Arts graduates taking any job to get by

moomin82 · 19 August 2016 at 10:35AM

I graduated with a Graphic Design degree in 2005 and have ended up working in admin (that is what I did before my degree), events and found it practically impossible to get any work that seems interesting or creative. I think competition in London is very high and I could not afford to take unpaid internships to get a foot in the door to the creative agencies.
I thought that taking admin jobs might lead me to better roles but in all honesty they have not worked out either. I must be not very good at it because I have not been offered Permanent roles through temping.
I have really tried to gather all possible skills and income routes, I want to be more entrepreneurial and work for myself but I just don't have the skills yet. I would have to make it up as I go along! I took holistic massage courses, I know how to organise events, I dance, I am good with people. I want more stability in life yet I still don't know what "career" path to focus on.
My last job was temping in Events - that ended last month. I signed up to at least 6 recruitment agencies in Central London, none of them have offered me any interviews or contacted me after the day I registered. I have chased them but they are useless.
I then decided to apply for ANYTHING - I don't have experience in food service, retail but I applied anyway along with the other 300 or so applications I made online/telephone. I was offered a trial shift at a cafe in Central London and landed a job in the deli! I am very nervous about starting on Monday as I have not really worked in food before, it was very fast, hectic. I did enjoy the customer interaction and making healthy food.
I read about arts graduates taking any job in the end as that elusive dream job sometimes doesn't come about, or people just get frustrated with constant rejections. I am grateful to get ANY job now just didn't really think I would end up serving coffee, oh well this is real life and I need to pay my bills and clear that last bit of debt. You never know where these opportunities lead and every job has value and experience. Would love to hear anyone's stories - if you are currently looking for work, I empathise! It is tough!

Madbags · 19 August 2016 at 11:28AM

My partner's sister graduated around 5 years ago doing some kind of art degree too. Illustration and Print I think it was.

She's never found a job in that field either and she has worked in care homes ever since but just landed a job in the NHS (started yesterday).

She admitted herself that she wasn't all that good at the whole illustration thing when compared to others in her class so gave up on the dream of working on children's books. She's happy where she has ended uup though either way.

I myself currently work in admin, payroll to be precise and I am qualified in business administration. I did go to college to do software development originally and I've worked in some IT support based jobs in the past but I realised I only wanted to do it as a hobby and not a career. I'm happy where I've ended up though and wouldn't consider any of it a waste of time. My IT knowledge together with my admin skills have made me pretty much inexpendable where I am now.

dcouponzzzz · 19 August 2016 at 11:31AM

Well I joined University for a Genetics degree... passed first year, left during 2nd year after deciding it wasn't for me.

I decided I wanted to work in IT management. Rather than apply for jobs I wanted, I applied for roles that provided me the experience I needed. Already had customer service experience from retail, so took a deputy manager job in a betting shop. Stayed for 2 years while I attended night school for some industry recognised IT qualifications. About 60-70 hours collectively per week for 2 years.

Got my foot in the door as an IT helpdesk analyst, promoted twice within the department within 2 years, and am now moving in to an IT Relationship Management role... job done

(or just starting?)

The creative industry is competitive. My sister is a graphic designer, and was able to get her entry level role being self-taught with no qualifications. She produces screen and poster images for a retail store, with little to no creative freedom...but it's experience. She also travels a fair distance, so relocating out of London might benefit you.

Good luck

sangie595 · 19 August 2016 at 3:26PM

dcouponzzzz wrote: »

. She also travels a fair distance, so relocating out of London might benefit you.

My colleagues wife teaches graphic and creative design in a northern university. She says that the majority of her graduates never get work in the industry. Even for her (she is fairly senior and very well qualified) in the lecturing side, it's cut throat with many more applicants for jobs than there are jobs.

I'm all for taking any job you can get and keeping your head above water OP - good on you. But it is time, I would suggest, to start thinking different career paths. Local universities are often still willing to see older graduates at their careers services. Perhaps pop a long (in London you can't be far from one university or another!) and have a chat about what options you may have? The other obvious suggestion is teaching - they are crying out for teachers, allowances for teacher training are great (in some you get salaried employment and train at the same time), and if you are able and willing to put your head down and work hard (which it seems you are) progression is very much available, not just in teaching, buit in a range of associated industries.

Leo2020 · 19 August 2016 at 4:29PM

I graduated with a HND in Graphic Design in 2003. I have never worked as a Graphic Designer, I live in Sheffield so would apply for jobs here, Rotherham and surrounding areas. After many, many, many rejections I decided it wasn't worth my mental health. It was actually making my depression worse all the knock backs. This sounds dramatic but I deleted all my work off my PC (before you ask yes a PC not a Mac - couldn't afford one of them) and binned my portfolio - it actually felt very liberating.

I did have a work placement for a week, unpaid of course. There is an expectation with creative stuff that you will work for free to get experience. But of course not everyone can afford to work for free.

