdated languages like AS2 when AS3 had been out a year or two by that point however by the time I left they looked to be catching up.

The course content to me felt like 'here's a brief go do that while we teach you how to use some adobe applications'. There wasn't a great deal in the way of design theory or things you couldn't pick up via google or a lynda tutorial subscription.

If you've been self taught since the age of 14 there's a good chance you will know most of what they have to teach you and if not you probably know where to go and learn it anyway.

So I'd go with yecatsxe, you've taken the initiative to learn yourself this far, expand on that build a decent portfolio with work for small local companies or factious ones and then start approaching local agencies for work/work experience.

However if you're really lost as to what path you want to take and want to experience student life head to uni, but if you just want to get in the industry and start working, save the 12k and do as yecatsxe says.
 
yecatsxe said:
My advice is to build your portfolio up, spend a week on it, make it look the dogs, make it stand out from everybody else, then go to the places near you that do what you want to be doing, go in, have a chat with your portfolio, ask for there advice about your work and in return ask them questions about what they look for in someone when hiring, and would you be one of them.
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Very, very good advice.

Be prepared to start at the bottom though - the money will be crap to start with.
 
yes money will be pants! I started on 12k, which is ok, its worth it for the experience, be a sponge and soak everything up! If you can't find a job then I'd suggest getting a part time job in somewhere like tesco, and design on the other days, always talking to people in the feilds of work your interested in whether its in person or online.

Because your young, I'm guessing your living at home? Money should hopefully not be too much of a problem, so if things start off slow it should be ok? I have a few freelance pdf's that you might be interested in, feel free to give me a pm with your email address in and I will try and help you out the best I can.
 
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