Art and Design

Many graduate employers seek to recruit people who are lateral thinkers and creative problem-solvers. These qualities are natural to artists and designers and therefore make you an attractive asset, particularly to the expanding UK creative industries sector. This sector relies on people who can think differently, formulate questions and solve problems.

Over the course of your degree you develop a wide mix of subject-specific and technical skills, you should consider these skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile.

Working as a Designer Craftsman

See the full video at Careers4U 

Prospects

The career path of art and design graduates is often complex during the early years. It is common to be working in more than one job simultaneously, e.g. freelancing alongside salaried work and further study.
 
Many graduates initially work outside the sector, although this is not the case long term. Art and design graduates need time to develop a ‘creative’ career, as success often depends on getting a foot in the door, building a portfolio, gaining experience and contacts from placements and voluntary work, and acquiring the knowledge and finance to set up a business. Self-employment is also a popular choice.

In 2010, six months after graduation, 69% of art and design graduates had gone into employment, including self-employment, with 32% of those working in art, design, sport and culture-related roles. Jobs undertaken by these graduates included commercial artist, fine artist, graphic artist and designer, clothing designer and industrial designer.

An art and design degree is useful for all areas of the creative industries, and across other employment sectors.

Where are the jobs?

There are opportunities in the creative industries and also in creative roles in the media, marketing, PR, arts administration or education. For an insight into employment areas see:

• Advertising, marketing and PR
• Media
• Creative arts

Employ a proactive and creative approach to your job search. Promote yourself in writing, over the phone or over the web. You have the opportunity to use your imagination to create original applications, with your business card, examples of drawings, designs, a photographic portfolio or showreel, a website or CD ROM.

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Advertising art director
• Fashion designer
• Graphic designer
• Illustrator
• Printmaker
• Textile designer

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Arts administrator
• Art therapist
• Community arts worker
• Museum/gallery curator
• Multimedia specialist
• Retail buyer
• Secondary school teacher

In longitudinal studies of art and design graduates, nearly half had been self-employed at some point. Many also spend at least part of their early careers as portfolio workers - carrying out two or more quite different roles in order to earn a living.

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it's not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

You can find more about the skills you develop during your course, the jobs listed above, plus case studies and where to find these jobs at Prospects.

Included with the permission of AGCAS. For the latest version of this publication, see www.prospects.ac.uk. For permission to reproduce, contact copyright@agcas.org.uk