My first job was working in a Call Centre which lead no where. I then ran my own online store selling/designing wedding stationery. I closed it down when we had kids but I recently had to return to work because of issues with my husband's employer. That was working as a cleaner on minimum wage also a job that was going no where. Due to my husband changing jobs I quit that and I'm now back to being a stay at home mum.

I plan to return to work when the kids are older, I would like to be a Teacher or Teaching Assistant but the cost of training is a problem. Plus because I have already been through the education system once I am reluctant to do it again, I fear that I will leave with more student debt but still no chance of getting a decent job.

moomin82 · 19 August 2016 at 6:06PM

Thanks all for your replies, really interested to read your experiences. It seems that life experience and trial and error can steer you to other paths, yes now looking into some of the following:

- Qualify as a Personal Trainer - would be another tough industry to crack, but involve something I enjoy. At the moment may only be able to afford a course with an Advanced Learner Loan from the Government.
- Consider Teaching - arts/art therapy.
- Continue working anything call centres, retail cafe's until I land something better. Finding even admin/office roles have been tough - even though you are in a "professional" setting, I have sadly had a lot of office politics, psycho bosses, stress and burnout. So yes looking at alternatives.

Wish you all the best and nice to see some of you have found something more rewarding. x

bugslet · 19 August 2016 at 6:11PM

Competition is high for arts degree jobs, there's no think about it ! I know I have seen stats somewhere for what percentage of arts grads use their degree and it's very few.

Whilst you are working at the deli, and it'll be fine after a few days, is there anything you can do as a freelancer working for yourself? It would satisfy the creative itch and bring some money and give you experience all at the same time.

I see you say you want be more entrepreneurial and work for yourself but you don't have the skill set. I'm not sure it's a skill set, it's more of what you are. I've worked for myself for over 25 years, no business skills, never learnt anything, just made it up as I went along. I'd say dive in as a sideline with a job to back you up. Don't overthink it, otherwise you never do.

Good luck.

lincroft1710 · 19 August 2016 at 6:24PM

Worked with 2 (poss 3) arts degree graduates for some years, in an admin non art role.

Alice_Walker · 19 August 2016 at 6:43PM

sangie595 wrote: »

My colleagues wife teaches graphic and creative design in a northern university. She says that the majority of her graduates never get work in the industry. Even for her (she is fairly senior and very well qualified) in the lecturing side, it's cut throat with many more applicants for jobs than there are jobs.

I'm all for taking any job you can get and keeping your head above water OP - good on you. But it is time, I would suggest, to start thinking different career paths. Local universities are often still willing to see older graduates at their careers services. Perhaps pop a long (in London you can't be far from one university or another!) and have a chat about what options you may have? The other obvious suggestion is teaching - they are crying out for teachers, allowances for teacher training are great (in some you get salaried employment and train at the same time), and if you are able and willing to put your head down and work hard (which it seems you are) progression is very much available, not just in teaching, buit in a range of associated industries.

Outside of the core subjects teacher training funding is pretty dire. D&T offers £12K for those with a 1st, £9K for a 2.1, nothing for a 2.2. There have been complaints to the ASA about the way the DfE advertise, both in the prospective training bursary and how much they claim teachers can earn.

University careers services are also far more limited than they were. I don't know about the London ones but the two I went to only offer assistance to their own students, and only for three years after graduation. It used to be open ended, but then their funding disappeared. There's no harm in making a call and asking though.

OP, have you looked at the civil service? It's never going to be the most exciting of jobs but you can start on a decent salary and it is relatively easy to progress.

ACG · 19 August 2016 at 6:45PM

Set up a website offering graphic design, get on some sites for self employed people (forums for example) and then maybe join sites like people per hour etc.

You can pick up some work doing graphic design there and build up a portfolio. See if you can build up a business? If not, you an atleast put it on a CV for in the future when applying for graphic design jobs.

Elfbert · 19 August 2016 at 10:35PM

I got my degree in 3D design in woods, metals, ceramics and plastics. Left Uni and got a job in industry welding up architectural steelwork - which was great to increase my metalwork skill, but got a bit boring and was very low paid.

So I moved to another firm which makes anything and everything 'arty'. We specialise in sculpture, but also do interiors, props, architectural metalwork that has more of an arty theme to it, making stretchers/panels for painters. It's nice because it's different every day, you never know what the next person on the phone will want. But you have to work hard, know a lot about different processes for any possible material you might encounter and think on the fly. I'm workshop/project manager now, but it's still very much hands-on. I spent all day today welding.

Weirdly we have an absolute nightmare finding staff. No one seems to have any practical skills anymore! And few arts degrees teach them.

I'd say my friends are about 50/50 whether they still work in the arts or have gone off to other things. Lots of them work in TV/Film doing sets and props.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

Arts graduates taking any job to get by

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