Another career path for graphic artists and multimedia specialists

Go to any website of an institution of higher learning and browse through their fine arts or design programs. What do you find? Degrees in graphic design, multimedia technology, web design, and visual communication to name a few. You will also find in depth articles that describe these degrees and provide a brief list of the jobs or careers one might expect to land once graduation is achieved. The majority of catalogs list potential positions like graphic designer, graphic artist, web designer, animator, or multimedia specialist. All of these positions are excellent and present an opportunity for advancement if you should gain employment.
From day one, students in these majors are steered toward these types of positions and the curriculum is based on providing the necessary skills to excel in them. Walk into a classroom of juniors or seniors and ask them what kind of job they would like to land and you would hear the positions mentioned above. Although these career fields do provide longevity and an arena that an experienced artist can do extremely well, they are also very saturated with other artists and new graduates looking for jobs. Because of this saturation and competition, they also tend to pay less than the courseware development career field.

Courseware Development……..What is that?

Although the courseware development field has been around a long time, it is largely unheard of in school lectures and in the design field. If this field has been around, why do schools fail to provide insight in these types of positions? The responsibilities and job duties of a Courseware Developer (AKA: Computer-based Training Developer) are not as “glamorous” as those of a graphic/web designer. Typical job duties of a developer could be: developing instructor-led training programs and online help for software applications, developing online training programs for the medical or food service industry, or even developing interactive training manuals. Skills that are required could include: Flash animation / programming, Photoshop, Illustrator, audio / video editing, and web design. Most individuals that enter the art or design field do so because they want the freedom to express themselves and let the creative juices flow. Not so much in the courseware development field. This field is for Flash or graphic animators and developers that enjoy a more structured environment. It is ideal for those that struggle with their creative side yet like to animate and develop interactive pages. There is some room for creativity, but a developer must follow style guides and stay within the course parameters.

Why would someone want to choose this career path if it is not as glamorous or open to creativity?

There are many reasons that a graphic artist or multimedia specialist would want to try their hand in this field.

• There is not nearly as much saturation as there is in the graphic or web design fields.
• The salaries are generally 10-20K more per year at a similar position.
• Training and education will never go away. Companies will always have a need for courseware development, even in an economy downturn.
• There is room for creativity, but it usually doesn’t require as much as other fields. This is a perfect job for someone that can design, but would prefer not to.
• Structure and predetermined processes and procedures encourage precision and a fine eye for details.

At the end of a long and tedious search for an open position in the design field, you have two options, continue looking and hope you can land a position or give the courseware development field a chance. You never know, this may be the career path for you.

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