Andrey Bezrukov
Graphic designer. Mentor for the "Breathe Freely" project.
He worked as a lawyer for 10 years, but found himself in design. He gained experience through internships and free courses, but realized that he needed expert help and feedback to develop.
He took Skillbox courses and fulfilled his dream – now he teaches aspiring designers. He will soon establish himself as a mentor or art director.
He worked as a lawyer for 10 years, but found himself in design. I gained experience through practical training and free courses, but I realized that I needed expert help and feedback to develop.
I took the Skillbox courses and fulfilled my dream – now I teach aspiring designers. I will soon establish myself as a mentor or art director.
Andrey shared:
A graphic designer is a person who creates visual elements: logos, banners, packaging, covers. Specialists work on various projects: advertising agencies, web studios, product companies, media and freelancing.
"I liked design more than law": about the beginning of the journey
— Tell us your story. Where did you study, what did you do and how did you get into graphic design?
By first education, I am a lawyer. As you can understand from the title of the article, I do not work in my specialty. I came to design this way: my wife works as a programmer, so I sometimes helped her. I liked it more than law.
I became interested in design in 2011. I took orders through freelancing and through acquaintances. At the start, I made website layouts, icons, and logos.
— How did you learn?
I got all my knowledge for free: YouTube, literature, professional communities. I learned only from personal experience, which is wrong. Without a mentor, it was hard to learn from my own mistakes. After all, mistakes are postponed and often repeated.
— Yes, this kind of training is more difficult. Nevertheless, you still took on orders and earned money—that's cool. And when did you start working?
I started working for the company in 2012. I was involved in branding, developing a brand book and advertising materials. As now, at that time I worked with web studios on a project-based basis.
Learn to promote your business online and add 14 projects to your portfolio on the "Web Designer" course.
Find out more"I worked a lot and realized that there was no career growth and development": about training and why courses are always needed
— Why did you decide to take the courses if you already had a lot of experience and skills?
I'm not a beginner. Of course, I didn't set out to learn from scratch. I signed up for the courses to gain experience and feedback from professionals.
—Why did you study at Skillbox and choose online courses? You started your training with free resources. Why wasn't that an option?
I only considered the online format because I need to combine it with work. I like that I can study and submit assignments whenever I want.
I've heard about the platform often. I monitored courses and read articles. Skillbox was at the top of almost all of them. That's why I chose it. And I haven't regretted it since. The lecture format is convenient. I received the mentoring I was missing. I learned something new and sped up my work processes, optimized my work.
On free courses, no one gives feedback, unlike paid ones. Before, I decided for myself what was right. There was no systematization of knowledge.
— Were there any pleasant bonuses besides training? For example, help with employment.
Yes, the Career Development Center changed my approach to self-presentation.
The Career Development Center is a partner of the Skillbox platform. The center's specialists help users with employment and job searches.
It seems that talking about yourself is easy. And no one even thinks about it. As if it is simple and clear. But everything hidden lies on the surface.
Career Development Center specialist Daria Benkovskaya explained what I needed to do to achieve my goal.
Andrey Bezrukov
Goal: to become mentor or art director.
Background: works on a project-based job as a graphic designer and does not know how to grow from this position.
Courses completed: profession Graphic designer
Goal: become a mentor or art director.
Background: Works as a project-based graphic designer and doesn't know how to grow from this position.
Courses completed: Profession Graphic designer
Daria Benkovskaya
Solution: We analyzed the resume and corrected the errors.
Andrey is a great specialist with extensive experience. And this experience needs to be presented correctly.
For each job, Andrey wrote out a detailed list of what he did on the project. He detailed everything. But companies don't need a list of responsibilities at the previous job, butbenefits.
Benefits for a specific company. And preferably in numbers. For example, if it's a web studio, you need to show a solution to the problem.
Solution: We analyzed the resume and corrected the errors.
Andrey is a cool specialist with a lot of experience. And this experience needs to be presented correctly.
