Automotive Designers

Employers

Approximately 32,400 industrial designers are employed in the United States. Some of the major employers of automotive designers are the Big Three U.S. automobile makers (General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Stellantis) and major foreign automakers that have factories or divisions in the United States (Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Hyundai, Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz).

Most employers prefer to hire automotive designers who have a degree or diploma from a college, art school, or technical school. Persons with engineering, architectural, or other scientific backgrounds also have a good chance at entry-level jobs, especially if they have artistic and creative talent. When interviewing for a job, a designer should be prepared to present a portfolio of their work.

Job openings may be listed through a college career services office, in employment Web sites, or classified ads in newspapers or trade magazines. They can also be found at the Web sites of publications such as Car Design News (https://www.cardesignnews.com). Qualified beginners may also apply directly to companies that hire automotive designers.

Directories listing industrial design firms can be found in most public libraries. In addition, lists of industrial design firms appear periodically in magazines such as Bloomberg Businessweek. Also, a new industrial designer can find job listings and get a free copy of Getting an Industrial Design Job at the Web site (https://www.idsa.org/sites/default/files/xiglafiles/GETIDJOB.pdf) of the Industrial Designers Society of America.