What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words “photo editing”?

I’m willing to bet the answer is Photoshop.

Many of the images you see online and offline nowadays are made using Photoshop. Website graphics, logos, movie posters, magazine covers, and just about every other photo these days are edited to some degree using this software. When skillfully done, digitally-edited images could easily fool anybody. By now, most of us may have already seen some of the best photoshopped images on the planet or some of the worst. An essential tool for today’s graphic and web designers, indeed Photoshop has become so popular that “Photoshopped” is even basically an adjective now.

If you’re a designer, the good news is that there is no shortage of job opportunities these days what with more and more companies building their own websites and marketing agencies in need of Photoshop experts. But with tough competition in the field, how do you make yourself stand out?

Whether you’re just getting started on the software or looking to improve your skills more, here’s what you can do.