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I am a Computer Science Graduate with limited experience in graphic design.
I am looking for a job in graphic design (preferably a graduate scheme). Apart from developing a portfolio, are there any other skills (from my knowledge of Computer Science) that will help me stand out from other applicants?
This is like an anecdote.
I have drawn all my life. On Junior high school my drawings, (class projects) had a waiting list from people that wanted to have them. They were not spectacular, but my classmates liked them. The same in High school, hand-drawn poster size images used to decorate the classroom (Hollydays related) all ended at someone's home.
Even the periodic table poster I prepared, was stolen by an anonymous collector. :o)
I worked as a cartoonist (and graphic design related) before finishing High school and was not because I looked for the job. A teacher looked for me.
Regardless of all that I Studied Mechanical Engineering for two years. I thought Graphic Design was just a hobby.
One day came an epiphany. Taking some notes about differential equations I realized that the notes were written over a draw of a roller coaster (with people screaming on a cart) The roller coaster was the graph itself.
That day I decided to be a good graphic designer, not just as a hobby. I switched to a "Graphic Communication Design" degree. Some years have passed since and I am still learning.
If you think Graphic Design Is just about knowing Photoshop and some automated tools to find color palettes. I am afraid you are wrong.
skills that help me stand out from other applicants?
Have outstanding pieces of work.
In what field? That is another thing you need to think about. What field do you want to be in?
Take a look at this: Why is it that people are so surprised that graphics design can be hard??
Graphic design and computer science are not the same thing. In fact, they are very, very different.
If you are looking for employment in computer science, you should do what other CS graduates do.
If you want employment as a graphic designer, then you should obtain schooling in that field.
There are definitely many open jobs for you to blend computer science and graphic design. Take a look at Computer graphics (computer science) - Wikipedia or the search results for "computer science" "graphic design" in Google
Doing UX or web design/dev are my first thoughts when it comes to blending computer science and graphic design, however there are a number of fields that blend computer science with elements of design (though they wouldn't be graphic design-specific). Right now I am doing my degree in interactive multimedia, so things like video game design/dev, VR experiences, computer graphics, and mobile app development also come to mind. These require you to have an eye for design, but don't always incorporate graphic design in the way that we normally think about it.
In all of these fields, having strong work is really what will set you apart; show that you can do what you want to do, whether that is pure graphic design, or some hybrid with computer science as well.
