Photoshop
Graphic Design jobs, though varying greatly in type, almost always involve some sort of advertising. Magazines use graphic designers for layout of the pages and photos, as well as for designing the glossy, high quality ads seen throughout the publications. Some agencies employ designers to create letterheads, logos, and business cards for clients. This usually involves helping them develop or improve their brand image. Graphic designers may have to come up with presentations describing why they think that the images they have created for the client will help boost sales and streamline their image for easy recognition and visual appeal. Graphic designers at newspapers do not usually have to speak with customers directly. Sales representatives relate to them what the client wants, and the designers create an ad according to their specifications. Often, the customer will make additions or changes to their ad, and these must be done promptly to ensure they can be approved by deadline. Graphic designers must have the ability to work well with others and must operate well under stress. They also must have a desire to produce high quality work in order to succeed. Starting salary for a graphic designer is generally around $25,000. Expected salary ranges from $25,000 to $35,000, depending of course on the agency. Newspaper designers make the lower end, and large advertising agency designers make the highest. Employers expect candidates for jobs to have a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a degree from a specialized design school. Some common programs that designers need to be familiar with are
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and QuarkXpress. Interviewers may ask the candidate if they know the difference between file types, such as .pdfs and .jpgs, and the reasons for saving an image in one form instead of another. Also beneficial for a job-seeking graphic designer is knowing a bit about web design, or at least about designing images or ads that will appear on websites. It helps to know about color modes and image levels, especially for printing purposes. The designer will need to communicate with the printer to determine the needs for both departments to be able to produce a high quality product.
