Back in my high school days, we used to take those career assessment exams which aimed in helping us in choosing the best career path for us in college. I took mine and I scored high on business and administration, which wasn’t such a bad option since I was inclined in taking Accounting back then.

Accounting and Finance are considerably still one of the highest paying careers in the Philippines, if you looked at traditional courses. I ended up taking Entrepreneurship, and though I admit its a good course especially since our economy really needs more entrepreneurs to help in job generation for the masses, I’m having some regrets of not taking another career path which is Web Design and Graphic Arts.

I’ve been doing personal websites back then when I first learned about the internet. It was a fun thing for me and I didn’t really put much thought over it. Recently I’ve been interested in blogs and of course, a blog needs its own design to make it personal. Sure there are tons of free and paid themes available on the web, but making your own is still one of the things that make it more personal and unique.

Doing a blog theme, isn’t the same as whipping up a website on Frontpage. These days, its about PHP and CSS, especially if you use Wordpress as your blogging and even CMS platform. If you go around the web, you’d notice that lately premium or custom Wordpress themes is booming. Since Wordpress is one of the best blogging platforms available, you don’t have to wonder why business is booming. As more businesses and bloggers start using Wordpress, the market for customized and premium themes get larger as well. We all know that not everyone is gifted with an eye for design, nor the hands for great graphic and vector illustrations, so individuals who have a knack for it should not think of going into the design business as a bad career path.

Traditionally, Filipino parents have always favored Accounting, Finance, Law, Medicine, Nursing and other cash-courses as their first choices for career paths for their children even if these kids show exceptional talents in design and the arts. Though there are parents now recognize that there are good career opportunities for those interested in the design and art courses, many are still pushing their kids into the traditional cash-courses.

Looking at the latest trend, web design and graphic arts is a good career path. As more people use the internet as their mode of business, the demand for competent web designers and graphic artists increases. There are companies which pay real good money for good designs because not everyone can do design and art that works.

I remember one time when I stumbled upon some web page where artists where complaining that they weren’t getting paid the worth of their efforts. It is ironic because indeed not everyone can do what they do. Accounting and other tasks can be learned but being gifted in design and the arts can not be easily learned nor acquired. Once designers and artists finally learn that they can demand their own prices (that is if they do exceptional work), maybe thats the time Filipino parents will finally look at design and art courses in the same pedestal they view the traditional cash-courses in our country.

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