Finding a job
Photography
There are many different areas within the photographic sector and work can be varied.
You could get involved in taking forensic photographs for the police (although most forensic photographers start as Crime Scene Investigators or Scene of Crime Officers before specialising in photography and forensic imaging); cataloguing exhibits in a museum or assisting an established local photographer taking wedding or social photographs, so some thought as to which area(s) you are particularly interested in will help you to target your job search. Many vacancies in this sector are never advertised, so it is essential to use speculative approaches and contacts to tap into this hidden jobs market.
Who recruits photographer graduates?
- Media organisations such as newspapers, magazines, film and television
- Wedding photographers or high street photography companies
- Large organisations such as universities, hospitals or airports
- Cruise liners, holiday companies and theme parks
- The police ('scene of the crime') photography
- Advertising companies
Useful websites to help you start your job search
- Arts jobs – Resource for art vacancies in the UK. You can receive job flashes if there is a job that exactly matches all your criteria for function, sector, location and minimum salary.
- British Journal of Photography – Presents news, job listings, and a discussion forum.
- Arts Council – Essential jobs and news information to professionals working in the UK arts and cultural industries.
- Find a Wedding Photographer – Listing of professional wedding photographers in a wide variety of styles advertises photography vacancies and hosts a forum open to photographers of all levels.
- Creative Review – Useful resource for making speculative job applications.
- Jobs board – You will find graduate jobs across different sectors and locations.
Tips for finding a job
- Keep up to date with photography news and trends by following the professional bodies on Twitter, this information might help you identify opportunities to network and tap into the hidden jobs market.
- Keep your online job search flexible as some employers might use different titles to describe the same job role.
- If you are keen to focus on a specific sector within photography check out the specialist websites for these areas for current vacancies.
- Most companies have a Twitter and/or Facebook account, register with them as this is often a place where new opportunities are posted, and where you can keep in touch with their current activities.
Useful social media feeds
Check out the following social media feeds for news and information about current projects and to tap into the hidden jobs market.
Going freelance
Freelancers use a variety of means to generate work: some rely on their portfolio, self-promotion and a good contact network, while others use a photographic agent.
- Student StartUp Team – Advice and support to students and graduates at the University of Portsmouth to develop their enterprise skills and set up their own business.
- Creativepool – Online networking site for people working within the creative industries. Provides a platform from which to research and network with relevant companies as well as finding advertised vacancies.
- Artquest – Sharing the resources, networks and opportunities you need to develop your visual arts practice including a range of ‘How to’ guides
- a-n.co.uk – Supporting contemporary visual arts practice including a knowledge bank with expert resources and toolkits.
- Freelance UK – Information for freelancers includes a forum, news and events sections.
