Becoming a Graphic Designer without a College Degree

Running my own Advertising business is not an easy work. I always wear different hats for a certain task. And since my business is more on creative design Jobs, I often work as a Designer. And there are some cases that some customers see me designing on the spot, and right before their eyes they will see how a concept become a work of art in few minutes. Maybe that's why I am often asked of what College Degree did I took in a University. And so therefore every time someone may ask me about it, my response is just a smile.

Is a Graphic Design Degree Worth It? 

Well for me it depends upon the person what he/she loves to do. Because first of all, for whatever College Degree you wish to have, I believe it is more important that you must imagine the life you would like to live for the next 5 years or so. Because for me, planning ahead is more important than what you desire. Let us admit it and this is a reality, most college graduates after finishing school ends up with a Job they never knew they applied for. For example, I have seen some IT graduates working in a Mall as merchandisers, A Licensed Teacher works as a Cashier in a Department Store, and a Nurse who works in a Call Center doing cold calling jobs. And guess what? when I was working as a Project Supervisor in Abu Dhabi, UAE (United Arab Emirates), I met a Licensed Mechanical Engineer who works in a Gasoline Station as a Pump boy. Now let me ask you, isn't that humiliating for a college degree holder working in a mismatched career? I don't want to be hypocrite in this side but hey, I don't want to spend my five years in college for a Job who doesn't fit my Educational Attainment.

But hey, if someone might have just told me that someday I will be owning a Design and Advertising Business, well I may have decided to take a career in the Arts and Creative Design. Again and I'll say it again, I am not an expert in this field, I am just an experienced fellow who is forced to learn this Creative Design task because I have to, I have to in terms of managing the business wisely, learning the ins and outs of How a Design Company Operates. And what a real Design Pro do his work with Quality and Efficiency.
As experts may have quote, "Becoming a professional graphic designer requires several years of formal education, including the development of marketing and technological skills to complement the artistic ones". And so therefore, if you are considering a career in Graphics Design, I believe it is your job to ask important critical questions beforehand:

• What type and level of post-secondary degree is best for a graphic design career? 
• Do I want to work for a Design Company?
• Do I need to become a Freelance Designer or manage my own Design Studio?
• Is it better to Develop Skills in ALL FIELDS of Graphic Design?
• Do I have to be an Specialist in one specific area?

Now consider this, there are so many people spend their whole lives working on ordinary routine jobs, so the fact that you have chosen to pursue your dream job as a designer then better yet decide for a much concrete decision. It is because, the next logical step is to plan out your path to success. Yes, always begin with an end in mind, your GOAL. 

For many professions, acquiring a formal education is a non-negotiable matter. Everyone has to work hard for it because we don't have that option to bypass the formal instructions.

But for some cases, an aspiring Graphic Designer needs to decide whether you want to earn a degree or be a Self-Taught Designer. And indeed, it is a very difficult choice to make because there is no clear-cut answer. Both types of designers have found success in the industry.

And so in some reason, is a Graphic Design Degree necessary? No. This is because YouTube has tons of tutorials and step-by-step articles that can help anyone with a desire to learn the fundamentals of Design to a more complicated and specific Design Software that the market can offer. 

But if you aspire to make a splash in the Design Industry, the answer is yes! Getting a Graphic Design Degree is totally worth it?

Max Ginez III is an Entrepreneur who Loves Art - Design and Science combined. An Electromechanic by profession and studied Start Your Own Business (SYOB) course at the University of the Philippines - Institute for Small-Scale Industries (UP-ISSI). A former OFW who dreams that someday he will be Financially Free. Awarded as the Inspiring Male Entrepreneur of 2014 by Quality Brands Philippines.