Painful path to the goal job position: graphic designer

If you are on the route, or just prefer listening instead of reading here is whole article read by me:

If you ever wanted to become a graphic designer, or an artist of any kind I honestly sympathize with you. It is not easy at all. Here's how I made it so far.

1. Child with a Pencil

As a child (or teenager) everyone hears this question: “what do you want to be?”. You probably wanted to be a doctor, fireman, astronaut or- the word that makes every parent on this planet sigh and roll their eyes - an artist (painter/writer/dancer).

Unfortunately, my parents got really unpleasant answers - “mermaid” “witch” and “artist”. By time it grew into strong need to be a writer, but I soon realized I am better in putting images together instead of words. At that time I didn’t have an idea what does it mean, to be an artist. I just liked to draw so somehow it felt like there is the way.

2. Primary School (7 - 15 years)

Besides parents there are various pitfalls waiting for art children. For example math teachers. “Art will get you nowhere!” and “I don’t care you got accepted in Art School, you still have to finish MY classes!” (when you have straight A’s you somehow don’t care.)

Secondary Schools of Arts in Slovakia are doing admissions in advanced, what made teachers of boring subjects really sad. Jeez, there can be no possibilty of having happy students. When you are 15 in Slovakia, you are finishing your primary school with the stupidest and totally unuseful final tests (language and math). For whatever reason everybody cares about them when you are in primary school but the second you leave it dissapears. Like I never actually used it in anything, and the math part I did on random A,C,B,A algorithm.

Of course my parent tried to lead me to the “right” direction with solid arguments. “If you go to economic school we have a lot of people in family who can help you!” “If you go to school xy, you can stay living at home!” and the most honest one “nobody will pay you for drawing!” (Well, they do. A lot)

3. Secondary School of Arts

Some miracle had to happen, because I stubbornly continued my way and ended up at Secondary School of Arts. My parents made peace with the idea of their only child to live in bigger town hour away and that their parental influence will slowly disappear. (I think there never been such a thing). And it was a great training because I currently study University in another state.

But back to the Secondary School of Arts. If you had the motivation to learn, I think magic happened in there. From the weird programms things were getting out as I wished for them to be (it took some time), drawing was a mandatory thing (few hours a day in huge blocks) , btw never underestimate studied art professors they are thousand times more strict than math teachers, but it is worth it. Maybe it was just a luck that I get to go on field covered by the best teacher in school. But secondary school gave me the basis on which I could built what I am now.

Somewhere in 3rd year of my studies (of 4) I started to get better in graphic design, drawing etc. It was time to make money from my skill. But trying to get part-time job in city full of designers wasn’t the brightest idea. Online wasn’t such usual thing back then so I was searching for job and sending my CV around for a long time without any feedback.

4. University

I didn’t get accepted on any of my dream universities. And It was the best thing that could happen. At the end as a lifeline came Masaryk University. (I honestly hope nobody from Uni will read this). First year I had to learn online because of the covid so my existence basically stopped for a year. Still I was trying to find a job. Unsuccesfully again.

I went to study theory so I had more time to get better in graphics, and make stuff for my portfolio. I started to work as a freelancer via one slovak website. At the beggining it was really small money, but it was enough for my to try working with clients. It is not easy at all.

Thanks to university, I got to the student association MUNIE. And there the snowball started to roll. I was working as a graphic designer for them for free around 6 months. There I could show what I can do. Brno has much more job opportunities, few people from the student association realized that my work is kind of good a here it came interview to the company where I currently work.

We will see where I will go next. -🐝