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"How can I upskill as a graphic designer and advance my career while fighting my sweet tooth and procrastination?"


Young graphic designer eating pastries and using laptop

Dear Vice Column, 

I'm a 29-year-old graphic designer who wants to advance in my career and increase my earning potential. But I find myself wasting time binge-watching TV shows and scrolling through social media instead of working on my goals. I also have a sweet tooth and can't resist buying gourmet chocolates and pastries. 

- Dessert-Loving Designer

Dear Dessert-Loving Designer,

When faced with the daunting task of trying to increase your earning potential, it's not uncommon to procrastinate and lose focus, especially with the plethora of distractions we have at our fingertips. However, there are steps you can take to upskill yourself and stay motivated.

As a graphic designer, it's essential to continually develop new skills to stay competitive and advance in your career. One way to do this is to take advantage of online learning platforms such as Coursera, Udemy or edX. These platforms offer a wide range of courses and certifications in graphic design, UX design and related fields such as digital marketing that can help you upskill and increase your earning potential.  

However, before you dive into online courses, let's take a step back and assess your current situation. You mentioned that you often find yourself wasting time binge-watching TV shows and scrolling through social media instead of working on your goals. If the only time for you to work on your professional development is during nights and weekends, then you may want to set watch limits on your apps to help you reach your goals. 

To leave yourself room to watch what you want when you want, try to work on your professional development on the clock. Create a career development plan with near- and long-term goals and look to achieve them during work hours. Talk to your manager about carving out time for continuous learning and get in touch with HR or coworkers about stretch projects that can round out your skills. This can help you gain valuable experience and increase your visibility within the company, which can lead to promotions and career advancement.

Another helpful strategy is to seek out mentors who can provide guidance and advice on how to progress in your career. This can be someone within your company or a professional in your industry. Mentors can offer insights into the skills and knowledge needed to advance in your field and provide a valuable network of contacts.

And to address your sweet tooth, you can set up a reward system for yourself, such as treating yourself to a gourmet dessert once you've completed a specific goal. This can help you stay motivated and satiated. Bon appetit!

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