Career explorer

Every route from a subject to a real job.

24 careers, each with the courses that lead into it, the skills it actually tests for and the setting you would work in. Start from a field below, a skill you already have, or just type what you are curious about.

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Careers: 24
Fields: 65
Skills: 124

Career directory

24 careers

Field Design & Creative × Clear all

2D/3D Animator

Brings characters and objects to life frame by frame or on a rig, for film, television, games or advertising. Judged on a showreel, and studios test for timing above everything else.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Animation and VFX studios, Advertising agencies, Gaming companies, OTT content producers

Skills tested Writing Research

Common routes Certificate in Animation and VFX Diploma in Animation and Multimedia

Animation & VFX

studios, games, OTT pipelines

Field Design & Creative

Setting

Skills tested Attention to Detail Visual design Video editing +1

Common routes B.Sc Animation and Multimedia Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

Animator

Creates motion and performance for characters, objects or information across film, games, advertising and digital media.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Animation and VFX studios, games, film, advertising, education and independent production. Remote possible

Skills tested Creativity Communication

Common routes B.Sc Animation and Multimedia Bachelor of Design (B.Des) +1

Character Modeller

Sculpts and builds the 3D characters that animators later move, working from concept art to a rigged, textured model. A specialist craft within animation and games, judged entirely on showreel.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Advertising agencies, Gaming companies, Animation and VFX studios, OTT and film production

Skills tested Writing Research

Common routes Certificate in Animation and VFX Diploma in Animation and Multimedia +1

Compositor

Combines live footage, 3D renders, matte paintings and effects into a single finished shot, and is usually the last person to touch it. Precision with edges, colour and grain is the whole discipline.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Advertising agencies, Gaming companies, Animation and VFX studios, OTT and film production

Skills tested Writing Research

Common routes Certificate in Animation and VFX Diploma in Animation and Multimedia +1

Concept Artist

Draws the look of a character, environment or product before anyone builds it, so a director or client can decide early. Draughtsmanship and speed matter more than finish at this stage.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Animation and gaming studios, Advertising agencies, Publishing houses, Art galleries and museums

Skills tested Discipline Creativity

Common routes Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Master of Fine Arts +1

Freelance Animator

Animates on a project basis for studios, agencies and direct clients rather than on a payroll. Income is irregular and depends on a showreel, a network and the discipline to chase invoices.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Advertising agencies, Gaming companies, Animation and VFX studios, OTT and film production

Skills tested Writing Research

Common routes Certificate in Animation and VFX Diploma in Animation and Multimedia +1

Freelance Designer

Takes on graphic, print or digital design work directly from clients rather than in a studio. Getting the work and getting paid for it take as much time as the design does.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Advertising agencies, Printing presses, Publishing houses, Newspapers

Skills tested Problem Solving Programming Creativity +1

Common routes Certificate in Graphic Design ITI Desktop Publishing Operator

Game Artist

Produces the art a game runs on - characters, environments, props, UI - within the technical budget the engine allows. Working to polygon and texture limits is what separates game art from film art.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Advertising agencies, Gaming companies, Animation and VFX studios, OTT and film production

Skills tested Writing Research

Common routes Certificate in Animation and VFX Diploma in Animation and Multimedia +1

Game design

art + systems thinking

Field Design & Creative

Setting

Skills tested Storytelling Visual design Programming +1

Common routes B.Sc Animation and Multimedia Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

Graphic & brand designer

agency or freelance

Field Design & Creative

Setting

Skills tested Communication Visual design Creativity +1

Common routes Bachelor of Design (B.Des) Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA)

Graphic Designer

Creates visual communication systems and assets using typography, composition, imagery and design reasoning.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Design studios, agencies, product teams, publishers, companies and independent practice. Remote possible

Skills tested Creativity Communication

Common routes Bachelor of Design (B.Des) Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) +1

