VCU Graduating first class of Creative Technologists

By Karen Choucrallah

Boston creative jobs and Boston technology jobs are increasingly merging, a trend that is seeing massive change in the job market and a heightened demand for a hybrid professional with a mix of both backgrounds.  I am well aware of this, having entered college as a communications major, confident that I wouldn’t have to spend much time learning new technologies.  But not so in this high-tech world!

Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter, a graduate advertising school, blended what were traditionally separate fields of study into one in 2008 with the creation of their Creative Technology degree program.  The major combines the study of media technology with advertising and branding.  The first class is expected to graduate in 2010.

Why the need for this field?  If you’ve ever surfed the web, it only makes sense.  Digital advertising is everywhere.  The field is a logical response to the evolution of the creative industry in digital spaces.  IT programming professions, interactive designers, creative directors, and interactive media members, among others, are going to be seeing big changes in their job description.

The job market is becoming flooded with young educated hopefuls who have skill sets for this newly fused function.  Agencies and companies look for the well-rounded professional who can set up a mobile application for a product and design a new logo.  Fluency and confidence in creative, marketing and technology help to set creative technologists apart from job applicants who may only have one or the other.

This new field could be a setback or a benefit for job-seekers, depending on their skill sets.  Without relevant training, graduates with limited technology background but a strong creative sense could be cast aside in favor of the emerging competition. Instead of giving up, however, this could be an opportunity for job-seekers to learn new skills and take classes in emerging technologies online or at a local college.

The fusion of these fields definitely makes it harder for job-seekers to distinguish themselves from the competition.  Instead of fighting this trend, creative and technology professionals should embrace it.

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