There has never been a better time to train in web design. The occupation has grown exponentially in the last decade, with an estimated 414,870 people working as either designers or developers in Canada alone.
In addition to well-established avenues like agency work and freelancing, web designers can now find positions in large corporations, government organizations, and even educational institutions. In fact, web design skills are in demand all over the world. Given the universal nature of the job and the options to work remotely, graduates in this field have more possibilities than ever before.
So how do you decide which career path is right for you? Here are a few things you might consider when thinking about your future career.
Working For Design Agencies
For new graduates, getting a job at web design or graphic design agency is the best way to gain experience, as you’ll learn from professionals who have been working in the industry for many years. Most agencies keep fairly regular office hours, and designers work in small teams with clearly defined roles. Agency work provides a fixed stable income and offers any graduate of a web designer program the opportunity to further build his or her portfolio with an established client base.
Many large companies have their own in-house web design staff.
Pursuing A Web Design Career At A Large Corporation
Given the increasing importance of the roles, many larger corporations now employ their own web design and web development staff. Large tech companies like Google and Facebook have teams that include web designers as well as front-end and back-end developers. These positions usually offer competitive salaries, and of course, they’ll look great on your resume as you seek to further your career in web design.
In addition, other large companies offer web design positions in areas you wouldn’t expect. For instance, in Canada, approximately 8 percent of developers and designers work in public administration. Another 4.5 percent are employed in educational services such as schools and universities, while just over 3 percent work exclusively with finance and insurance companies.
Freelance web designers often work from home.
Become A Freelancer
Becoming self-employed is an attractive option, as designers can work from home and set their own hours, while more successful freelancers can be selective about the clients they work with, devoting their time to projects that spark their creativity.
However, it’s important to bear in mind just how challenging it can be. Graduates who attempt to jump straight into freelancing immediately after finishing a diploma in web design will often struggle to build up a client list with no experience behind them, and freelancers often work long hours in their early years, as it takes time to build your business and become properly established. Nonetheless, with a bit of hard work, most freelance web designers are able to have stable and lucrative careers.
So where else can a diploma in web design take you?
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