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Considered working as a web designer? This interview will take you through the ups and downs you can expect in the position, what it takes to land the job, what you can expect to earn and more. This is a true career story as told to graphicdesignjobs.org and is one of many interviews with graphic design professionals which among others include a design and text editor, a freelance graphic designer, and everything in between.

I am employed as a web designer in the website development field. I have been on the job for one full year. If I had to describe myself in three words, they would be independent, analytical, and punctual.

I am a young African-American male and I did not experience any discrimination in landing my job. I applied at a few web design companies after college and received job offers from three of them. I had my choice of careers. That was a great feeling!

My job is designing websites for small businesses and sometimes, for individuals. From the requirements they provide and the tone they want to convey, I bring together the different elements that form my client's web presence.

My current job satisfaction is not as high as it could be, I'd say it is a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. That is because I am relatively new in the field and the projects I am assigned to are kind of simple in scope. I would be happier if I could work on more challenging designs, but I still have to prove myself in order to land those assignments.

I am not certain that I could call this is my calling in life. I am good at my job but I know that I am capable of doing more. I am hoping that I will receive more fulfilling assignments in the future.

There is really nothing unique about my situation. I worked hard to get good grades in school and to earn my degree and now I work hard to do my job. My philosophy is that the more you put into your job or your life in general, the more you will get out of it.

I got started in this line of work through social media. Back when MySpace was the popular social media service, friends would always ask for my help in creating unique page layouts. I enjoyed doing it and thought about designing for the web for many years. I finally decided to go to school and make it a reality.

The hardest lesson I learned is to trust your gut instincts. I once designed a website that was exactly to my customer's requirements, only to be told by my manager that it had to be done differently. I knew my design was right but I had only been working for a few months and I didn't want to get into trouble. The customer hated the new design and we nearly lost the job! Fortunately, I saved my original work and we were able to submit it after they agreed to give us another chance. That was a close call.

The most important thing I've learned is that it takes a lot of time to get results in the working world. In school, they will tell you about the top salaries you can earn in your chosen field, but you soon find out that you have to pay your dues to get there. It can take years to reach those levels and you have to be prepared for that.

The strangest thing I ever did on the job was a website I designed for a church that labeled itself as 'fundamental Christian', although the material they wanted to include seemed very cult-like.

I am very proud of a website that I designed for a hip hop record label. The client sent me a personal note thanking me for the work I put in on it. That kind of satisfaction is what keeps me going each day.

My biggest challenge is balancing my work and my efforts to advance my education. Since my work is computer based, it is important to keep abreast of emerging new technologies and software. I will have to take night classes when I go back to school, but I know it will be worth the effort in the end.

Due to the relative simplicity of the assignments I work on, I can't really say that my job is very stressful. After sitting at a desk in front of a monitor all day, I like to unwind my training in martial arts, which exercises both the mind and the body.

As far as salary, web design is an excellent field to get in to. Salaries begin at over $35,000 and can top out over $70,000. In some industries and locations, the pay can reach upwards of $90,000 per year.

Since I've been on the job for only one year, I currently have only one week of vacation time. I don't feel like it's enough time, but it is typical for someone with my length of service. I will earn another week after my two year anniversary.

Graphic design and computer skills are a must in my line of work. Knowledge of HTML and CSS are mandatory for getting your designs on the web. A strong sense of design principles and being able to work within a deadline are also important. I currently hold an Associate's Degree in Information Technology as well as class work in art and design.

To anyone considering this line of work, my advice is to stay in school. Developing the skills to succeed is important and that comes with education. I plan to continue my own education and earn my Bachelor's Degree.

In five years, I see myself as a lead web designer or in management.