Am I wasting my time?

[firstjudge]

Here's my dilemma.

I graduated last year with a degree in graphic design and realized I didn't want to pursue it as a career. It's hard to describe how much I detest it: it's mind-numbing, soul-crushing work that is overly demanding for such low stability and meager personal and financial reward. I always knew it wasn't right for me; but not knowing what else to major in, I stuck with it to the very end hoping I would develop a love for it. Unfortunately it did not happen. After finishing an internship earlier this year I decided to take some time off to volunteer as a way to 'find myself' while looking for a job unrelated to design on the side. Well it has been 5-6 months since then and it has proven to be very difficult to find a job with a degree I no longer wish to put to use. I am pretty much unqualified for everything.

I have an interest in psychology and education but I have no desire to become a teacher in a traditional classroom setting. I thought about pursuing educational psychology and human development but those jobs are scarce from what I understand. If I decide to go back to school to take a few courses (which means I would have to start next year since its a little too late to enrol in the 101 courses now), there is no guarantee that I will still wish to pursue that avenue. Even if I did go through with it and end up getting a masters degree, I might not have a job at the end - meaning lots of time and money wasted. At 24, I feel like I should have achieved more in my life: I have almost no work experience, no job/career... with only an indefinite idea of what I want to do.

To sum it up: I'm lost, confused and don't know what to do now. I know I shouldn't compare myself with others but I can't help but feel very behind my peers who have full-time jobs in the fields they enjoy.

Help.

 

[Grayscale]

it sounds like you are talking about two different things here... how you are going to manage your present and future life, and figuring out what you want to do.

doing what we're passionate about has a way of turning what we once called obstacles or impossibilities into challenges, and that makes them easier!

my suggestion, write it out and separate the likes from the requirements and use this as a hierarchy for how to spend your time.

 

[ilovetrannies]

Dude, I think you need to gain some perspectives, is graphic design, really that "soul-crushing." And I seriously doubt, that it pays minimum wage.

And you are not the only to have to change majors more than once, I'd go back to school if you must be happy but all jobs suck, every fucking job sucks. Just warning you.

 

[Owl]

Have you thought about having a family?

Often, what we do to make money isn't where we find the most meaning in life. For most people, their jobs are little more than tent-making, or a skill that they use to fill a need in the market so that they can earn enough money to pursue what is truly valuable to them. (For most people, in the earlier part of life, this is family.)

Is graphic design that bad? Can you use it to make enough money to free enough of your time to enable you to pursue a talent you love that may not be valued in the market?

 

[Oaky]

A graphics designer. Nice! Actually, I'm going to take graphics design as a second major. You have a good advantage for being a graphics designer.
What I mean is that you can work independently.
You can make a profitable website
Sell your designs to:
-companies
-average people who may need them

You can make templates for them or just sell some artwork
There are eons of possibilities for graphics designers.

If you really don't want to work that way then I'd suggest to get a degree in something similar that you like that graphics design may boost you up in. It'll be easier to get a job that way. If you get a degree in psychology you can move into color psychology.
Color Psychology and Graphic Design

 

[tinkerbell]

To sum it up: I'm lost, confused and don't know what to do now. I know I shouldn't compare myself with others but I can't help but feel very behind my peers who have full-time jobs in the fields they enjoy.

Help.

I personall think N's take time to grow into their N's so try and not compare yourself.. it's not a contest...

You have creative aptitude and many of the issues you face as similar to anyone who graduated with an arty degree.

I think you need to contemplate what you want from your career... are you looking for something emotionally very fullfilling - such as development of kids with learnign difficulties or within the caring profession (which often means not earning as much as your intellect could let you in other feilds)...

Or do you want something that is very intellectually challenging

Or do you want to make a lot of money and retire at 40

Or are you filling in time before having a family

etc etc....

Once you can establish big picture direction it will get easier to start moving in that direction.... narrowing the field down...

