What do I want to be when I grow up?By Brisa Wordekemper

Background

I’ve always loved art, however, I never thought I could make anything of it other than being an art teacher. When I found out I can be and Art Director/Administrator I immediately became interested.

Outline• Career• Secondary Education

My Career

• Art Director/Administrator Art directors oversee the artistic design in advertisements as well as television

commercials. They are responsible for the quality of the finished work. They gather a team of photographers, illustrators, and models to create the add.

• Work Conditions: Art directors work under constant pressure. There are always deadlines to

meet, layouts to deliver to the printer, or commercials that must be taped as soon as possible. To get a magazine out on time, art directors must put pressure on the artists who work for them to finish their work on schedule. Delays in the production of a television commercial can be very expensive, and the art director is ultimately responsible for having everything ready on time and staying until the shooting is finished. There is very little job security in the advertising business. That means frequent job changes can occur at any time.

• (Occupational Profile)

Advantages/Disadvantages• Pays enough • Over a months vacation• Something I love doing• Option to work at home

• ("Salary Explorer Search.")

• Not a normal 9-5 work hour- Stay on call for clients needs.

• Competitive field • Stressful, pressure

Salary/Benefits

• Salaries for an art director vary widely on their experience and skills.• Starting wage: between $40,000-$50,000• Median wage: $63,750• Advanced wage: $80,800

Senior art directors can earn up to $125,000

• (“Salary Explorer Search”)

OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCEMENT

• It’s a long process to move up to an Art director. You usually start out as an illustrator, photographer, or designer before being moved up to an Art director. Once you’re and Art director you usually work for years before getting the opportunity to advance.

• A successful art director can become an art supervisor who manages other art directors. They can also move up to Creative Director or president of another advertising agency.

(“Art director job description”)

COLLEGE !

• Southwest University of Visual Arts

• Main Campus: Tucson, Arizona

• Second Campus: Albuquerque, New Mexico

• (SUVA.edu)

Courses

• Major: Advertising and Marketing• With a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising and Marketing degree you

learn how to market products and qualify to work in all public relations.

• Minor: Graphic Design• With a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design you learn how to

use technology to create designs. This is especially important for becoming an art director because you must know how to use various programs to help create your product.

• (Deahl)

Tuition

• Tuition is based on credits.

• $11,472 per term (12-20 credits)• $956 per extra credit for part time tuition

• Cost of Materials: $3,900

• (“Admissions”)

Requirements• Application form/ fee- $25• Official Transcript• Act score- 18 or better• SAT score- 1010 or better• Top 50% of class• GPA- 3.2

• ***Optional:• Encouraged to show a Portfolio• Personal Statement- What do you want to accomplish as a result of

attending SUVA.

• (“Admissions)

Other Facts

Housing• The university doesn’t have

on-campus housing. However, a list of apartments are kept on file in the Student Services Office. The apartments provide discounts or incentives to Southwest University students

• (“Student Life”)

Jobs

• The university also assists you in finding a career after graduating. The Placement Department maintains relationships with local and national employers.

Works Cited• "Admissions." Suva.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2014

• "Art Director in USA." Www.usaeducation.info. N.p., 15 Jan. 2014. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.

• "Art Director Job Description, Career as an Art Director, Salary, Employment - Definition and Nature of the Work, Education and Training Requirements, Getting the Job." - StateUniversity.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.

• "BA Advertising and Marketing." Suva.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.

• Deahl, Rachel. "What Art Directors Do." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

• "How to Become an Art Director." Creativeblog. N.p., 5 Feb. 2014. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

• "Occupation Profile." Careerinfonet.o"Salary Explorer Search."

• "Salary Explorer Search." Salary Explorer Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.

• "Student Life." SUVA.edu - Southwest University of Visual Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.

• "Summary- Art Director." Occupational Outlook. N.p., 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.