I'm currently wondering how far behind my current skill sets are, simply because my school is still stuck using CS3. We were told shortly after CS5 launched that an upgrade was imminent, and then told when we got back from our Christmas break that it was be ready to go. With approximately six months left of classes, I seriously doubt it's going to happen before I leave.
I realize that what I am learning using CS3's software is relevant and good to know. My biggest concern as I try to keep myself up to date on the new features and workflow present with the new software is that many of the techniques I'm learning are now outdated. People leaving my school have no idea about Refine Edge in Photoshop for example, which if it could be taught, would be a great asset. Now I think it's important to know how to make a very good selection in Photoshop without Refine Edge, but it's something a lot of people in my school have no idea about, and which could help speed up their work tremendously. It's not a hard feature to learn, but it's something that most people I know are oblivious to and wouldn't necessary learn on their own (and knowing my classmates, most won't learn it on their own).
InDesign also came with a lot of updates which I haven't followed as closely as Photoshops, which is a shame because again I feel like I'm missing out on something. Does it mean I can't do a job because I don't know all the features? No. Does it mean that I can't learn them once I get my hands on CS5? No. Does it mean as it stands now (and when I graduate) my current knowledge will be lacking? Possibly.
I mean say I get on a stage and I'm sitting there working on a project doing things the way I know. For example lets say I'm trying to select a girl with her hair flying around using channels (something I had to learn on my own in the first place, as we weren't really taught this properly, which makes me wonder what else I'm missing out on), when Refine Edge could do the same job in half the time. While I might not look like a fool, if I keep doing things in a slower way than the current software allows me to, whoever is supervising me might question my skill sets and not bother hiring me once the stage is done.
I'm not personally worried about my chances of finding employment (well not too much anyway), and I'm doing a lot to keep up with the industry outside of what my school is prepared to teach me, but what about everyone else in my school? Are other schools stuck in the same place as me? Am I being a bit paranoid or are my worries justified? I guess I'll find out in 6 months.
