If the student wants to work to pay for college, what are some art related jobs the student can do?
Jan.14, 2011 in
Other - Careers & Employment
Question by Jeanette P: If the student wants to work to pay for college, what are some art related jobs the student can do?
If a student wants to work in the art field to make money for college what kinds of jobs can they do? Undergrad student, who wants to do something in art.
Best answer:
Answer by yallerose
Try working for the college photography department, or the graphic arts department, or for the college publications, or as an assistant to your favorite art teacher…..Go see the college job placement center!
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January 14th, 2011 at 8:47 am
I suggest, if you’re doing photography specifically, trying to get some work photographing weddings. As an undergrad, you could offer to do all the photos for the price it costs to buy the equipment, plus a small fee for your labour (don’t be too greedy, you’re only doing it to get your name out there) and you would also get an ‘instant folio’ of your work, which will be useful later on when you leave university and are trying to get a job. You can try hiring or borrowing the equipment from your university (most institutions offer that feature) or see what equipment you can get secondhand at a pawnbrokers or online.
Place a few ads in the newspaper, and ask around. You can also try putting up ads at bridal shops (ask the proprietor for permission and post a flier in the window) and try advertising on church and community noticeboards.
It might not draw in much money, but if you’re doing it at near to cost price, you will get a reputation for being very affordable, which means that you’ll probably pick up more business. You can also offer your services to do ‘in home’ photos. Just offer to go around to people’s houses with your equipment and do family portraits. That would cut out a lot of overheads that photography companies have (rent, etc) but you’d need your own car, and gear like a ‘background sheet’ to set up, and lights.
Also, if you’re doing a painting and drawing major, try doing portraits in public. Take your drawing paper and other stuff and go to a public place where there’s heaps of tourists, and do sketches of people for money. The overheads would be VERY low to do this, and it would all be cash in hand. You will need to check if it’s legal in your area.
The only other kinds of work I can suggest might be approaching newspapers. First of all, I’d try contacting the ‘street press’. You know those free newspapers you see lying around, usually about the underground rock music industry? You could try contacting these guys and volunteering for a few months to get some stuff together as a ‘folio’ of work, and then approach a bigger newspaper and offer your services.
I don’t think there’ll be much available as work goes in the art department. I suggest expanding your target area for jobs and taking something that just fits in with your studies. Try approaching a factory that offers shift work. Doing night shift once a week when it fits in with your studies, and then a couple of shifts casually whenever offered, would pay pretty well. Factory work is pretty good, even though the work isn’t great and the pay is relatively low. It is usually widely available and is far better than food retail or retail, which are horrible.
At a pinch, try cleaning work. That fits in with studies because it’s all after hours and you only work a few hours at a time. It’s not glamorous or art related, but a job’s a job.
If you want help writing some cover letters for work, email me. I’m pretty good at it.
Best wishes
January 14th, 2011 at 8:56 am
Get a DeviantArt.com account, make lots of friends, & do commissions. If you can’t get commissions on your regular style of art, Fan Art always sells.