Looking for Career Advice

[Trog]

Right. Okay. Here's the deal:

I need your help.

I need a new career path. Something that make better use of my combination of talents, such as they are, than the job I'm in now. I want to make my mark somehow. And of course make more money doing it than I am in my job now would be nice.

I guess I'm basically looking for suggestions.

Since I know how the forums are I might as well build in a way to both be serious and not serious for those who like to do that sort of thing. So format it like this:

Serious suggestion:
Not serious suggestion:

Have at it, playground.

[Lord Iames Osari]

For those of us who want to be helpful but don't know what your talents are or your current job is, perhaps you could enlighten us?

[Semidi]

Serious question:

I don't want to be intrusive, but I'd like to know what your education background is to give a proper response. As I can’t really recommend teaching(or something like it) if you don’t have a college education(I honestly have no idea, just an example).

[Trog]

I'm currently the head of a graphic design department and am one myself. Been doing it for 10 years. I have a BA in Art. That help any? :smallconfused:

[Reinboom]

Serious:
Web Designer

Not-so-serious:
Be free, go wild, be like a teenager again. Move out west, join a major gang, and become a hardcore graffiti tagger.

[Dallas-Dakota]

Trog...

Serious advice :
There's an artist spot(s) open at Blizzard, with 10 years of experience, you should be able to do the trick.........(switching to non-serious) And then we's would haves the neededs infiltrant in Blizzard, WE WILLLLL RULE BLIZZARD!

[Syka]

Serious: A game designer would be cool.

Not Serious: Go around painting murals on buildings that have some sort of meaning. Not sure how we'll that would pay though, but you could always ask Wyland. :smallwink:

Cheers,
Syka

[Exeson]

Serious: Well, seeing as you are a good artist, as well as your amazing ability for comedy I'm pretty sure you could make a comic or something combining the two (cause that would rock). Just a suggestion, i am not very knowledgeable in these things

Semi-serious: I'm not sure how things work where you live but go on a teaching course and become an art teacher - That would rock even though the pay is probably rubbish.

[potatocubed]

Never Ever Serious: Open a bar.

[Magnificence]

I here there is a opening for Gypsy Prince, Dashing Lover of Eastern Europe.
Three year contract and a free skeleton key.

[Fri]

Semi serious idea:

Actually, I'm also an art student.

Although I'm planning to be a writer/journalist, one of my semi serious back up plan is to be an art teacher.

Being an art teacher sound awesome. And if you have the same real life persona as your forum persona, you'll be a perfect eccentric yet lovable and slightly questionable art teacher. As in the movies!

You have to like teenagers/kids though. And on second thought... the pay isn't that good. You might want to have freelance design job in your spare time. If you have spare time...


Being able to corrupt today's youth... wow..

Eh... I realized that you want something with good pay, so nevermind that suggestion.

But I had been taught by a successful banker that somehow, became a teacher. He told us that at one point on his life, he just said "I had enough of this" and left his job.

Why do you want to change your career?

What do you like and dislike from your current job?

I guess that'll help other, wiser people that want to suggest things.

[Alarra]

semi-serious, but bad idea: My intention with my art degree and interests was to design book covers and ads at a publishing company. Course, publishing pays crap, and the good places require moving to New York, so.....yeah.....maybe not a great suggestion.

serious: Advertising can often be a more lucrative option for a graphic design degree, but if I recall, that's sort of what you're doing now.

serious: Game design could be fun.

serious, but somewhat impractical: Architecture is a pretty interesting direction to go with an arts degree also, but would require more schooling.....and liking physics and calculus. Do you? I didn't. Hence why I'm not an architect.

Not really serious, but maybe: Ever consider art therapy? :smallwink:

Not serious: Oooooor, be Rich....make a webcomic, gain such a following that you don't need a real job anymore. Or hell, just make art and sell it. Cause that usually works out soooooo well for people.

[ForzaFiori]

serious: that blizzard thing Dallas mentioned would probably be awesome, or you could become a cartoonist. with your personality, and talent for art (i'm assuming you have that considering your job and degree), it should be excellent.

[Reinboom]

serious: that blizzard thing Dallas mentioned would probably be awesome, or you could become a cartoonist. with your personality, and talent for art (i'm assuming you have that considering your job and degree), it should be excellent.

