Working in the creative world
Lloydy (6 points) | Mon, 2008-10-20 20:45I have been an employment lawyer for 3 years now. It was always assumed that I would do something arty because I had an ability to draw. However, I wanted to prove I was able to do something other than drawing. Having proven myself in this area, I have realised that my true passion lies in art.
I am therefore looking to change careers. The difficulty I have is, with the exception of my first year of my degree being partly fine art, I have no formal qualifications in this area. To be able to go back to school, I will need to change jobs as my working day is usually 12 hours minimum.
Getting a foot on the ladder would be fantastic and I realise that this will be in a junior role. Can anyone offer advice on how to get started? I am in the process of putting together some of my art work and intend contacting local creative companies for advice and to see if anyone would allow me to do some work experience for them.
Being in a creative environment would be fantastic but how do I convince creative employers that they should invest time and energy into employing me?
Any advice would be really welcome.
You realize you will take a 50-75% pay cut, right? Why not be a lawyer during the day and paint or whatever else you fancy at night?
i hate to come across negatively, but i think you're looking at a very tough road the way you're going about this.
it's tough to evaluate w/o knowing what your skills are, but with no degree and no experience and walking into a tough economic market, you may not have all that much to offer a company that they can't get from a recent graduate who's desperate for a job. a year of fine art school doesn't do much to prepare you for graphic design. you may have gotten some color theory and drawing, but there's so much more to it than that.
one of the things you're doing right is looking to contact art directors for what i would call information interviews. hopefully they'll give you a good idea of where you stand vs your competition in the job market.
to answer your last question, the way to convince them is to show them you know how to do the work, even if your skills are rudimentary. the problem i can see you facing is that studios need to be able to make money on your work, so it's very difficult for them to take on teaching new designers without experience or formal training. many of them will do internships, but that would be for students who are in school.
again, sorry to come across harshly, but i think you're hoping for the type of situation that is unlikely to happen.
Trying to convince a potential employer to hire you is the dance we all sway to. However, I will share a little story of when I was first beginning in the industry.
I began with cold calls, and was hitting the wall with many of the companies I was contacting. Reaching a point of youthful frustration, when the assistant to the director of marketing of a rather large firm told me, "Just mail me what you're all about." I replied, "Well, I'm not sure if I'll fit in the mailbox or if the postman will carry me to your door." The woman at the other end of the phone burst out laughing and what followed next were many years with a lucrative account until their Canadian doors closed and all was moved to New York City. But by that point, I had built up several other accounts with staff on board.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that you need to find what works for you and rely upon your own personal strengths and unique characteristics. You have a law background. Why not look into agencies who work within the legal industry. You could bring a lot to the boardroom table.
"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."
— Frank Zappa
"Art -- the one achievement of Man which has made the long trip up from all fours seem well advised." - James Thurber
You sound like me - except you actually have work.
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Just to say thanks to everyone for their comments, both negative and positive.
Yes indeed, I know that giving up a job as a lawyer means a pay cut but trust me, they lie to you in college, you really dont earn as much as you expect to begin with. Plust and trying to get rid of £30K of debt built up from the cost of the education. I have now reached the age where for me its more important to love the work you do for less money than earn more to just be miserable.
Thanks in particular to Frank Zapper. We have employed someone at work who simply telephoned for work experience allbeit in the law but I do agree that someone just cold calling really can make the difference.
I hope to meet up with a Director or an amimation company who is a friend of my boyfriend to obtain advice from him as to what he would be looking for and to see if I can get experience by simpling making the coffee during my holidays and doing general dogs body stuff. The way my boyfriend and he became friends was exactly through simply calling him and asking for work experience.
I am also applying for other roles that will, although less money and not in the creative industry, means I will have time to do an evening course to get the art qualifications I need. I am also exploring the idea of trying to get a legal role in a large arty company.
Thanks again for all of your comments. It is good to get opinions from others good or bad.
"I have now reached the age where for me its more important to love the work you do..."
You haven't come to this realization because you reached any particular age...I'm 18 and have felt this way since as long as I can remember.
Don't mean to be anal but it's a massive pet peeve of mine, too much "reached the age..." and "old enough to know.." when really age has nothing flat to do with it.
Anyway, I am not an expert at this (or pretty much anything) so I don't really have any advice for you, but I want to wish you the best of luck successfully transferring careers! All I can tell you is that if this is what you really want, then don't let the naysayers discourage you! Go for it with everything you got.
Thanks,
Jt Hollister
www.whywaitwebs.com
"Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life."
-Steve Jobs
Why not work as a lawyer for a few years, save up $50-100K and buy a design firm? Then you can run the show and make income as well. You can "hire" yourself, sight unseen. :)
Seriously, put that law degree to good use and leverage a change a few years down the road. Why start at the bottom again when you don't have to.
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Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
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