Need some help with finding a decent job.......?

move to ny and get some people to look at your work if your persistant and your work is good someone will notice you. good luck.

I just graduated from art college and now work full time as a freelance illustrator and animator. College was very helpful in refining my skills, but it's not completely necessary. I've talked to very well known illustrators that never went to college. If you are good, you can find work. My advice is to develop a strong style that is unlike any of them out there. Get to know programs like Flash, Photoshop, and Illustrator. There are great books in the bookstore on how to learn these. You can then make a website in flash, making your work accessable to anyone at any time. Once you have your site, get post cards made with your artwork/contact info on them and mail them to various magazines, publishers, etc. You can get their addresses in the Artist's and Graphic designer's market.

Although moving to a big city may have some advantages, It's not at all necessary unless you want a steady 9 to 5 job. I live in a very small town and have more work than I do time. With the internet it's very easy to contact clients. However, If you do want a steady 9 to 5 job, I would learn the 3 programs I told you about (if you don't already use them), especially Flash. There is an extremely high demand for flash animators and web designers right now.

I hope that was of some help to you. I know how it is just entering the design field. It's not always easy. Just whatever route you take, act as if you've been doing it for years. Don't indicate anywhere on your website that you're just getting started, people will take advantage of you. Sometimes bios on websites do more harm than good.

Get a website going and learn computer programs of interest very well. Your skills and talent will speak for themselves in the freelance world. It may be difficult to land a job with a major company witout a degree, so freelance is the way to go.

A steady job is very hard to land for any artist/designer outside of a major metropolis. So if you are serious, move to major city once you have a established a body of work, porfolio, and go for it. The secret is persistence. Never give up hope.