Guest Author - Ogo Ogbata

Graphic Design is the ideal career for computer professionals who have a creative side. Just think. What other career allows you to spend hours touching up your favourite photos?

On a more serious note, graphic designers are still in high demand. Every business needs a graphic designer at one time or the other to help design marketing materials like brochures, posters and logos. Larger companies also hire graphic designers to help create visually stimulating graphics for video and TV production.

As the internet becomes more and more popular, people are relying on graphic designers to help design stylish and functional websites, ebook covers, blog headers, buttons and so on. Although a lot of website templates are available, I find that nothing beats a professionally done custom design.

However, competition is fierce in this profession and graphic designers who succeed are those who are able to stand out from the crowd and market themselves effectively. Talent isn't enough. You'll need strong business savvy too.

So, how does one get started in the graphic design industry? Many designers have a bachelor's degree in art/design or some related field. However, formal education is not mandatory and many graphic designers are self taught. Good skills to have are: communication skills, knowledge of desktop publishing tools (e.g. photoshop, pagemaker, QuarkExpress and Dreamweaver) as well as the ability to understand client's needs, develop artistic concepts that engage the audience and enhance sales.

Salaries vary widely in this industry. According to salary.com, median salary for a typical graphic designer in the United States is $44,526. But I know graphic artists who earn more and some who earn nothing! A great way to boost salaried income is to set up a part time freelance business on the side and be more proactive about marketing. Designers can also earn residual income by publishing ebooks (based on 'in-demand' topics), teaching courses (both on and off-line), and offering consultancy services. The opportunities are unlimited for those who are creative and business savvy.

Why not consider a full or part time career in graphic design!