This is the second of four articles on creative careers. If you haven’t read 7 creative careers for practical people you can find it by clicking the link.
Technology can play a large part in the production of creative work. For some creatives the use of technology is part of the creative process rather than a tool to achieve the finished piece. If training and/or qualifications are required you should research available courses locally. However, as is the case with all creative work, your talent should speak for itself. So get your work seen by as many people as possible.
Graphic Designer
Creating designs for print media and websites, graphic designers work at the business end of visually creative work. You would need to be able to work to a budget and specification supplied by the employer or client.
Create your own website to showcase your work. Opportunities to work freelance in graphic design are increasing so build up a portfolio of work and list your services on websites such as freelancer.com or fiverr. Keep in mind reviews are everything to a freelancer. If it means going beyond expectations to achieve good reviews it will be worth it in the end.
Art Editor
In this role you would use images to create the look and feel of magazines, whether online or in print. You need to think about the brand and readership and be and enjoy organising people.
Volunteer to work on the school/college/university magazine if there is one. Or a publication for a charity. Find out if you know anyone personally or via social media who works in the industry. Contact magazines to ask about training opportunities.
You would likely enter the industry at a lower level such as picture editor and move up, with experience, to art editor. You need to be proactive when it comes to job hunting in this area. Take a look at Creative Job Hunting for proactive professionals for more ideas.
Photographer
A photographer usually chooses a niche and specialises. That might be events such as weddings, portraiture, architecture including landscape architecture, fashion or photographic journalism.
In each case the photographer is telling a story through the lens. Perhaps photographic journalism provides the best opportunity to do this.
You would need to consider your route to market. If you are a wedding photographer you would need a website. You might want to advertise at relevant venues and in relevant websites and magazines. Consider negotiating an arrangement with a venue so they include you in their package or recommend you when taking bookings.
If you specialise in portraiture, start by setting up a website of your work. You need to build a portfolio of work so do this for free if necessary until you have enough to showcase via the website.
If you have writing skills you could consider writing a blog and promote the blog and website via social media. List your services online, for instance with freelancer.com or fiverr. Good word of mouth marketing is gold dust, so exceed expectations and encourage the customer to leave a review.
Architectual photography is a competitive niche. As with all creative careers, build up a portfolio of work and create a website. You should also list your services on relevant directories and upload photographs to stock photography sites.
The more competitive the field the more proactive and creative you need to be in job hunting. The main customers for architectural photography are architects. Contact all the architects within the radius you are willing to travel. If you are able to offer aerial shots this might help you stand out. Research the architect and the kind of work they do. Dont send creative photographs of futuristic buildings as an example of your work if the architect specialises on standard two up two down houses. You could also contact civil and structural engineers. Take a look at creative job hunting for more ideas.
For fashion photography you would contact magazines, head offices of fashion retail brands and model agencies. This is possibly the toughest area of photography to break in to so tenacity and talent are your best friends. Start a blog and showcase your work. Use social media to reach a wider audience. Try researching the right people and following their social media profiles for any opportunities. Take a look at creative job hunting for more ideas.
Photographic journalists work for news media and agencies. They may also work for magazines including lifestyle magazines. This is another competitive niche of photography. Build a portfolio of work and contact the print and broadcast media you’re interested in. If you want to stand out from the competition and get your work seen you need to think out of the box. Create a website, perhaps storyboarding a topic. Use social media to build a platform, particularly Instagram and LinkedIn. Follow the social media accounts of relevant editors for any opportunities and list with directories and freelance websites such as Upwork.com.
Animator
Working in 2 and 3D animators bring characters to life on screen. They work with game developers and film makers and may find opportunities in advertising. As a freelance animator you might work with independent mobile game developers and could collaborate with existing freelance game developers. Freelance websites such as Upwork are worth adding your details to.
As with the other creative fields, you need to showcase your work and then contact the likely employers. If you get the chance to enter competitions this would be a great way to get noticed.
Social media will give you access to an audience and LinkedIn, in particular, with links to your work will put you in front of recruiters.
Sound/Audio engineer, Camera operator, Video editor
As a sound engineer your job is to create recordings of music, speech and sound effects. Theatres, film and TV production companies, music studios and other music venues are the main employers.
A camera operator follows the instructions of a director to capture images using specialist cameras for film, TV and advertising. Film and TV production companies are your main employers.
A video editor is the person who pulls together all the images and sounds created during filming. Then working with the director edits the raw data to craft scenes that translate the directors’ vision.
A skillful creator in these three fields will understand how to interpret a director’s brief to create atmosphere and meaning using the tools of their trade.
Like all creative careers you will need to build up a portfolio to showcase your work. Volunteer for student productions. The more you do the better you’ll get. Submit work you’ve collaborated on to free video streaming platforms such as YouTube.com. Volunteer at community events, festivals and theatres. You need to be proactive if you want to be noticed so whatever it takes for others to notice your talent is worth the effort.
Social media, as ever, is important to gain recognition and nurture an audience. Follow leading employers in music, theatre and film and TV production. Opportunities are sometimes only mentioned on these platforms. The more work you do the more others will speak about you and nothing works like word of mouth when it comes to credibility.