Student Resources
Career Center
So you’re thinking about a creative career. You want to follow your heart, develop your art, and make a living. No matter where you are in your program, it’s never too early to research your career path and prepare for your job search. We’ve compiled a rich information source packed with tips to help you land your first (or your next) creative job.
In Our Design Career Guide
What’s your dream job? Check our Design Career Guide to browse creative job descriptions, career and salary information, and tips on how to get started. Below are brief descriptions with links to our in-depth individual career guides.
Use the links above to navigate to the section of your choice. From there you can read more about your preferred career by clicking “learn more.” In our career guides for individual careers, you will:
- Read creative job descriptions.
- Find out what skills are required.
- Learn where to research jobs.
- View sample job ads.
- Explore career paths and salary expectations.
- Read first steps to get started.
Use our Design Career Guide to figure it all out. Each career page has unique, up-to-date information.
Design Career Guide
What’s your dream job? Check our Design Career Guide to browse creative job descriptions, career and salary information, and tips on how to get started.
Graphic Designer
Graphic design is everywhere around us in our print and digital media. The road to success in a design career looks a bit different for everyone and that can be a good thing in creative occupations. learn more
Web Designer
Web designers create layout designs for web pages. While their career paths may be unique, there are some common things nearly all web designers must do. learn more
Animator
Animators use frame-by-frame images to create the illusion of movement when they design characters, images, and special effects. Once hand drawn, the majority of animations use computer software to help create animated sequences. learn more
Marketing Manager
A successful marketing manager must identify the demand for products and services, assess the competition, and reach out to potential customers. In print, they may be responsible for conceptualizing, writing, and overseeing the design of materials such as catalogs, brochures, and flyers. learn more
Art Director
Art directors work in every creative industry, from advertising, to book and magazine publishing, to game development, to graphic and Web design agencies. Every publication has an art director. Every brand has one. learn more
Illustrator
Illustrators conceptualize and create original images for print publications and the Web. Some illustrators combine traditional art skills (like drawing and painting) with digital media, and some just work digitally. learn more
Multimedia Designer
Multimedia designers create visual effects that excite, explain, and entertain. Multimedia designers may work in the entertainment industry, creating special effects for movies, television, and video games. learn more
UI/UX Designer
UI/UX Designers generally design Web-based interfaces such as sites, applications, and games. In order to do this effectively, they must consider all aspects of the user experience. learn more
Digital Photographer
Photographers are hired to create remarkable images of everything we are interested in: people, products, landscapes, food, events, you name it. They capture reality in interesting and informative ways with artistic vision and a command of their medium. learn more
Additional Career Information
Career and Salary Outlook
There’s a lot of data out there that shows that the design industry is thriving. We’ve collected it on one handy page.
Job Search
Reaching out to employers or clients already? Look to our Job Search section for industry insights and tips for making sure your portfolio, resume, and interview techniques are up-to date.
Job Boards
Ready to start combing want ads? Check our our top 10 creative job boards. When it comes to finding creative employment, not all boards are created equal.
Professional Resources
In a creative career, you should never stop learning, so use our professional resources page. Pick up our design business templates to help you run your freelance projects. Explore our famous Color Calculator and check our the top 20 design blogs to expand your creative horizons each day.