Title: Graphic Designer Careers | The Princeton Review
Headings: Graphic Designer
Graphic Designer
A Day in the Life of a Graphic Designer
Paying Your Dues
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Present and Future
Quality of Life
PRESENT AND FUTURE
FIVE YEARS OUT
TEN YEARS OUT

Content: Quality of Life
PRESENT AND FUTURE
Unproven graphic designers negotiate a difficult road as they try to assemble portfolios, bid competitively for small jobs, and build their reputations. Those designers with good connections have an easier time getting a foot in the door, but unfamiliarity with standard working conditions and standard practices still may make the beginning rocky. The hours can be long and unrewarding; be prepared to withstand significant rejection. Forty percent of all graphic designers leave the profession in the first two years. FIVE YEARS OUT
The field evens out at the five-year mark; only individuals with proven records, solid connections, and strong references survive. Around a third of those designers who began in this career stay in it to this point, and around 10 percent remain independent freelance graphic designers. The majority of graphic designers become in-house consultants, designers, and producers. For the most part, designers are satisfied with their work, although the hours are long and salaries are average.