Applying for photographer jobs?

[MSnowy]

I think you might have better luck selling typewriters then getting a staff photography job that's going to pay off your bills.

 

[DanOstergren]

So much pessimism in this thread. Don't give up; while it's rare, high paying staff photographer jobs do exist, and fortune favors those who work hard and want it the most.

Remind me where you live though. Unless it's NYC or LA, your opportunities for internships is low, and considering that half the business is about who you know and who you cross paths with, you'll need to be somewhere with good networking opportunities. This is based on me assuming you want to work as a portrait, fashion and beauty photographer based on the type of images you excel at and share here.

 

[Gary A.]

You can always change your drawers later... think of the images you could get!!

Yeah, I did a shoot where I had to sit on a live bomb and take photos all the way down including the explosion.
The ride was a blast !!

LOL, seriously though, I think I'd rather have a rifle then a camera in many of those situations. Watching a lot of that stuff from CNN. But those type of jobs seems to springboard many into high visibility jobs after that though mostly for the commentator.

Fair enough.. but from what I researched, I would have to go through boot camp and all that, with no guarantee of my desired MO of photography..

Keep in mind, without that training you wouldn't know what the company you were with was doing (moving around etc) and you'd probably be in great danger as you wouldn't know how to properly position and protect yourself if the you know what hits the fan. ie, you'd be a sitting duck with a camera.

I wouldn't mind being a Navy photographer for a short stint.

I've shot combat. I cannot remember seeing any military photographers out there elbow-to-elbow with the grunts in a firefight.

 

[DGMPhotography]

I think you might have better luck selling typewriters then getting a staff photography job that's going to pay off your bills.

Why is no one seeing my posts where I've mentioned that I've already applied to TWO. The first was $45,000, the next is $52,000-55,000. That's more than adequate to pay off my bills. What I was seeking for with this thread was tips or tricks to help my application stand out from the crowd.

So much pessimism in this thread. Don't give up; while it's rare, high paying staff photographer jobs do exist, and fortune favors those who work hard and want it the most.

Remind me where you live though. Unless it's NYC or LA, your opportunities for internships is low, and considering that half the business is about who you know and who you cross paths with, you'll need to be somewhere with good networking opportunities. This is based on me assuming you want to work as a portrait, fashion and beauty photographer based on the type of images you excel at and share here.

I'm from Richmond. While, yes, I do love portrait photography, I actually enjoy all forms of photography. The jobs I've applied for so far would be photographing events and student life.

 

[KmH]

I've already applied to two. There's a local fashion boutique that hires them time to time, and my college hires them.

If it's not a full time job it's not a staff photographer job, it's freelance.

Being a military photographer is a not the same as being a staff photographer in the private sector.

 

[MSnowy]

I think you might have better luck selling typewriters then getting a staff photography job that's going to pay off your bills.

Why is no one seeing my posts where I've mentioned that I've already applied to TWO. The first was $45,000, the next is $52,000-55,000. That's more than adequate to pay off my bills. What I was seeking for with this thread was tips or tricks to help my application stand out from the crowd.

So much pessimism in this thread. Don't give up; while it's rare, high paying staff photographer jobs do exist, and fortune favors those who work hard and want it the most.

Remind me where you live though. Unless it's NYC or LA, your opportunities for internships is low, and considering that half the business is about who you know and who you cross paths with, you'll need to be somewhere with good networking opportunities. This is based on me assuming you want to work as a portrait, fashion and beauty photographer based on the type of images you excel at and share here.

I'm from Richmond. While, yes, I do love portrait photography, I actually enjoy all forms of photography. The jobs I've applied for so far would be photographing events and student life.

Yes I saw that and I saw where you didn't get those jobs either not even an interview. I think realistically you'looking at maybe $20,000 a year working as a photographer for a company. I think you're in the same boat as most of the people on here , they work in another line of work to pay for their photography.

 

[limr]

One other thing you might want to consider: are you the kind of person who can go to work, spend 7 hours shooting pictures for your employer, and then go home and still be excited about shooting your own work for your business? Or are you the person who will get burnt out from doing it all day and then need a break?

Some people thrive on being totally immersed in the same kind of work all the time, and even though their day job isn't particularly creative, they can gain inspiration and go home to act on that inspiration. Others get drained if they are engaging in the work in a way that doesn't interest them. For example, if I wanted to really focus on my writing, I would never take a staff writing job. I couldn't spend my days writing stock articles or whatever, and then go home to continue writing for myself. I would have nothing left over.

But everyone is different. It's just something you might want to think about now, to really take a good look at what you need in order to focus on your own work. Better to think about it now than after 5 years of a staff photographer job that has left you burnt out on photography.

 

[DGMPhotography]

I've already applied to two. There's a local fashion boutique that hires them time to time, and my college hires them.

If it's not a full time job it's not a staff photographer job, it's freelance.

Being a military photographer is a not the same as being a staff photographer in the private sector.

Both the ones I've applied to are full time 40hr/week with benefits jobs. I don't know how that wasn't clear, but I guess that's my bad.

