Hi,
I looked up this question myself when I was thinking of going into Graphic Design but I could not find a black and white answer as to what I needed to do and where I needed to start! So I hope I can be of help to up and coming designers that just want a starting point.
Here goes:
First you will need to get a qualification in Graphic or Media design, be it a degree or a diploma.
Benifits of each:
The benefit of doing a degree is that you have a lot of time to do some great graphics and you will go into this in detail should you pick the right course. You will learn and use the software you need to be a graphic designer along with learning in detail about typography, trends and branding. I would suggest to do this if you are just out of school and have the time luxury of doing a degree then go for it. You can only benefit from it.
What happens after your degree? Well you know the saying there is not better experience then hands on? Find and internship to learn what you could not learn in a classroom. It will break you into the real world of graphic design. Do freelance jobs to build on experience and get a feel for what clients want and variety!
The benefits of doing a diploma are if like me you have a fulltime job and cannot afford to go back to college fulltime then do a night course or you can do a diploma for a few days in each week to get it done quicker. My course was a few full days during the week which I was lucky to get off due to it being beneficial to the company I work for. I learned the essential software InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator and learned a lot from the teacher on how to progress with the tools I learned and skillset I already had.
I was fortunate to have somewhere to test this out. I became the Junior Graphic Designer in my current role. I got all the software installed onto my pc and started working to create great artwork. You will not be able to do this overnight though as it takes a while to get the hang of the software, how to use it for the right project and how to perfect your artwork. Mine looked mediocur for the first year then I started to see myself improve as I was constantly learning and building a good portfolio.
So to get started in graphics please follow the steps to start your career then it is up to you where you go from there:
1. Qualification
2. Experience (Internship, freelancing or getting a junior position)
3. Do Tutorials there are plenty online (There is so much to graphics that you are always learning and if you do not want to, then do not expect to be a good designer. Keep doing tutorials)
4. Read, read, read (read books on certain aspects of Graphic Design (You will always want to brush up on new techniques and remember the tools you learnt in college along with getting inspiration, so you need to buy typography books, pattern books, branding books, user interface books, anything that will help you become a better designer)
5. Progress (Rome was not built in a day and neither will your graphic design career. Keep improving your skills to move up in your career and you will be a great designer)
Great websites to visit and help you learn more are as follows:
www.psdtuts.com
www.deviantart.com
www.creativeallies.com
www.youtube.com
I hope this was of some help to you.
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