I don't know what to do for a future career?

Question

I can't seem to put the puzzles in place and find a job for me.

Well, first off I like to draw/create/make/design.

When I was 5 or 6 I started watching a lot of craft shows on

television because I always found it interesting to make

objects from house hold goods. My friends and parents

always thought I was very creative.

And years later, since we are VERY low on money, I've

always wanted to help my parents gain some money.

I've started to design on tote bags with fabric paint using

toothpicks to get the design intricate. But I stopped that

after school was holding me back. But I never really thought

about what I should do. I know there are people who can do

better designing and artwork than me but I'm afraid I'm not

going to be as good as they are and just fail.

Help! What about magazine editing/designing?

How hard is it to get in?

Answer 1

Career counseling, done right, is a very hands-on, time intensive process.

If there's a community college near you, they'll probably provide it for free--they consider it community service and also a recruiting tool.  Contact their student services office and inquire.

You'll have to complete some tests to determine attitudes and aptitudes.  Then the counselor can talk with you and develop a list of careers you might find fulfilling.  They can also get you projections of demand and salary for those careers, and advise you about what education you'd need and even where you might get it.

Don't let shortage of funds stop you--depending on what state you're in, community college tuition might cost you as little as $700 out of pocket after government grants and other financial aid.  (Books might be more expensive than tuition!).

Now, magazine art direction, as noted above, is not the job you start out with.  You have to work your way up through the ranks of commercial artists, a fairly difficult career path.  But if you work hard, you know that someone is going to get those jobs--why not you?

But let the career counselor help you with that choice.  Also, after you're in college, continue working with career development so they can help you with resumes, applications, interviews, and even employer contacts.

Answer 2

It depends on what level of editing you're talking about. Remember that there are top of the line magazines, like Time or Vogue or whatever--those are VERY hard to break into. However, there are many local magazines/publications in many cities that will always be looking for layout artists. There are even non profit organizations who look for folks to design their newsletters. I'm sure that you'll be able to find some way to put your talents and your love of design to good use. Try going to school as a graphic arts major or something. That will open up a whole world of possibilities. Good luck!