Don't stress out too much - my best mate INTJ - stuggled after graduation because she felt her decisions were for life (instead of being a 2 year job)... she was concerned she lagged behnd.. she now makes a fortune in a job she enjoys.

Be gentler with yourself and realise you have around c.40 years of work to do, giving yourself slack right now isn't gonna kill you... if you are five year in start worrying...

 

[firstjudge]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I really appreciate it.

Dude, I think you need to gain some perspectives, is graphic design, really that "soul-crushing." And I seriously doubt, that it pays minimum wage.

I think a lot of people who don't know much about the industry have a false notion of what graphic design entails - I know I did. It is usually not fun, or even creative. Much of the work you make will look derivative and you have very little creative autonomy. If you are an artist who feels strongly about expressing something personal, genuine and authentic through your work, it can be soul-crushing. This is an industry where you are in constant competition against others, compensated with low pay relative to the amount of hours and demands you have to put up with, left watching your talents go to waste on ads and other ephemeral marketing material you care nothing for until at the end of the day you have no time, energy and creativity left for anything else. Many don't last in this industry and experience burn out if they don't love what they do. There are many other things I don't want to get into...

I've decided to work towards a writing certificate instead of pursuing psychology. I don't know what will come out of it but at least it'll help me branch out of design. I kind of like writing and I'm not too attached to it as I am with my art. Besides, the thought of doing another bachelor seems nauseating at the moment. I don't care about money, or even 'the best job in the world'; I just want to do something that won't make me want to kill myself every morning, allow me to support myself financially, and will also spare me time for other interests. I have no plans to start a family so that's definitely not an issue.

are you looking for something emotionally very fullfilling - such as development of kids with learnign difficulties

That is the kind of work I find very rewarding. I'm actually doing volunteer work in this area. Tinkerbell, do you mind my asking what your friend is doing now? I'm just curious to know.

 

[avolkiteshvara]

Have you thought about having a family?

This is horrible advice for someone fresh out of college.







Relax, very few people find what they want to do immediately after college. Just enjoy figuring out what your path is.

 

[redacted]

This is horrible advice for someone fresh out of college.

 

[kiddykat]

I know how it feels- graphic designing being soul-crushing and all.. I think what we study in school is way different when it comes to the application of graphic designing in the industry. It was a totally different experience for me also. I can totally relate.

Have you thought about taking a few assessments other than perhaps kiersey, Mbti? I highly recommend:

1. Holland Code Test
2. Interests (Toggle the last 2 results under the menu once you select your first interest of choice).

Do the research from there. Hope this helps! Best of luck.

 

[Bubbles]

This is horrible advice for someone fresh out of college.

It greatly depends on the individual, though I see your point.

...

Look, I had to type it, I'm sorry, I know people who did it and are deliriously happy. Including my own parents. >.<

 

[tinkerbell]

That is the kind of work I find very rewarding. I'm actually doing volunteer work in this area. Tinkerbell, do you mind my asking what your friend is doing now? I'm just curious to know.

Oh god, I was trying not to tel you (probably your idea of hell).... she's an acocuntant, leading a team that does global accounts - so I can honestly say - probably not for you, but she's happier than a pig in shit... I don't think her N is about the same type of creativity that you have.

I worked with people with learnign difficulties and there are loads of different angles you could do.... teaching (which is way more creative than regular teaching), art therapy, tactile work etc etc... it pays appaulingly, but the rewards are breath taking. Such as teaching a person do something they couldn't do before because you have patiently invlved them in a number of different tasks in order to get them there... the sence of achivement in both them and yourself is unbeleivable. It's also very personal... you bring a different way with you and therefor your creativeness is directly beneficial...

