after college...

hey guys! im looking at the future and trying to figure out what to do when i get out of college. i am currently working on my bfa in photography at the university of washington (seattle) and i don't even know where to start looking for jobs and such once im all on my own. any tips, advise, anything would be great. i've started looking into doing the peace corp because i've heard that they have a photo type program but haven't looked to much into it. i think that would be great because i love to travel and see new places and experience new things.

Military may be a good place to go. Big commercial studios have kind of fallen on the wayside, many companies shoot in house as digital now allows the snaps to go directly to the art department.

Most universities have a career services department. You might want to make weekly visits to them depending on how close you are to graduation. Folks with a BFA really have to make it for themselves as there are much few opportunities. Have you considered continuing school for an MBA?

jacuff wrote in post #10613534
Have you considered continuing school for an MBA?

haven't taken it into consideration yet, i don't know how long i want to be in school for... but i am also working on an architecture minor and maybe plan on going to graduate school for that. are there more opportunities with an MBA/MFA?

Photography is a tough field. SOOoooo much competition. You may want to think of an internship with some major corporations.

There are still some opportunities to work for someone established. You could always go on for an MFA in photography and teach full time but if you go to some of the large markets like New York, LA and Chicago you might be able to get on with someone established. You probably wouldn't make a lot but it would be like continuing your education. You could learn a ton about how to run a photography business.

Be careful about the Peace Corp. I had a good friend that was in the Peace Corp and she had some serious problems with natives thinking that she was CIA. Intelligence services will have assets posing as humanitarian volunteers and so on...It's not something that we think about in the West but the 3rd and 2nd worlds are far more suspicious of strangers in their country.

Just a word of warning ... young people considering their future should always know everything up front to help them make decisions...Best of luck with whatever you decide to do in the future.

Get a job doing whatever. As long as it's not at a big chain or something.

Make connections. Network, network, network.

Drop a line that you're a photographer. Keep doing this on the side. Do your own thing, ignore naysayers, haters, and people trying to bring you down.

Be nice to everyone. But don't waste your time with people who are just tire kicking. Know when to turn a job down, and who not to associate with.

Have good vision, come up with good ideas.

Get your work out there.

This is what I did. A year after graduating college (I'm 23) I'm working as a full time photographer, completely freelance but on contract with some very well-respected companies. Making what, to me, is a substantial amount, living quite comfortable relative to other 23 year olds that I know.