Designing the Perfect Career

By Eneida Alcalde
Learning & Life Columnist

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Everyone knows it's tough to juggle a career and family responsibilities. Fortunately, there are jobs out there that provide the flexibility you need to take time with family and friends. If you're visually creative and are looking for a profession that'll let you balance work with family, a career in web or graphic design might be the perfect fit for you.

A Flexible Design Job: It Looks Good on You

Design jobs offer a lot of personal freedom, in the form of flex-time and telecommuting. If you prefer working early in the day so you can be there when your kids come home from school, you'll often find employers willing to accommodate you. Telecommuting is another alternative, and many graphic and web designers work from home and submit their design assignments online. Additionally, you can choose to do freelance work and not have long-term commitments to any employer.

Design Degree Programs

The Internet-viewing population is expected to reach 1.35 billion by 2007, which means jobs for web designers are everywhere. In an online web design program, you'll learn Web site fundamentals, interface design, and multimedia development. When you graduate, there will be hundreds of job opportunities waiting for you.

Graphic designers, meanwhile, can work in a variety of fields, from the Internet to newspapers and magazines. Your courses might include computer graphics, illustration, typography, digital media, Raster graphics, and web publishing. A good program will teach you skills that translate to many different media.

Getting your education in web or graphic design usually involves two to four years of coursework, depending on whether you pursue an associate's or bachelor's degree. As a general rule, associate's degree programs focus on learning the technical aspects of these fields, while bachelor's degrees also emphasize creativity and style.

An associate's degree may seem more appealing since it takes less time to complete. Still, depending on your career goals, remember that online graphic and web design programs will offer you flexible scheduling as you study, so a bachelor's degree won't be much of an intrusion into your life. Once commuting time and expenses are taken into account, online degree programs are cheaper and provide the same respected credentials as traditional schools.

Whether you choose to attend classes on campus or online, a web or graphic design degree will teach you to use your creativity to communicate on a large scale. In this diverse and rapidly growing industry, you'll have flexible job opportunities that allow you to continue your career while still enjoying time with your family.

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About the Author
Eneida P. Alcalde works in Washington, DC and has written several grants, educational manuals, and promotional material for development organizations. Eneida holds a B.A. in international politics and Spanish from The Pennsylvania State University.

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