How do I get a job in art and design?
Everything you need to know about graduate jobs in art and design. Whether you want to know what areas you could work in, or what sort of work you could do, you can find answers to key questions here.
Say the words ‘art and design’ to people outside the sector, and they’ll invariably start talking about paintings. But those on the inside know it’s a much more diverse field than this, with a myriad of roles, sectors and sub sectors. In reality, very few graduates go into fine art – less than one per cent of art and design graduates according to the latest stats available from UCAS – of which ‘painting’ is only one branch. So what roles in art and design do graduates go into? Applied arts is popular field – for example, product design, art direction, graphic design and fashion design. Art and design has a crucial influence on what we wear, read, sit on, look at, enjoy and almost everything we buy.
What are the entry routes?
Speak to anyone in the industry and they’ll tell you that it’s hard to start a career in art and design. Many people start out by working part-time or in another type of job while becoming established. It is also very common to do voluntary work to gain experience, perhaps even for long periods of time. In order to be successful in the long run, you must be very dedicated – it is a very competitive field and if you know that it’s really what you want to do then it’s important to keep trying and not get discouraged. As with many areas of work, personal contacts and networking can be key to successfully starting a career in art and design.
So, what is your first role likely to involve? There’s such a wide range of sectors and types of work that it would be hard to pin down the tasks you could be doing. But there are a few ‘tried and tested’ ways of getting your foot in the door. You could get work experience, which may involve doing menial tasks in order to take your first steps into the industry. Although the work may not be exactly what you want to do, this can prove your dedication to the field, give you a valuable understanding of how the industry works and be a great way to make contacts who may be able to help your career in the future. Work experience can last from a few days to several months, or it may take the form of a year-long placement as a sandwich year on your course.
Alternatively, you could try work shadowing – not necessarily doing any work yourself but observing somebody experienced while they work, in order to get an insight into what their role involves.
Where could I work in art and design?
The choices don’t stop once you’ve decided to go into art and design. You’ll need to think about where and how you would like to work. Art and design offers a wide range of work, different ways to make a living – and varied working environments. Which option would suit you best? You could:
- Be freelance / self-employed
- Work for an art gallery or museum as a curator or exhibition organiser
- Work in industry, for example as a product designer
- Work for a design or advertising agency.
How competitive is art and design?
Art and design is a very competitive industry to get into. It is a small industry, and because the sector is disproportionately popular with graduates, it can be hard to get a first job. Approximately 70 per cent of graduates in the field do not pursue careers in art and design, according to UCAS figures – partly through choice, but also because the supply of graduates exceeds the number of jobs available. However, don’t let that put you off – determined, motivated people have a good chance of finding work in art and design. It may involve doing unpaid work experience, or being persistent in your job hunt, but if you are able to learn from your experiences then your chances of success are higher. Whether you are looking for freelance work or for a permanent position, networking can help you to get your name remembered at the right moments. And if you’re applying for work experience or jobs, remember to ask for feedback from unsuccessful applications or interviews – think of it as a learning experience rather than a failure. After all, this feedback will help you to be an even more competitive applicant next time!
What skills and qualifications do I need?
Many of the skills required for some of the key roles in art and design are highly transferable. For example, a graphic designer in print can, with relative ease and some training, move into graphic design of websites. That said, the skills required for each particular profession are in many ways becoming more precise, which means that, in many art and design sectors, the further down one route you go, the harder it is to transfer across to other fields. For example, it is rare for graphic designers in an ad agency setting to move into art direction. So it’s wise to take time at an early stage to find out the key differences in each of the main art and design specialisms to find out what’s right for you. Art and design may be competitive to get into but you can put yourself at an advantage by knowing what skills are important and showing that you’ve got what it takes.
How can I stand out in the recruitment process?
The best way to make successful applications for roles in art and design is by showing how your skills, knowledge and experience match the qualities that the potential employer is looking for. Read the job description carefully and give examples of how your skills and experience mean that you would be able to fulfil each responsibility well.
We asked Tom Evans, creative director at Mook, what skills he thought were important to get into his field. ‘Design skills should be a given,’ he said. ‘But you also need to be able to think about why people need designers. Usually it boils down to the fact that they need good design for commercial reasons. If you can get your head around the business benefits of good design, you’ll be more professionally useful.’ The same idea applies equally to other areas in art and design: you’ll need certain area-specific skills, but it’s also very important to understand the commercial aspect of the work you want to do.
What will I earn if I work in art and design?
Salaries vary greatly in the world of art and design. Many people start out doing work for free in order to get a foot in the door or gain experience. It’s also possible to pursue various different career paths, from being self-employed (freelancing) to being employed by a company. Rates of pay will vary depending on what work you do and whether you are self-employed or not.
What are the highs and lows?
Art and design: is it really all about starving artists in garrets – or celebrity and fame? On one hand you’ve got Damien Hirst: the sharks, the champagne, the fame. On the other hand – well, Vincent Van Gogh famously failed to sell any of his paintings while he was alive and died in poverty. So what’s the real story? Working in art and design need not involve being a starving artist. In fact, you could be working in a permanent position in a very commercially-oriented industry. But that’s up to you: you could also choose to work as a self-employed fine artist. These are both very different career choices within the same field, so think carefully about what’s right for you. People who work in art and design are generally very enthusiastic about their career choice. Few careers can claim to be as creative as those in art and design: you will be paid to think creatively. There is also an unrivalled sense of satisfaction and achievement in seeing your ideas come to life in the finished product.
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