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Printer Friendly FormatCareers in Printing and Graphic Communications An Industry Forum Written by Terese Loeb Kreuzer III. KINDS OF JOBS AVAILABLE IN THE GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY Within the Graphic Communications industry, the range of jobs is vast. As many of the functions of traditional printing and publishing become computerized, there is an overlap between jobs in these areas and in digital communications. When a client has a job that will end up being distributed on paper, some of the people who will get involved before the process is completed include
When a client has a job that will end up being distributed digitally, some of the people who will get involved before the process is completed include
Says Jack Powers, director of the International Informatics Institute, "Somebody's got to write, design and produce all the pages. They have to be illustrated. And someone has to get them up on a computer system and get them to work, possibly with moving images and audio embedded in them." IV. SALARIES FOR GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS IN THE NY/NJ METRO AREA According to Jim Brown of the New York State Department of Labor, technical and creative salaries have been rising in the Graphic Communications field. However, he adds that, "We still have a pool of more traditional Union jobs that are not growing as fast." Here are some representative salaries in the NY/NJ Metro Area (source: National PIA Economists, 1999)
Some additional salaries from Career Zone (www.nycareerzone.org), the New York State Department of Labor Web site:
V. SKILLS NEEDED FOR THE GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY An understanding of the vocabulary of graphic communications is necessary for even an entry-level job in printing and publishing. In addition, students who understand the production process and how each step relates to the others have a big step up both in obtaining their first job and in advancing. In a rapidly changing field, the ability to learn new skills and the willingness to do so is essential. According to Jim Brown, "You always need people who understand and can work with the latest technology." Business managers will need knowledge of economics, statistics, management, sales and psychology. Designers will need art courses that include typography for both print and digital technologies. They will have to understand enough about the production process to know what's technically possible, even though they themselves don't do it. People who want to work in Web production will need to know HTML (hypertext markup language), and be flexible to learn the newest software available. "We're talking about top students," says Richard Krasner. "We're talking about a career here and we're talking about a professional career." In addition to "hard skills," all who work in graphic communications will need "soft skills" — the ability to work as a team, the ability to communicate both orally and in writing, and the ability to do basic math. Annette Wolf Bensen gives some examples of how these skills may be needed. "If you're in sales, you have to be able to make a customer comfortable with the production process, and some of it will be quite technical. If you're a bookkeeper, or a customer service rep or someone who handles billing or estimating, you have to be able to do math. If you're in management or customer service, you have to be able to communicate with suppliers and customers in writing." Richard Krasner adds, "It's not just about learning something in a textbook. Teamwork is essential. If you can be there for others, what you'll wind up with will be beyond your expectation." Continued 1| 2| 3| Next |
Graphic Communications Programs in New York City High Schools The following New York City high schools offer specialized programs in graphic communications. Fpor more information about each school, please visit the New York City Department of Education online directory of high schools at www.nycenet.edu/hs_directory Bushwick High School 400 Irving Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11237 Tel: (718) 381-7100 Fax: (718) 497-3949 Curtis High School 105 Hamilton Avenue Staten Island, NY 10301 Tel: (718) 273-7380 Fax: (718) 273-9657 High School of Graphic Communication Arts 439 West 49 Street New York, NY 10019 Tel: (212) 245-5925 Fax: (212) 265-1552 Ralph R. McKee Vocational-Technical High School 290 St. Marks Place Staten Island, NY 10301 Tel: (718) 420-2600 Fax: (718) 981-8776 Thomas A. Edison Vocational and Technical High School 165-65 84th Avenue Jamaica, NY 11432 Tel: (718) 297-6580 Fax: (718) 658-0365 FORUM HOST The New York Citywide School to Work Alliance (STW Alliance) The New York Citywide School to Work Alliance is an independent, non-profit organization. Founded in 1996, it is a key resource and support center for school to work efforts in New York City. The mission of the STW Alliance is to foster high quality school to work programs that successfully prepare young people for careers in the rapidly changing workplaces of the 21st century. To accomplish its mission the STW Alliance: For more information about the New York Citywide School to Work Alliance, please visit www.STWAlliance.org |
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