Illustrator

Draws to a brief for publishers, agencies, media and products, in a style clients come to them for. Work is usually freelance and won on portfolio.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Advertising agencies, Publishing houses, Animation and gaming studios, Art galleries

Skills tested Discipline Creativity

Common routes Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Diploma in Fine Arts

Illustrator / concept artist

games, publishing, ads

Field Design & Creative

Setting

Skills tested Attention to Detail Visual design Creativity +1

Common routes Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA)

Interior Design Assistant

Supports an interior designer with drawings, material samples, vendor coordination and site checks. The usual way into interiors from a certificate or ITI route.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Interior design studios, Architecture practices, Real estate developers, Construction consultancies

Skills tested Attention to Detail Practical hand skills Teamwork

Common routes Certificate in Interior Design ITI Architectural Assistant

Interior Designer

Plans functional and visually coherent interior environments while coordinating materials, services, budgets and implementation.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Design firms, architecture practices, retail, hospitality, real estate and independent practice.

Skills tested Creativity Communication

Common routes Bachelor of Interior Design Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) +1

Motion graphics / 3D artist

remote global clients

Field Design & Creative

Setting

Skills tested Attention to Detail Visual design Video editing +1

Common routes B.Sc Animation and Multimedia Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

Motion Graphics Designer

Animates type, logos, charts and illustration for advertising, television, explainer video and social media. A different craft from character animation, closer to graphic design that moves.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Advertising agencies, Gaming companies, Animation and VFX studios, OTT and film production

Skills tested Writing Research Creativity +1

Common routes Certificate in Animation and VFX Diploma in Animation and Multimedia +1

Performing Artist

Creates and presents music, dance, theatre or other performance through disciplined practice, interpretation and collaboration.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Theatres, cultural organisations, studios, events, digital platforms, education and independent practice. Remote possible

Skills tested Creativity Performance Practice

Common routes Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA) MPA / M.Mus (Master of Performing Arts / Music) +1

Prepress Operator

Prepares files for printing - layout, colour, imposition and proofs - and catches the errors that would otherwise be printed thousands of times. The last checkpoint before a press runs.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Printing presses, Publishing houses, Advertising agencies, Newspapers

Skills tested Problem Solving Machine operation Programming +1

Common routes ITI Desktop Publishing Operator Diploma in Printing Technology

Studio Owner

Runs a photography, animation, recording or fitness studio as a business, which means owning the equipment, the bookings and the cash flow as well as the craft. Most start as practitioners and learn the business part late.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Photography studios, Event and wedding companies, E-commerce product shoots, Media houses

Skills tested Writing Research Entrepreneurship +1

Common routes Certificate in Graphic Design ITI Photographer +1

VFX Artist

Produces visual effects for film, OTT and advertising. Concentrated in major studios serving international productions.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Advertising agencies, Gaming companies, Animation and VFX studios, OTT and film production

Skills tested Writing Research

Common routes Certificate in Animation and VFX Diploma in Animation and Multimedia +1

Video Editor

Cuts footage into a finished piece, controlling pace, sound and continuity, for film, television, corporate video or social media. Most editing work now includes basic grading and graphics too.

Field Design & Creative

Setting E-learning content firms, Freelance, Animation studios, Advertising and digital agencies

Skills tested Writing Research Editing

Common routes ITI Multimedia Animation and Special Effects Diploma in Animation and Multimedia +1

Visual Artist

Develops original visual work through drawing, painting, sculpture, print, digital media or interdisciplinary studio practice.

Field Design & Creative

Setting Studios, galleries, cultural organisations, publishing, education, public art and independent practice. Remote possible

Skills tested Creativity Attention to Detail

Common routes Master of Visual Arts Master of Fine Arts +1

Fields and skills come from the database. Counts beside each filter are how many of the careers on this page match it. Work settings are typical rather than universal — confirm specifics on the career's own page. Prefer to read rather than filter? Browse every career by category.