[jon_hendry]

It's not clear that a self-trained design novice would have much more luck finding work, unless he turns out to have a natural genius at it.

He'd be competing for work against experienced designers, and against newly-graduated design students.

[jakarta]

It depends I think. At the very least, it would give him the ability to add a new skill to his resume which would be pretty useful. In some of these low level assistant jobs, they list photoshop knowledge as something that would be beneficial. A lot of entry level marketing jobs also list it, without requiring a formal marketing degree.

At the same time though, for instance, he told me that he is very interested in trying to find some foreign policy-related job where he could leverage his language skills. So I asked him why not start a blog where he offered commentary on events occurring in that region -- but again here, he expressed a lack of any real motivation in actually getting the blog up and running and doing posts on it.

It's just very difficult for me to empathize with someone like that.

[sudont]

I've seen novices do amazing design work. (Usually they go on to a portfolio school after working for a few year or building a studio, though.)

Practice and good taste is pretty much the only things in design. Low-end design is pretty much just keeping up with the lowest common denominator in design style, anybody moderately trained--or self trained--can do it.

[jon_hendry]

"I've seen novices do amazing design work."

Sure. It happens. But that's not the way to bet.

[Tamerlin]

He'd have a lot more luck with a portfolio than without. You don't really have any sort of a shot at getting hired for most creative jobs without a portfolio.