As we near the end of our photography journey as a student it is important to now market yourself as a ‘photographer’ and not ‘student.’
It can feel overwhelming to think about life after university and where you will be heading. It comes with worry and uncertainty, especially trying to get yourself known, that is the hardest part. However, it is important to have ambitions and life goals and to be excited about your next chapter in life. Having a plan of where you would like to be in 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 5 years helps to guide you in the direction of where you want to end up.
Thinking about potential jobs ideas has really inspired me to think deeply about my career, as there are so many different job opportunities. These include becoming a freelance photographer or becoming an assistant. Curation, gallery manager, picture researcher, photographic retoucher are also potential avenues to go down and many more. Thinking about my career I have really enjoyed making books and especially the designing process. Therefore, working for a publishing house and becoming a book designer is something that I would like to achieve in the near future. Of course due to the circumstances we are currently experiencing, being successful in getting a job may be thin, however later on in the year this will hopefully become more accessible after graduating.
So why not become a freelance photographer? Completing a photography degree has definitely broadened my knowledge of the photographic industry and reading images is something I have become a lot better at doing. My love for image making has enabled me to appreciate the photographic industry more and I find I am inspired by so many artists and photographers everyday via social media platforms, websites and books. However become freelance is something that I do not feel is for me, as I would prefer to have a stable income.