Posts Tagged ‘artist job’

Finding a Job After Art School

It’s been a long three or four years, but you’re finally done with art school and you’re ready to find some work in your field of study. Great – that’s what the greater part of graduates want to do. It might be a spot difficult to get a job, though, depending on your major. Alas, graphic designers are a dime a dozen anymore, so if you want to get hired, often times having a degree won’t help a whole lot. You have to demonstrate that you’re not only experienced, but that you’re better than everyone else who’s applying for the job.

There are some ways in which you can find jobs out of college, the main assistance being career services, if your college has them. Career services will help you find employment once you’re out of the school based on your preferences (where you’ll be living, if you’d be willing to move, what kind of job you want, and so forth), so they’re a great place to start. Or try going to job fairs, where there will be marketing prospects galore. And check out websites such as LinkedIn, where sometimes knowing somebody who knows somebody can lend a hand as far as a career.

Of course, before you graduate, you should have a resume built up…you’ll need it for career services to even think about helping you. Graphic design resumes should list all the skills you have attained that relate to your major, such as Adobe Creative Suite expertise, advertising and print design know-how, knowledge of illustration…you get the idea. Don’t list irrelevant or inflated skills on your resume, or else you’ll give the impression that you have few marketable skills and are just making things up. For example, if you created a logo for a greenhouse, that would be considered corporate identity…do not list it as “nursery decoration” because you could easily deceive an employer into thinking you’re clued-up in interior design too. Just list the truth with a little sugar on top.

One more important thing: if you have the chance as a student, pursue an internship. Most of these are unpaid because, hey, if a design firm can get someone who’s just as good as a pro to do work for nothing, they’re going to jump at that opportunity. Plus, an internship is a great thing to have on your resume, as it shows you have concrete experience in the field and are ready to handle design work in a professional manner. Or, if all else fails and no one wants to hire you, you can become self-employed and do freelance work. Building up a good reputation in the art community can make your name better known and might possibly result in employers contacting you, but unless you’re an exceptional artist, freelancing by itself will not provide a livable income.