Many young people aspire to work in multimedia development. You can be creative, think outside the box and work with smart, like-minded people. But it’s also a very competitive industry: fast-paced, always evolving, with a lot more designers than there are jobs. It’s hard work, and you need to be passionate about it in order to succeed.
Nowadays companies don’t want to hire someone who specializes in just coding or just print—they want the full package. You must be able to generate and manipulate graphic images, animations, sound, text and video into consolidated and seamless digital applications.
And let’s not forget the people skills. The full package also means you must be able to work directly with clients. You must be able to investigate, analyze and recommend solutions through storyboarding, proposal writing and pitching concepts, and then write the necessary code to produce the product. Then, you must navigate and coordinate teams to manage the development and implementation of the product. And last but not least, you have to be able to edit, edit and edit some more!
The job title “Interactive Multimedia Developer” speaks to a broad skill set, opening up a seemingly limitless list of jobs: animators, e-commerce developers, graphic designers, interactive or interface designers, programmers, new media designers or developers, project managers, video and web producers, and web designers. That’s just a snippet of all of the possibilities—the field is still so young and versatile.
My passion for the field grew from my interest in art, design and new technology. I was fortunate enough to take part in a co-op program in high school, and was welcomed into a young and growing company that fostered a relaxed and creative environment. That was all I needed to motivate me to pursue this career path. I compared post-secondary programs offered across Canada, and ultimately decided on college because I determined that the curriculum there was more directly career-oriented than what I would learn in university. I wanted practical, hands-on training.
What I learned from my experiences is that there aren’t any set rules to determine whether you should be a multimedia developer. It’s all about the passion you bring to the table.
Last thing to note is that there are some basic personality requirements to ensure success for any multimedia developer. You absolutely must have an aptitude for computing and design; you should be creative and somewhat artistic, with the ability to both lead and follow instructions. You should have a strong client focus and be able to maintain a commitment to understanding and using new technology, and of course, be able to meet deadlines and be very attentive to detail.
Industry projections indicate that the multi-media development sector is expected to continue to grow, especially in new interactive digital media. Many post-secondary schools are trying to respond to market needs by developing more programs to meet the demand, so it’s up to you to make sure you explore the diversity of programs available to ensure you get the best educational experience possible. CO