I was trying to teach a guy how to tie his shoe laces... (yes he also had velcro ones but as a skill), he had awful fine finger co-ordination and lacked dexterity in hand movment - so I bought him a jigsaw - not a huge number of peices say 20-30, with the most grown up picute I could find. He struggled, and got frustrated and he would chuck the tray across the room. But he always went back to it... it took him about 8 weeks to complete it with scores of thrown attempts... on the day he did it, he came runnign around to a different part of the house banged on the door and called me out say "I did it!, I flippin did it", he thin picked me up and birlled me around... Bless him - never been prouder.....

Can't buy that...

But I wont not mention the downside, it doesn't pay well even in time, so you need to learn to manage your money and set your life expectancy around that.

There is ofcoure the opportunity to work for money and volenteer for love...

 

[PeaceBaby]

I think a lot of people who don't know much about the industry have a false notion of what graphic design entails - I know I did. It is usually not fun, or even creative. Much of the work you make will look derivative and you have very little creative autonomy. If you are an artist who feels strongly about expressing something personal, genuine and authentic through your work, it can be soul-crushing. This is an industry where you are in constant competition against others, compensated with low pay relative to the amount of hours and demands you have to put up with, left watching your talents go to waste on ads and other ephemeral marketing material you care nothing for until at the end of the day you have no time, energy and creativity left for anything else. Many don't last in this industry and experience burn out if they don't love what they do. There are many other things I don't want to get into...

This is absolutely true ... and it is true in many, many jobs. You start at the bottom - it's cliche, but true. You do what others want you to do as opposed to creating your own vision and fulfilling your creative ideals. Who said being an artist was easy?

However,

once you gain some experience in the field you could create your own agency with your own look and brand and pitch that particular vision to others. Drawing clients to your look, rather than trying to fulfil the expectations of some guy who says he doesn't like the kind of "green" you used in his mock-up.

Myself as a web developer / designer (11 years now), I have had to maintain balance in that place, putting my creative ego aside in order to interpret the vision of others. But now, I run my own company, and almost exclusively spend time creating sites for myself and using them as advertising vehicles.

There are many ways you can take your skill set and still use it to create satisfaction. You just have to get creative about it and not expect that this should happen overnight, in any job.

 

[firstjudge]

Viv, thanks so much for those sites. It seems like every time I take those types of test I get very few real jobs that suit me (I only got 2 choices apparently as an AIS). Being an INFJ, I suppose that is to be expected.

Bubbles, don't worry about it. I know you meant no harm. Thanks for your insight.

Tinkerbell, that is all very interesting. Unfortunately the jobs I find most appealing tend to pay the least. *sigh* Money isn't everything, I guess. But it would be nice to be compensated a little better for your compassionate efforts.

Peacebaby, it's not that I'm unwilling to work my way up, but I have to work my way up towards something I really want. Even the work that is considered creative, edgy and avant-garde coming out of the industry is uninspiring to me - it isn't what I consider art. I'm not trying to knock down the profession, but I really don't like think much of advertising and marketing communications. In my daily life I tend to filter out these things; I consider them distractions to things that matter. I don't care about the way something is packaged, or what typeface is used for such and such logo. They are trivial matters to me and in the big picture don't really do anything to affect people in the way helping someone with learning disabilities would have. I have no desire to start my own agency and come up with branding ideas for the latest Gucci campaign (even if I did have complete creative control). I never felt at peace with myself making graphic design, even in school when it was supposed to be the time when you have the most freedom. Even if I do manage to work my way up to be a successful, respected designer, I have a strong feeling I would end up as a very bitter and miserable person. With that said, however, if it is something you truly love doing, then more power to you.

Sorry if I offended anyone with my rant, I have a lot of pent up frustration with respect to design in general.

 

[tinkerbell]

Tinkerbell, that is all very interesting. Unfortunately the jobs I find most appealing tend to pay the least. *sigh* Money isn't everything, I guess. But it would be nice to be compensated a little better for your compassionate efforts.

Yea I had that trouble too... it was an either or choice for me at the time and given where I live I chose not to be below the poverty line....

I hope you find something that you can at least live off, I thought qualified care staff were better paid your side of the pond, but maybe not....

Good luck