HowlRound: I entered the freelance design world as an eager, young costume designer fresh out of a well-rounded, art-based MFA program.
My first professional gig was for a small local theatre company. I had interviewed with the producers months earlier, and was excited when they called and offered me a chance to design a show for their upcoming season. The company was successful and had a great reputation.
4 comments:
Even as a current design freshman years away from entering the professional world, I think this is a valuable article. The points I thought were especially useful were those concerning what kind of work to consider after graduating. I didn't realize how many different kinds of design experiences there were, and how any and all of those could help you further your career regardless of whether it was exactly what you want to do in the end. Also, I think it's important to remember the author's points considering the digression you should exercise when you're offered positions, and how you don't necessarily have to take the first thing that comes your way. I think these two ideas often seem to be in conflict with each other, but actually they are both important things to consider. You don't want to throw your time and energy away on projects that aren't important to your career path or won't give you the resources you will need, but you also don't want to refuse jobs based entirely on a set of narrow criteria.
Howlround always manages to put out articles that are specifically relevant to things I think about. A professor was discussing today about how we should all apply for internships at the white house, because we are perfect candidates based on the management skills, teamwork, and metaskills we learn at CMU, but you'd never think of it because we're in the School of Drama. Design takes all forms, as mentioned in the article, which makes the fact that we have to go out into the real world a bit less daunting. At least for lighting, there are theatre, dance, opera, concerts, architectural, cruise ships, and theme parks, just to name a few. Not taking a job is a harder thing to reconcile, and it's a talk I've been having with myself about internships this summer, since there are some I would like to hear about but I'd also like to get my plans squared away as early as possible. All around, I think the article is trying to make it clear that we need to think everything through as much as we can, because there's no rush, and if we're talented and driven there will always be work.
I think this article gives great information on something that nobody has really discussed with me. I love this quote offers at the end of this article "follow your dreams, but take your brain with you.". Often, we hear the first part of that, but not the last. A lot of the things that Christina Cook talks about in this article I would have never guessed to pay attention to. The thing that was most surprising to me was the taxes deductibles. I think knowing that you can get reimbursed for a lot of these things can really help us get the most out of our paychecks. Also, I had really never thought about the fact that you will be 'free-lance' when we get out of college. I mean, I knew that was a thing but you never really think about it. Another tip that was very thought provoking was the idea that you can turn opportunities down. Not all opportunities will be worth it and the idea that you should decided whether the opportunity will be beneficial to your resume or skills is a great way to look at things.
Even though I am a freshman, this article still terrifies me to some respect. Just thinking about life after graduation is really daunting. However, I think that this article does touch upon things that, even as a freshman, I still am starting to feel the weight of. Right off the bat, I really identified with how the author didn’t want to refuse any job for fear it might impact her career. I am starting to feel the same way about my internship search, as I will most likely accept one of the first places that accepts me, as I wouldn’t want to turn a chance down and then not get any other internships. I am going to try the authors advice in being a tiny bit more choosy towards the places that I apply to. Another thing that kind of intimidated me about the authors advice is how detailed a person should be about financials. I know that, as a person, this is a weakness for me, it will be something I will have to work on in the relative security of the next 3 years.
Post a Comment