For each job, Andrey wrote out a detailed list of what he did on the project. He detailed everything. But companies don't need a list of responsibilities from a previous job, butthe benefits.
The benefits for a specific company. And preferably in numbers. For example, if it's a web studio, you need to show a solution to the problem.
For a designer, this is not only stress, but also a cool case that can be added to a resume or portfolio.
Result: received many offers after updating my resume. Works as a graphic design mentor for the "Breathe Freely" project.
— Which skills from the course were useful in my work?
Almost all of them. But I would highlight working with programs:
- Adobe Photoshop— I discovered new tools for drawing, retouching, and transformation;
- Adobe Illustrator — learned something new about complex vector illustrations;
- Figma — consolidated my skills.
I was familiar with these programs. But even with a lot of experience, I learned something new. Everything was useful.
"I want to gain a foothold as a mentor or art director": about work, plans, and earnings
— Tell us about your work: what do you do every day and what are the responsibilities of a graphic designer?
- At my main job, I'm a graphic designer, a specialist in branding and advertising materials on social networks. I work a lot with marketers;
- On the project, I'm a mentor. I help novice designers, teach them, and also create something.
I work more with graphic design. But as such, I don't have a main specialization. I often worked in UX/UI design at web studios.
Work Bogdan Demchenko under the direction of Andrey Bezrukov. Banner: project “Breathe Freely”
Sticker pack in Telegram. Work of Olga Zakharova — a Skillbox user, under the supervision of Andrey Bezrukov. Illustration: project “Breathe Freely”
Work by Kristina Stelmakh under the direction of Andrey Bezrukov. Banner: "Breathe Freely" project.
The work of Tatiana Maremukha under the supervision of Andrey Bezrukov. Banner: the "Breathe Freely" project.
— How much does a graphic designer in Belarus get paid for these tasks?
There is no specific figure. It depends on the wishes of the applicant. Junior, middle, and senior can name any figure. And it is not a fact that a junior will get less than a middle. Each business pays its own price.
For example, a friend of mine earned 2,000 Belarusian rubles in her starting position. Although other employers offer 1,000 rubles for the same duties. Don't be guided by average salaries and vacancies on rabota.by. Indicate an amount that is comfortable for a start. And then look at your workload.
— What are your career plans for the future?
I enjoy teaching and working with beginners. I want to gain a foothold as a mentor or art director. Thanks to the Career Development Center, I partially achieved this goal.
"Be patient and pursue your goal, no matter what": advice for beginners
— Is it really possible for a beginner to find a job now?
It is possible. But everyone starts somewhere. And I recommend starting with unpaid internships or startups.
It is important to understand that this is not free. You are gaining experience that employers will value in the future. The experience that is needed for responses. Empty responses will not bring results. Businesses need solutions to their problems.
Also, free internships and startups are communication with the team and manager. After them, you will feel more confident in a paid project.
— What advice would you give to those who are just starting out in this field?
- Be patient and go towards your goal, no matter what.The demands on the IT market have increased, and this is normal because technology is evolving. Artificial intelligence, for example, handles many routine tasks, and businesses no longer need template solutions. This can make it difficult at the beginning. The main thing is to cope with this and not get impostor syndrome compared to advanced designers. Just remember that everyone started.
- Don't go into the profession just for the money.If you're not interested in design, you won't be able to work in this field. Big money and a couple of hours of work a day can't be your only goals, because that's not IT. Develop in the profession that your soul lies in. Then you will reach heights.
- Continuously learn.You've completed the courses — great. But you need to keep learning. Information is constantly being updated, just like in any other profession. Continuous training and development will help you stay in demand.
Master the profession of Graphic Designer with Skillbox
A graphic designer creates a corporate identity for companies: logos, graphics for advertising, packaging, merch and more. Thanks to their work, customers notice the brand and choose it. That is why graphic designers are in demand and earn good money.
You will gain skills that are in demand when applying for a job. Experienced speakers work on the courses. They understand the theory and can clearly explain complex material.
