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Subject Expert
Your classmates are your network, not your competition.
Honestly, I wish more design classes mentioned designing for accessibility. I work as the accessibility liaison for my office, and it's something I've brought up when critiquing designs in my classes. Just basic concepts like what colors should be avoided, font size, and contrast ratios would be a big help.
Coach
I wish I had a class about freelancing. It would have been cool to get a rundown of taxes, contracts, working with clients, etc.
Also - wish I had a marketing class geared towards designers and websites.
The community college I got my Associates from had a required business class that was fantastic. It covered contracts, setting up your freelance business, copyright issues, etc. I was so thankful for it once I got my LLC set up.
I didn’t major in design, but I’m working now with lots of fresh design grads in a corporate setting. The biggest thing everyone seems to be missing is some basic business and marketing strategy knowledge. This would obviously differ from job to job, but having a basic understanding of the industry you’re working in will help you rise from strictly production to more conceptual work (if that’s your goal).
Coach
Any and all majors will teach you the skills, but not actually how to land the job and what to expect.
Coach
Also, me adding actual tangible advice: seek a mentor — not your instructor, but someone who is currently working in the field you desire.
I majored in design, as well as a completely different field within humanities. I learned more on my own or with a mentor more than I did from any instructor/professor who’d just spit out the same jargon over and over every single year of study.
Graduated over a year ago, now working in a big ad agency. I have a few I wished I had insight on:
If you start in advertising as a designer (disclaimer: NOT a production designer), don't expect to do the big stuff right away. You'll be stuck doing banner and social ads 90% of the time, with the 10% being either the 'fun' stuff or 'big' things.
The basics of the business/industry and how it works. Understanding media planning, client relations, what accounts people do, etc.
Understanding and the expectations of culture within agencies and workplaces. You may feel excited going into your first job out of school, but once you get there, you're exposed to office politics, have a bad work/life balance, and figuring things out on the go (which is normal).