David Conley
University of California, Irvine - Division of Continuing Education
Career Roadmap
David's work combines: Design, Education, and Being Creative
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Redlands High School
Bachelor's Degree
Computer Game Science
UC Irvine
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Graphic Designers:
Bachelor's Degree: Computer Game Science
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I started teaching myself Photoshop my sophomore year of high school. But I didn't think much of it; it was more of a hobby.
2.
I wanted to be a sports journalist straight out of high school. But I didn't get into the universities I wanted.
3.
I committed to study at UCI as an Undecided/Undeclared student. At orientation, they announced a new major: Computer Game Science. I thought to myself: why not?
4.
Over the next 4 years, I worked a lot on game projects as an artist, because of my Photoshop experience. It was fun, but I never pictured a career in it.
5.
Instead, I got involved on campus. As an RA, SPOP Staffer, etc., I began to gravitate towards student affairs.
6.
I got my first job at UCI due to my experience in student affairs, and because I had a unique background in computer science. At this job, I was able to show off my design skills.
7.
Over time, I realized that the design work was what I looked forward to every day. I would lose track of time on nearly every design project I found myself on.
8.
Eventually, because of awesome mentors and colleagues at work, my abilities got noticed. I was picked up by my current team at Continuing Education: DesignPlus.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
You're nowhere near a good enough artist to make a professional career out of it.
How I responded:
If you're even thinking about career in art, chances are you have talent. It's just a matter of finding good people to not only critique your work and make it better, but also to show off your abilities to folks that matter. We are far more critical of ourselves than we need to be-- it's what makes us better artists. But don't let that stop your career before it even begins.