Degree / Experience?
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- Knuckleberry
Which one is better?
I was reading the "Gotta a Job Offer" board and someone said "You don't need a Degree". Is this true?
I was one year away from graduating before I had to leave college and now I have 5 years in experience. I have always thought I should go back but who knows? Not I.
-Joshua (Knuckleberry)
- ukit0
1. Portfolio
2. Experience
3. Degreein that order
- 1.5 - Knowing somebodyjoeth
- I think knowing somebody goes before portfolio.free_
- haha yeah it probably doeserikjonsson
- flavorful0
Degrees are for suckers.
That being said, I'm going back to school in the Fall to do a dual Bachelor/Masters thing. That's going to be fun.
* Gunshot to crotch. *
Depends on what you want to do really.
- skt0
i probably didn't need my degree to get my job. i did need it for visas though. so in answer to your question, both is good.
- ninjasavant0
It's the Mac vs PC for 2009!
- DrBombay0
with the shitty job market, now is the time to go back to school.
- plusminusbox0
I am graduating this May and our teachers have told us with the shitty job market and all, people are now asking for masters to get hired (crazy). I dont think people would ask for masters but at least a BFA.
or maybe my teacher is a liar.
- or an idiot.d_rek
- It depends on the field. If you are in design, I think this is a lie.Jaline
- probably. they must want me to quit!plusminusbox
- or do more schoolKwesiJ
- your teacher is trying to insure his/her job by keeping enrollment up at the college. scare tacticsPoint5
- fyoucher10
You need a degree, otherwise you'll never get past HR/Recruiter. Sure, your portfolio is the most important but HR doesn't know what's good or bad. My wife is HR and I bet if I showed her a good design and a bad design she wouldn't know which one is better. Unless you're some widely recognized designer or know some peeps in the field, you need to look somewhat intelligent compared to the other hundred or so people applying for the same position. So a degree or some kind of education beyond high school is a must have. It's like your so-called minimum specification. All the rest get overlooked.
There is a chance that the AD or CD is the one doing the actual searching for applicants but chances are it's most likely being done by some recruiter.
So get a degree, even a shitty Associates Degree and then work on your actual portfolio. You absolutely need a website, even if you do print. Post it here when complete. There are some great designers on this site and they're definitely 'tell it like it is'...which is a good thing when you're looking for feedback.
Good luck!
- which goes to show HR recruiters shouldn't hire creative talent.Melanie
- ximeraLabs0
I have a degree, but it has never mattered in "the real world".
The only time it got mentioned was at my first job, when the creative director told me that the degree only shows that I managed to see something through until the end (my education) — which he thought was good. In terms of design however he said that the work will speak for itself. Has been like that ever since.Having a degree is nice, and it looks good on paper. But its the work you do that gets you places.
- the work you do gets you places, exactly. the work you do in college will get you places, if its good.studderine
- tank020
I also have a degree but never used it.
Its porfolio, experience & connections.
- utopian0
It is who you know, not what you know!
Case and point, look at all the garbage being produced by ad agencies, design firms, film studios, etc... A vast majority of their work is shit, period!
- studderine0
seriously, people who think degrees are suckers are kidding themselves. no shit, experience means a lot.
- studderine0
also, i'd much rather hire someone with a graphic design degree and a good portfolio.
- The_CCG0
Education should always carry weight.
- uberdesigner0
I'd go back and get a degree. Design careers are short lived.
- Benja820
portfolio all the way, if you have a degree but a shit eye for design the paper aint worth nowt
- ribit0
I think a degree course is really valuable.. not for the qualification, but for the experience itself (if its a good school that teaches you how to think about design and find your own path/philosophy.. its not about skills!)
- cannonball0
fuck a job