Working after graduation
Being able to live without financial support after your graduation is something that doesn’t happen very often to students these days.
Art students who work on a project-based career or freelance can find it hard to generate regular income.
Many take on part-time jobs during their studies and continue working whilst trying to establish themselves.
One example is Ute Schleicher who is now in her final year of a BA in Fine Arts at Central Saint Martins.
Working and studying
When she started her foundation year she worked full time at a café and only attended university once a week.
With the money she saved from working so many hours, she started a BA and went on to work part-time.
Since the prospects of getting paid work straight away are bleak, she decided to do a Masters degree and stay at the café.
“I really couldn’t get out and start working straight away. This wouldn’t pay my rent and since I try to be financially independent from my parents I probably have to continue to work at the café for some time to come,” Ute said.
As soon as she graduates she plans to try to establish herself as an artist whilst keeping her job at the café, but she is aware that her part-time job has taken many opportunities away already.
“The time I spend at my part-time job should really be spent finding contacts in the industry and getting my foot in the door,” she added.
Making money from your skill
Mona Campbell is currently in her second year of a BA in Painting at Camberwell and has already sold some of her paintings and plans to continue to do so after she graduates.
“At the moment I am concentrating on my work because luckily my parents are able to support me financially so I don’t have to take on part time work," she explains.
"If it works as I have planned it, I am going to be able to live from my painting sales. I try to build up a reputation whilst I am at university and then set up my own business.”
Graduating in a BA in Fine Arts from Camberwell two years ago, George Owen secured himself a job soon after leaving university.
He says this wouldn’t have been possible without his parents’ support, but that the process he went through is helpful for many: “Due to the unpaid internships I did during and after university I could establish contacts throughout the industry.
"I found it hard to know I wouldn’t get paid at all but in the end I got taken on by a gallery.”
Although working at the gallery is still not exactly what relates to his studies, he can make a living from the arts.
Internships
From this point of view, doing internships during your course might be the best way, ideally enabling you to meet people and get a feeling for the industry.
With the university’s creative careers platform run by the student services team offering many paid and unpaid placements as well as freelance and full time job opportunities, there is probably no easier way to get started.
However, for students who have to finance their lifestyle themselves or rely on student loans, the outlook may not seem that great.
Whenever they have time off university they have to go out and earn money.
The fewest manage to do so by putting the skills they have gained at uni to use, but those who can’t afford it are left with nothing.
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