Cannot get a good job (Austin: coupons, job market, to buy) - City-Data Forum

crashoran · 05-11-2009, 10:48 PM

I am going to graduate in about 1 year from now with a degree in illustrative photography. Ever since I moved to Austin for school I have not been able to find any photography related jobs and have been working minimum wage at fast food joints just to get by.

I don't see how having a degree is going to make a difference - if the jobs arent out there. This area is very competitive. And with the transition to digital photography more and more photographers are getting laid off due to the simplicity of using a camera.

I am frustrated and stressed. I am worried it will always be like this and will never make over $14k a year.

And to top things off my car has just been burglarized with several things stolen I will need to replace.

joejitsu · 05-11-2009, 11:07 PM

Sorry to hear that. I have dual degrees in Economics and International Studies with a minor in Spanish and it took forever to find a good job. I imagine there are not very many illustrative photography jobs. If you have a good work ethic you should be able to do better than fast food. Try Tech support.

G Grasshopper · 05-12-2009, 12:09 AM

I feel for you. I know nothing about photography jobs. But I do know that new grads everywhere are having a terrible time with jobs. Lots of young adults are back living with their folks because any good jobs are snapped up by people with experience who have been laid off and are back in the job market. My son graduated with a degree in political science. He wanted to work for a few years in a non-profit before going to graduate school. But he spent over a year trying to find a carrier job before settling for mowing grass for parks. You may have to settle for a while, too, especially in your competitive field. But I think it will be temporary, and you will be able to get on with your chosen field eventually.

austin-steve · 05-12-2009, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crashoran

I am going to graduate in about 1 year from now with a degree in illustrative photography. Ever since I moved to Austin for school I have not been able to find any photography related jobs and have been working minimum wage at fast food joints just to get by.

I don't see how having a degree is going to make a difference - if the jobs arent out there. This area is very competitive. And with the transition to digital photography more and more photographers are getting laid off due to the simplicity of using a camera.

I am frustrated and stressed. I am worried it will always be like this and will never make over $14k a year.

And to top things off my car has just been burglarized with several things stolen I will need to replace.

Have you been to your department chair for advice? What about the career center at school? Do you attend photography club meetings, seek out others in the industry, network with others, look for freelance gigs?

Steve

sandlinjames · 05-12-2009, 06:26 AM

Before you take this wrong, please understand I have a dad with a photography degree, all my friends have art degrees, my first degree was in psychology... after trying to get a job for a few years I went back in CS & have been out of college working for 8 years. So I know what I'm talking about here & I am not trying to be rude.... just honest.

I'm sorry to say it, but here in America we go to college based on what we are interested in & expect there to be a job waiting when we get out. That is not how the job force works. There are certain skills needed (medical, engineering, IT, basic teaching). Anything else is fluff.

If you want a degree to count for anything, you get a degree in something that has a driving workforce. In art, noone cares if you have a degree; they only care about your work & how good it looks.

Once again, the point here is that business drives the workforce & no matter what field you go into, somewhere up the workforce chain is a business person ensuring the profits outweigh the expenses. If you go to college based on your interest & not based on industry demand, you are going to enjoy yourself but don't expect a great job out of it.

dfarmer002 · 05-12-2009, 06:36 AM

Consider starting your own photography business in whatever medium you can to get work....

Mike78613 · 05-12-2009, 07:21 AM

Rudys BBQ pays $12 hr, more if experienced working w/ registers. I know this b/c a kid I knew working there told me he was doing that until he left Austin back to Florida for school.

jobert · 05-12-2009, 07:37 AM

Get a crap job in a good industry. Don't be above getting coffee for a photographer if that's what it takes to get in the door. That's what I did. I'm 30, I don't have a degree, and I have white collar job that pays 55K+bonuses because I was willing to do what it took to get established, then developed myself on the job. I made deliveries and drove people around for the first two years in the industry while making only 8/hr. Sometime you just have to do your time, degree or not. Granted, I could be paid more if I had a degree, but it hasn't been an obstacle for me thus far. I know a guy with a PhD who has been unemployed for 3 years now because they won't hand him the job he wants.

centralaustinite · 05-12-2009, 09:14 AM

If you are still in school talk to the career center! Get internships! Internships are key to gaining the skills and network needed to get a job. Volunteer.

Re-read Austin-Steve's post!

readymade · 05-12-2009, 09:30 AM

Offer to take pictures for free. Build up your portfolio. Go to clubs & take pictures of bands. Give them your card after the show and put up all the pictures (low-res) on your website along with prices to buy the pictures. Keep in mind, most bands don't have any money, but they might pay you if you take a particularly good shot. Maybe do some band shots for free first.

Do you have a website advertising your photography? Do you have cards (vistaprint.com for cheap business cards. look at retailmenot.com for awesome coupons... you can often get 80% off)? Did you make up flyers and put them up all over the place? Advertise on Craigslist?

My friend (who's a photographer) has his camera on him all the time. He takes pictures of people and then gives him his card so they can go on his website and download the pictures for free. (he also meets girls this way, heh) - It's a great way to network & meet people. Meeting people & networking is probably the #1 way you'll get jobs. That chick who's picture you took at the bar last week? Her company might be looking for a photographer to take pictures of their products.

Also, try looking up photography on meetup.com

Good luck!