I recommend against the Blizzard thing, actually.
They treat many of their employees like crap, or so has been told by the designers returning to school. (I go to school for game designer/programming).

The game artist is a good idea, but, being a designer or artist is very high in competition currently, and is NOT secure if you need to train longer for it.
Unless you get into an indy company, game designers are common and cheap.

[Jibar]

I recommend against the Blizzard thing, actually.
They treat many of their employees like crap, or so has been told by the designers returning to school. (I go to school for game designer/programming).


They are however miles above EA. See: Article. (http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=132)

All seriousness, go for a job in video games or try and work your way into movies. Concept artists are always fun people, and can really let your imagination loose.
Or open up a Geek Bar. Fresh mead served all night long. Fridays is Ladies Night. Chainmail Bikinis optional. :smallwink:

[Fri]

We having an insider in blizzard is seriously cool though.

[VeisuItaTyhjyys]

Never Ever Serious: Open a bar.

Actually, when I left for college, my parents opened a bar and swiftly became very loaded (not that any of it's gone to my tuition/food/anything else, mind you, so that may be part of it). With a knack for conversation like Trog's, one may not wish to discount this so easily. Graphic arts abilities would help with the cost of signage and advertisements, which are the important thing in making money with a bar, in that if one can bring in customers, one is likely to keep them.

[zeratul]

Well Blizzard is looking for..........

Artists:
Lead 3D Character Artist - Next-Gen MMO
Lead 3D Environment Artist - Next-Gen MMO
Lead 3D Environment Artist
Lead 3D Character Artist
Senior 3D Character Artist
3D Background Artist
Environment Texture Artist Senior 3D Character Animator
Senior 3D Environment Artist
Lead 3D Character Artist
3D Character/Weapons Artist
2D User Interface Artist

theres a page for it here (http://www.blizzard.com/jobopp/)

[MrEdwardNigma]

Actually, when I left for college, my parents opened a bar and swiftly became very loaded (not that any of it's gone to my tuition/food/anything else, mind you, so that may be part of it). With a knack for conversation like Trog's, one may not wish to discount this so easily. Graphic arts abilities would help with the cost of signage and advertisements, which are the important thing in making money with a bar, in that if one can bring in customers, one is likely to keep them.

Seems a waste of artistic talent, if you ask me. But opening a bar is a respectable and smart thing to do. I know someone who went through law school and then instead of doing something with it he opened a bar. He probably made more money this way than if he'd become a lawyer...

[LCR]

Would you want to relocate to Europe?
Because that would be a real change.
I hear that Latvia, or the Baltic states in general are quite attractive for designers.
Other European countries are of course also very interesting.

Or go to grad school, if you can afford it.

[The Bunny]

Dang, you're having my same problem. My very possibly only talent is art, but there's not a very good feasible way to use it.

However I have talked to a few graphic designers. They do things like design logos and advertisements for companies, and so far it's worked out well for them.

Other careers I have considered:
Art teacher: Too depressing. I did a year of being a teacher's assistant and decided this wasn't for me.
Tattoo artist: Pretty cool. If you mess up though...

I have also considered photography. You could also get into fashion photography, work for victoria's secret and photograph half-nekkid women all day.:smallwink:

Just sit down and think about what you could and couldn't do for a lving and make viable choices for there. Can you work in an office job? Freelance? Do you need great job security or would you mind floating around from job to job?

[Swedish chef]

Serious:
Join a media company as a multi media artist and design various graphics and stuff for games

Not serious:
Start making roundabout dogs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rondellhund) and start a hype about your art and get serious bucks in grant from filthy rich people to design papier mache dogs for their mansions.

[Bor the Barbarian Monk]

I sent my serious reply to Trog in a PM. But in a semi-serious reply on the thread...

It would be AWESOME to see Trog's Tavern become an actual place one could visit. I mean, the absolute lunacy of the place would be fun to see in action. Maybe it could become the only bar in a Disney park. :smallbiggrin:

[Castaras]

I sent my serious reply to Trog in a PM. But in a semi-serious reply on the thread...

It would be AWESOME to see Trog's Tavern become an actual place one could visit. I mean, the absolute lunacy of the place would be fun to see in action. Maybe it could become the only bar in a Disney park. :smallbiggrin:

A real life Trogs Tavern?

