How easy is it to be hired to an art-related job outside of teaching art after you graduate?

Hi Leah,
You already have some fine advice. One thing I would add is to be flexible and willing to try any related job at first. The idea about art organizations is a good one. Hang out where people who hire artists may be. Network and make connections. Be friendly and outgoing and willing to take opportunities that show off your talent.

Best of luck, and don't give up on your dreams. If you really desire it, you will find the opportunities you want!
Best,
Marilyn Lowry

Hey Leah,

It depends on the field but not always. I currently work in retail. Do you know what I told my boss. I know color, I know design. I even had a prior experience with short term work somewhere else. Even if I currently just work in the back, I love when i go out and flow, and display the merchandise. Some other jobs you need more then just an art based education. But if you have a certain career in mind its always good to start small and prove to whomever you work for especially in retail that you know what your doing and you enjoy it just as much as creating the art you see.

Hope that Helps.

Some good advice already! There are many fields where an art degree would work; much of it depends on which area of art you concentrate in. I used to do a lesson with my students where we would look at a photograph of the inside of a movie theatre, (or an airport, a store, or someplace like that.) I would ask my students to find the "art" in that place, and we would come up with graphic designers for signs, tickets, candy boxes, movie posters etc. We would come up with textile and fashion designers for the uniforms, curtains, rugs. We would come up product designers for the ticket booths, the ticket dispensers, the computers, the phones, the seating. Finally, we would come up with architects and interior designers for the building's structure and interior and exterior design. The point was, art is everywhere, and wanting to find a career in art is not as futile as some people think. (None of this even touched on all the art that goes into making the movies....). Some of these art fields are good to go right out of college, some require internships, while others require a masters degree. I would strongly suggest you look into doing some sort of internship during your college summers and after college to get a inside view of the field and to make contacts in the field.

I would talk to your art teachers and guidance counselor as a first step. Talk also to your school librarian for books and websites that might help you with your search. Many high schools have career counselors, and you should talk to them.

On a more general level, remember, many people, and people who are in the position to hire often are unaware of the transferable skills you have as an artist. So remember....
As an artist, you have experience taking a rough idea in your head to a finished product; you had to acquire and organize your materials, you've dealt with set backs along the way, you had to problem solve to figure things out, but you didn't give up and you did your best and continued on, and at the end, you had a finished product to show for it. Why wouldn't that be useful in any field? So, please don't let anyone discourage you because there is the false idea out there that there are no jobs in art aside from teaching, or that artists are "flakey" and unemployable. There is a lot of competition for art jobs, so be ready to work hard, to be flexible, and to be polite and nice to everyone you meet in the art world. To paraphrase the author Irving Stone, "Talent is cheap, dedication is expensive", and I'll add, "Politeness goes a long way."

BTW, a job teaching art is not a bad alternative! I loved my job as an art teacher, so don't rule that career out!
Best wishes!

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