Principal graphic designer skills for your resume and career

Three soft skills stand out most: an ability to see the big picture, an ability to "read" people, and an ability to make a convincing argument for your design solution(s).
i. An ability to see big picture: there are an infinite number of details in graphic design, whether you work in website design on the front or back end, or in print media with physical outputs. It's easy to get caught up on the details, especially when clients are making specific demands about things such as paper type. A skilled designer must be able to see beyond the details and look at the big picture for an effective design solution. For example, a client may be asking for an invitation design for an up-coming event. A skilled designer will ask questions and dig in, eventually uncovering that perhaps for a successful event, the client also needs a splash page and social media, either in place of or in addition to an invitation. A skilled designer addresses design problems holistically, rather than minutely.
ii. An ability to "read" people: designers are trained in art-specific vocabulary. Hue, saturation, pixels, gestalt...most non-art folks don't use or speak that language. When clients are describing their goals, they aren't using art-vocabulary. It's a designer's job to translate what the client is saying into an advanced and effective creative solution. They must be able to speak and understand the language of non-creative folks, as well as the language of the broader creative industry.
iii. An ability to make a convincing argument for your design solution(s): many young and inexperienced designer tend to get their hearts broken when a client smashes one of their [very well thought-out] ideas. Rather than rolling over, a designer must learn to navigate how best to build support for their idea(s). That might mean in some instances you work more fluidly with the client throughout the design process, so that they feel they have ownership in the development of the solution. In other instances it might mean that the designer is presenting options, rather than a single solution, so that the client feels empowered to make choices throughout the design process. And in some instances, it might be a matter of better explaining and presenting your idea to a client; perhaps the designer needs to push back more, perhaps they need to provide more research as to why their solution is best, or maybe they simply need to present it with more excitement and enthusiasm.

Must know all the Adobe Creative software. Any level of video experience is a big plus.

Sketch, sketch, sketch, and work on your portfolio. Use the many resources at FIT to stay current with technology, including 3d printing, laser cutting, and virtual reality. Volunteer with one of the professional organizations, attend virtual conferences, enter a competition, develop your personal/professional profile, and become familiar with digital material resources. Work on your research and presentation skills. Create a well-organized digital library of your 2d and 3d assets. Prepare yourself to go back. Take some masterclasses. Volunteer as a virtual artist-in-residence at a local school. Be creative, remain engaged.

As faculty teaching graphic design, keeping up with the ever-evolving shifts in technology, and forecasting occupational trends in professional practice can be overwhelming. When predicting post-graduation employability for graphic design students, I'm obligated to recognize that there is an over-saturation of entry-level designers in the applicant pool. As reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020), "Employment of graphic designers is projected to decline 4 percent from 2019 to 2029. Graphic designers are expected to face strong competition for available positions." Despite this statistic, a degree in Graphic Design can kick off a creative career with many exciting professional roles available. Students can become tomorrow's fulfilled and accomplished professionals, with a better understanding of the workforce that they are entering into. No matter what the market conditions, to be competitive job candidates, students must possess relevant technical skills and developed creative and strategic competencies.

At a minimum, technical proficiency in industry-standard software applications like Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat are expected for new graduates. They should be able to use these applications for composition and layout in creating various print and digital touchpoints. As social media continues to rise in importance to companies, students will need to stay abreast of changes with popular social networking sites to constantly appeal to users and engage audiences across the board. Behind social media design, knowledge of marketing fundamentals (research, tactics, media, copywriting), interactive user design (websites, apps, interactive displays), and motion design (animated graphics, videos, ads) are also critical to applicants in setting them apart and making them more competitive in the candidate pool. Strategic competencies such as creative problem solving, visual communication, and the ability to parse information uniquely and originally will allow candidates to seize career opportunities and stand out in the current labor market. In addition to successful coursework and projects, students should aspire to showcase work done for clients, in order to establish a record of imaginative, creative strategy in response to client needs and/or business goals.

Many of the aforementioned skills should be evident in the curated work shown and supported in the new graduate's professionally-vetted portfolio website. In her book, "Stand Out: Design a personal brand. Build a killer portfolio. Find a great design job.," author and Assistant Professor, Denise Anderson (2016, viii) declares, "In the field of professional design, your portfolio is the single most important apparatus you have for demonstrating your talents, skills, and body of work." The visual portfolio is a critical and non-negotiable part of a job application for new graduates. Students should support their polished works with concise and reflective contextual statements to give potential employers insight into their challenges, process, and solutions for each project. In the typical hiring process, the portfolio is the apparatus that allows the student to be vetted for the ensuing in-person or virtual interview. It is in this more intimate opportunity that the student will sell their interpersonal skills in collaborative dialogues with professionals. They are establishing a level of comfort talking with professionals and clients before this juncture that will prepare students for exceptional performance in this defining employment situation.