<p>Hi, I'm interested in getting into the web design field. I haven't taken any courses yet, but I am thinking about it because I have found that I am really interested in designing using photoshop and illustrator.</p>
<p>The only thing that's making me hesitant is, is work easy to come by as a web designer? Are you or someone you know working as a web designer? If yes, is anyone able to give me how difficult/easy it would be for an average web designer to find a job these days?</p>
<p>Would anyone also be able to refer me to any site that tells you more about how hard it is to get a job in certain industries these days, if any exists? Thanks so much in advance!</p>
<p>I temporarily did freelance webdesign/graphic design work for a few years ago and it is difficult. If you do freelance, you work your own hours and you’re your own boss (for the most part lol), but it’ll be all about how you network and market yourself. You would need to get hired by a firm or a company if you want a stable job, unless you have a large client list, which would probably depend on your location. </p>
<p>I think nowadays being a designer of some sort is very competitive. You would have to be very well-rounded to be marketable – so you should be familiar with not only Photoshop and HTML/CSS, but PHP, Ajax, Perl, C++, MySQL, Premiere, Flash, OSX and PC and maybe even Linux, social media, the list goes on and on and on.</p>
<p>Design is a very portfolio-based area so you don’t necessarily need a degree to do it – just a smokin’ hot portfolio that blows potential clients away. Just food for thought, if you want to teach yourself the programs and major in something you feel is safer/or double major so that you have a back-up name on your degree. Not saying this is the correct or best way, but an option to consider if you’re really scared of not being able to find a job after graduation.</p>
<p>Why would you need to be familiar with C++ as a web developer?</p>
<p>You don’t need to. I said it’s becoming an extremely competitive field and the more well-rounded you are, the more marketable you are.</p>
<p>I agree that C++ and the like will make you competitive. Knowing as much as you can about programming in addition to the design aspect will make you more valuable as an employee. Why would someone hire a designer to make the site pretty, and then pay someone else to write all of the programming and work out the glitches in the system when they can pay one person to do it all? </p>
<p>Keep in mind that location can play a role in how difficult the market is. Some areas are hot beds for designers, whereas other areas can make it seem impossible to land a full-time job. Freelance can make it even more difficult. It will take solid networking, a solid portfolio, and a desire to keep learning and staying on top of new scripts and trends. And as another poster said, you can teach yourself all of these things, including the programs and languages, without a college degree. If you’re interested in freelancing, but still want to go to college, taking up marketing or business courses may be more useful while teaching yourself the design components. Or use your elective courses to take classes in design or programming if it’s too much to learn it all on your own.</p>