Hi,

I am 15 and just finishing school and really want to develop a career in web design and digital art. I know it can be a pretty tough field to get into as there are so many others out there doing the same thing. I had been thinking it might be better to get into specific courses at University this September. However, I was told and have read that companies and clients don't always depend on your degrees etc to decide if you can work for them - they also look at your actual skills and previous work etc.

Any suggestions you guys have for somebody just getting started in this field would be so much appreciated. Our school guidance counsellors seem to have no idea of what is involved or what I should take.

Thank you,

Amber S.

Amber s.,

Step one is to go to school -- don't think twice about getting that degree (your ambitions today won't be your ambitions ten years from now).

Step two is simply to do what everyone else here is doing ... build your portfolio. You have the luxury of having plenty of time to do it. Most people on this forum are looking for a job today with little to no portfolio. You have five years to build one; at your pace, you will probably have something amazing in 5 months from now. Just don't rush it, take your time, one piece at a time and enjoy school (pick parties over clients, this will be the last time you can do that). Get an internship somewhere, but don't intern where you want to work one day; especially in a creative environment. Many will disagree and have success stories, but you will always been looked at as the "intern" -- when the team is looking for out-of-the-box thinking, they will tend to look past you (thinking that all of your knowledge was learned there and you don't have the capacity to think outside).

The best advice I can give anyone is to get a brand name on your resume sooner than later. I don't care how you do it or how much they pay (if at all, expect nothing). Your degree and your GPA will only ever matter for that first job (and it is extremely important to get that first job). From that point forward experience and quality of work is the name of the game. But back to the brand name -- once you have a NYTimes.com, ABC, NIKE, Discovery Channel, Sony on your resume, everyone going forward will think, "if she was good enough for them, she should be good enough for us". Like us, other companies qualify themselves by comparison. Nothing is more powerful than a portfolio piece with a logo on it that a client or employer can recognize and have a positive association with.

The faster you can get into an agency the better. In-house designers are terrific, but generally only have a self-life of 2 to 3 years. Unless you are fortunate enough to get into a highly progressive and forward thinking in-house department, you will lose more than you will gain (comparatively). In an agency you will work harder, longer but have a hell of a lot more fun. Your portfolio will grow ten fold to those working solely in-house. If in-house is your only option or best starting-point, don't fret. Freelancing will be your best friend. Not only will it increase your income, but it broaden your horizons and diversify your portfolio in the direction you choose.

Now remember, my advice is for the 99% -- there are that 1% that bring such amazing talent to the table that no rules apply. The talent that the AOL's and Yahoo's of the world will pay and do anything to have, regardless of a degree or significant experience.

Amber, do you have anything we can see now?