Emerging Occupation News, June 28, 2013

It’s a good time to be a graphic designer–if you’ve got the right skills. The number of want ads for graphic designers has risen by 22% over the past year, practically shooting right off the charts.

What types of skills are needed? Roughly one-third of the want-ads for graphics designers include the word ‘web.’  Graphics design has turned into an emerging occupation,  driven by the tech boom and the very different needs of online/mobile visual presentation.

That leaves two interesting questions. First, is a college degree now needed to become a graphic designer in today’s economy? Second, how easy is it to retool old skills for the new world?