There is no denying that digital media has changed every individual’s life tremendously. Digital media plays a crucial role in allowing its users to connect and interact with each other, irrespective of geographical barriers. Do you wish to start a blog or love to use creative captions and tweets to earn a few dollars? Or do SEO and social media professionals inspire you to get into the digital media world and make a living? Whatever your reason may be, rest assured, the digital media field is ever-growing.
Fulfill your hunger to enjoy the digital media world and earn a living by enrolling in a digital media degree. Are you wondering how to start a career in digital media and what career paths your degree offers? No worries, below a step-by-step guideline on how you can excel in a digital media career:
Educational Requirements
It is entirely up to you which level of degree you want to pursue. Each degree can help you develop the required skills and gain knowledge about the field. Below are some degree levels in the digital media field:
Associate Degree
The degree equips individuals to develop basic editing and designing skills. You will learn how to make videos and come up with various media projects. However, there are two options at the associate level. You can either opt for Associate of Applied Science in Digital Media or Associate of arts in digital media. Some of the courses that you might study in this program include:
- Computer illustration and designing
- Web animation
- History of Arts
- Video production
Bachelor Degree
Individuals can explore practical applications of digital media during the bachelor’s degree. Some degree programs solely focus on films and televisions, while others consider a broader digital media framework. Some prerequisites for a bachelor’s degree in digital media include:
- English proficiency test either IELTS or TOEFL
- A statement of purpose
- A certain GPA requirement
Remember, the requisites for every university vary. Some may ask for more educational requirements, while others may settle on less. You might study the following subjects during the bachelor’s study:
- Audio and Film production
- Trends in film and arts
- Communication technology
- Animation studies
Master Degree
A master’s degree typically focuses on advanced knowledge of communication, arts, and programming. The degree program also allows individuals to learn business and management skills for their upcoming careers. Some of the courses that you might study during the master’s program are:
- Graphic designing
- Web animation
- Interactive design
- Media laws
Required Skill Set
While academic knowledge is necessary to kick start your career, still you can take your digital media career to the top-notch level with these skills:
- Hone good communication skills to gain insights into the needs and behavior of the target audience and build strong relationships with them
- Have strong computer and software knowledge
- You should be able to manage time effectively since digital media experts often work on more than one project simultaneously
- Possess creative skills to come up with new concepts and techniques for each project
Career Paths
The field of digital media offers its students a wide variety of career choices. Your job requirements and career scope are highly determinant on the specific area you choose to pursue. Below are some of the most common jobs you can acquire with a digital media degree.
1. Graphic Designer
Do you have a passion for designing visual content to communicate information and spread awareness? Then, graphic designing might be the ideal career choice for you. As a graphic designer, you must be proficient in online designing tools such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc. Your day-to-day responsibilities may include:
- Meet with clients to discuss project details
- Use digital software to create rough illustrations
- Brief client about the rough sketch and get approval to work for the final version
- Coordinate with other designers and agencies
- Look out for any errors in the final design before sending it for printing
2. Animator
Animators are multimedia artists that employ moving images to tell a story or provide any information. You must possess strong interpersonal, communication, flexibility, and computer skills. It would be best to have excellent know-how about various animation software tools to excel in your job. Typical job duties of an animator include:
- Meet with clients, study scripts to grasp their story and needs
- Employ animation software such as Flash
- Collaborate with other designers and production team professionals
- Present designs to clients and cater to any feedback from the client
- Stay up-to-date with the latest information and trends
3. Social Media Specialist
Professionals who work as social media specialists create and administer content on different social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. You must have excellent communication, time-management, and multi-tasking skills to pursue this career. Since social media trends and news continuously change, you must be adaptable to work and get creative in a high-paced environment. On a regular day, your job responsibilities will include:
- Set up social media accounts for your clients and optimize them
- Understand the target audience and share valuable content to engage with users
- Use different analytics tools to keep an eye on performance on every social media platform
Summing Up
In this fast-paced digital world, it comes as no surprise that a huge question mark hangs on the credibility of any news. Due to the growing increase in fake news and misleading information, many people wish to pursue the path to figure out the true story behind it all. That’s why the US Bureau of Labor & Statistics expects the growth of media and communication jobs to grow by 4% by 2029. It signifies plenty of job opportunities for upcoming graduates.
