Visual Work/Life Plan: Graphic Designer
Me at Work
Long Term Goals
My Professional Presence
Fiscal Needs/Responsibilities
I value a good boss/company a lot. It is extremely important for me to like what I do, and the environment created by the company is a critical part for maintaining satisfaction. It is also extremely important to me for a job to have good health insurance due to me having many autoimmune diseases that require frequent doctor visits and medications.
My personality type, according to the Myers-Briggs test is INFJ-T. This personality type fits me very well because I have a very strong drive, but am incredibly introverted. This personality is also associated with creativity, imagination, and sensitivity, which are all things that I heavily rely on in my everyday life. I feel like this personality fits my position right now because I am working for a company which makes a difference in special needs education doing what I love with a small group of coworkers. I feel like if I didn't already have a position, though, it would take me a minute to find a job which really clicks with me like this one does.
In graphic design, honesty and integrity are important. This goes with really any position which requires the creation of something, but it's extremely important to make sure you are creating something original and not just plagiarizing someone else's work. There is an incredibly fine line between taking inspiration from someone's work and copying it.
My work ethic is a very strong part of who I am. I believe that there is always something to do and will find things to do that other people wouldn't normally think about. I also am usually an extremely efficient and organized person, so as to get my work done as fast as possible in the best way possible.
According to Sarlary.com, the average entry level salary for graphic designers is $55,501, ranging between $45,401-63,401.
News2you, the company I currently work for offers health and dental insurance, as well as 401k plans and other support programs.
According to bestplaces.net, the cost of living index in Huron, Ohio is 82.4, compared to the national cost of living at 100. This means that it is cheaper than the national average to live here. This is where I live and where news2you is located, so there is no comparison to be made.
According to the same website as above, rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in Huron, Ohio is about $856 on average, compared to the $1,278 national average. The average grocery index is 98.6 compared to the national average of 100.
Life-Long Learner
In order to build a healthy financial future, I plan to put money away into a 401k plan, a retirement plan, as well as a personal savings account.
After I have enough money saved, I would ultimately want to buy a new car and then eventually a house where I could settle in and start a family.
I don't have a set budget yet for after I am graduated, but given how much money I have in savings, I should be pretty set at first. Even after bills and groceries and other misc. expenses every month, I anticipate still having extra money to save.
My current spending habits are generally very frugal. I have done a lot to ensure that I save as much money as possible while attending collage. To achieve this, I have worked over 30 hours a week while living with my parents and commuting to my classes in order to pay off my tuition and save up as much as possible. As a result, I have a good amount of money saved to get a head start after graduating.
According to Salary.com, a management position in graphic design ranges between about $96,623-133,351. The actual salary would depend on a number of factors such as education, certifications, and number of years spent as a designer.
I fully intend to keep learning some things after I graduate. While I don't currently have plans to attend graduate school, I do intend to keep up with design trends. I also would like to get certifications for different softwares to further improve my skills and credibility.
According to justcreative.com, trends in graphic design right now include: inclusive visuals, serif fonts, custom brand visuals, geometric fueled designs, authentic hand-drawn elements, eco & nature, fun data visualizations, neon backgrounds, colorful icons and illustrations, large typography, mixed media designs, branded memes. It seems like brands that separate themselves from the rest and look different seem to be a big trend at the moment.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook for graphic designers is estimated to grow 3% from 2021-2031, which is apparently slower than average. The anticipated openings (about 24,800) are expected as a result of companies needing to replace workers who have moved on to another occupation or exit the labor force.
Long term, I do not feel like I need to further my education to achieve the goals I want. I don't have any lofty goals for what I specifically want to achieve other than to be a successful designer. I feel like I may need some certifications to improve my credibility. For example, I could get a certification in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign since I use those two programs frequently and they are a big part of how I design.
I am not currently a member of any organization, but I did plan to look into some after I have settled after graduating.
I aim to help create things that other people may not be able to for whatever reason. These "things" would include logo work, help creating page or website layouts, social media profiles, and branding in general.