That would be so awesome...I'd definitely want to go there some day... :smallbiggrin:

[Ego Slayer]

Well Blizzard is looking for..........

Artists:
Lead 3D Character Artist - Next-Gen MMO
Lead 3D Environment Artist - Next-Gen MMO
Lead 3D Environment Artist
Lead 3D Character Artist
Senior 3D Character Artist
3D Background Artist
Environment Texture Artist Senior 3D Character Animator
Senior 3D Environment Artist
Lead 3D Character Artist
3D Character/Weapons Artist
2D User Interface Artist

theres a page for it here (http://www.blizzard.com/jobopp/)
Like Reina said, it's very competitive, and, from what I understand, you really need to know your #%*@ to get in with a co. like Blizzard. If you read through the requirements for each position, nearly all of them require you know a modeling program, and that you have a decent background in game design. My brother wants to go into game design, and it's looking like it'd be a hell of a lot of work to get to the point of even being considered. Though being an artist and a graphic designer gets you part way there, there's still a lot of stuff you to go to school for (Maya, and such).

Real-life Trog's Tavern? I'd come! :smalltongue:

[BlackStaticWolf]

I'm currently the head of a graphic design department and am one myself. Been doing it for 10 years. I have a BA in Art. That help any? :smallconfused:

What sort of art do you specialize in and what other related skills do you possess?

Depending on your overall skillset, something like costume or set design for theater or film might be viable. Obviously, for that field you'd need to know how to actually make the end product in addition to sketch/paint it.

[Thes Hunter]

Serious: Start a webcomic, start a business selling t-Shirt designs, build and sell dungeon sets, write fiction, write RPG scenarios and adventures, start your own design company, and/or move to a big city and get a job at an ad agency.


Not Serious: Convince your employer to pay you a real supervisor's wage, win the lotto and open a bar, become a professional kitty scricther, join the French foreign legion, or write and direct the next Evil Dead type movie, that launches you and your friends into stardom.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Serious: Well, Victorious Press could use someone with your experience. Of course, it's not yet anything one could live on, so you're probably better off investigating other avenues, but if you want to use your skills and have fun with cool people making awesome gaming products, give Fax_Celestis a PM or an email and see if he'd be interested in hiring an experienced graphic designer.

Not-so-serious: Become an underground vigilante artist, who paints unflattering pictures of wrongdoers.

[Cyrano]

Serious:Become an underground vigilante artist, who paints unflattering pictures of wrongdoers.

not-so-serious: Two words.
PROFESSIONAL.
BARBERSHOP.

[Jagg]

Trog, you're my age(ish) so I'm probably going to tell you things you already know. A truism of life is "Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life". A large proportion of people are unsatisfied in their jobs because it does not satisfy them in some way, be it job satisfaction, advancement, security, money etc etc. Much like the banker who became a teacher in one of the previous posts, I'm sure the money was great being a banker but he obviously felt that there was no point being the richest corpse in the graveyard and needed to do something that was rewarding in other ways. The question then boils down to you. What do you find rewarding? What do you find enjoyable? How important are features like security, advancement, control, money etc? I heartily suggest you do the following.

1) Sit down with pack of smokes, bottle of booze, pad and pencil and shut yourself away in your room like a hermit for a day or so.
2) Write down everything that you enjoy doing (and work out your motivations).
3) Write down everything that you do not enjoy doing (and why)
4) Write down everything that you think you would enjoy doing (and how to get experience to confirm/reject)
5) Write down everything that you think you would not enjoy doing (and why)

If you were asking me from a professional perspective what sort of job should you be doing I would not be focussing on this, you've mentioned money as being important and that tells me that you like 90% of the world's population need to work. No work = no food at it's most basic. I would suggest that you look for ways to increase your non-work sources of income and supplement your wage with earning from other sources. Once you have sources of income not dependent upon your wage, you'll find that life gets a lot easier, you have more opportunities and if your boss p******* you off you don't have to take his c***.

You might also look at being your own boss, in a franchise business that suits your abilities and interests.

For example - several posters have mentioned that you are artsy. How about a small business like this? http://www.sandartsupplies.com/ It would only cost a modest amount to set up and initially you could possibily even work at your normal 9-5 job and do this on the weekends.

Hope that helps.

P.S.

Non Serious: Professional Bra Consultant