I have been working for the Government as an IT contractor for the past 13 years and have a Full Clearance.
I have always had an interest in Web/Graphic Design and have taken a few courses in those areas before and during that time. I have recently made more of an effort to find employment in that area. During that time I have tried to keep up with the technology and have taken many tutorials through Linkedin Learning.
The issue that I am encountering is that all my experience is IT related and that is most recruiter want to speak to me about (some seem ‘insulted’ when I politely do not want to waste time for either of us hearing about the job. I even had one scold me saying, “how dare I want to do something else with my life, if I am satisfied with the field I have worked in, it is my own fault.
Sorry I rambled a bit. Does anyone have any suggestions?
PS, a new Bachelor’s Degree has been mentioned, but because I am almost 50, with working full time and only being able to take 1 or 2 classes at a time that would take me 10+ years.
Just my 2 cents here. You probably should talk to a professional graphic designer. I was a web designer eons ago and HATED it! Web design doesn’t really exist anymore. Graphic design is a different monster than IT. You should make sure that’s REALLY what you want to do.
Creative careers can be fun but take a LONG time to progress. Most graphic designers start with internships but can end up doing sports, entertainment, marketing/advertising, media, etc. Most corporate graphic designers need to have years of experience before getting hired for those jobs though. I recommend you research internship/entry level jobs. Maybe do those on the side before you give up IT…
One thing you could maybe look into, since you have a clearance, check government public affairs type agencies or political organizations. They needs LOTS of graphic design for campaigns and such.
Yeah I would personally start the graphic design part time on the side until I was sure I really enjoyed it and found a company that I loved before I left my current job to go full time. My ex husband is a graphic designer and he hates it. The company he works for deals mostly with casino advertising and they literally hand him a detailed list of what they want in their ads and his job is to just input it into the computer so they can print it. He has absolutely zero creative input on anything. Sound absolutely dreadful
Thank you for the input.
Does he have a clearances as well?
Also, did he have Graphic Design (work related) experience going in? (b/c if not I assume that kind of role is how you get your foot in the door, when you are Entry Level)?
He doesn’t have a clearance. I went to college with someone who was an Art Director at an advertising agency who did me a favor and took a chance hiring him.
I was in exactly the same situation as you. I’ve spent all my career in the IT/business field in private sector and at about your age passed a bunch of linguist tests and now work in a completely different field with an IC agency with my first clearance. I don’t work as a linguist per se but I am using my native language in my current role. Dreams do come true )).