I think you might have better luck selling typewriters then getting a staff photography job that's going to pay off your bills.

Why is no one seeing my posts where I've mentioned that I've already applied to TWO. The first was $45,000, the next is $52,000-55,000. That's more than adequate to pay off my bills. What I was seeking for with this thread was tips or tricks to help my application stand out from the crowd.

So much pessimism in this thread. Don't give up; while it's rare, high paying staff photographer jobs do exist, and fortune favors those who work hard and want it the most.

Remind me where you live though. Unless it's NYC or LA, your opportunities for internships is low, and considering that half the business is about who you know and who you cross paths with, you'll need to be somewhere with good networking opportunities. This is based on me assuming you want to work as a portrait, fashion and beauty photographer based on the type of images you excel at and share here.

I'm from Richmond. While, yes, I do love portrait photography, I actually enjoy all forms of photography. The jobs I've applied for so far would be photographing events and student life.

Yes I saw that and I saw where you didn't get those jobs either not even an interview. I think realistically you'looking at maybe $20,000 a year working as a photographer for a company. I think you're in the same boat as most of the people on here , they work in another line of work to pay for their photography.

Okay, and that's why I'm posting here. I asked the company for feedback on why I wasn't selected, and in lieu of that posted here asking for advice on getting an edge up. And the second job, I applied to just yesterday, so........ that's still up in the air. And like I said, both of those jobs are $40,000+

One other thing you might want to consider: are you the kind of person who can go to work, spend 7 hours shooting pictures for your employer, and then go home and still be excited about shooting your own work for your business? Or are you the person who will get burnt out from doing it all day and then need a break?

Some people thrive on being totally immersed in the same kind of work all the time, and even though their day job isn't particularly creative, they can gain inspiration and go home to act on that inspiration. Others get drained if they are engaging in the work in a way that doesn't interest them. For example, if I wanted to really focus on my writing, I would never take a staff writing job. I couldn't spend my days writing stock articles or whatever, and then go home to continue writing for myself. I would have nothing left over.

But everyone is different. It's just something you might want to think about now, to really take a good look at what you need in order to focus on your own work. Better to think about it now than after 5 years of a staff photographer job that has left you burnt out on photography.

Guess I would have to try it to find out. I think I would enjoy it more than my last full time gig, sitting at a desk all day.

 

[vintagesnaps]

i don't remember what you majored in but I'd say look into what else you can do with that coursework or degree (since you left the first job I guess you don't want to do that sort of work again). Find something in your area like seminars or workshops etc. on how to interview, etc. Find out what fields are hiring and what might be related to what you went to school for. I don't know if your school has anything related to job skills etc. for alumni; schools in my area do. It seems like more jobs require training or an assoc. or bachelor's degree or a one year program.

I met a photographer at a local university and for a school of around 15 thou I think they only have two full time staff photographers. I don't think there ever were a lot of photography jobs, and many like working for a local newspaper have changed into freelance contracted jobs, not salaried positions. I did a little googling and it wasn't hard to find listings but there seem to only be a handful and mostly hourly pay for anything photography related. In my area it's not just been photography but media; I know three guys in local radio who all ended up out of jobs and into something else (sales, retail jobs).

I think most photographers have always been in business for themselves and it seems to have gotten more challenging because of being undercut by amateurs with cameras etc. Maybe that will somewhat run its course if people get tired of crap for cheap but any way you look at it, it seems to take time for a photographer to build up a reputation and maybe (a big maybe) develop it into full time work. The other photographers I've known in my area have done it as a sideline, and some of them combined local sports shooting with doing weddings, etc.

I don't know if full time photography is going to be lucrative for too many people. I liked what I did for a living enough to stay at the last job for 20 years. The photography was a sideline and done for the love of it, hardly for full time income or enough money to live on. I'd say to try to open your mind to possibilities and figure out what could be some options and ways you might be able to do photography and other work that you'd enjoy and that could be satisfying.

 

[pixmedic]

man...
you just gotta go for it.
nothing ventured, nothing gained.

that being said....
if your applying for different photography jobs, make sure you research each one so you can best prepare for the application and interview process, as well as prepping your portfolio. different jobs may want different things. dont just send the same stuff to everyone. figure out what each one wants, then pad your resume with those things.
hire a professional resume builder to take all your information and put it in the best resume format possible.
if you interview but dont get the job, ask them what would have gotten you the job, then work on improving those things.
then just beat down some doors and bust some heads until someone hires you.
I know people that have spent years trying to get into a fire department...any department, within a 50+ mile radius...and they are still trying.
don't be afraid to take some **** jobs/position until you can work into the one you really want.
it took me 5 years to work up from a $9 an hour position to a $60k+ a year position.

 

[Light Guru]

Why is no one seeing my posts where I've mentioned that I've already applied to TWO. The first was $45,000, the next is $52,000-55,000. That's more than adequate to pay off my bills.

With pay like that those are NOT entry level photographer positions. Those jobs are going to be looking for years of photography experience that you don't have. That would also be why you didn't even get called in for an interview

I think realistically you'looking at maybe $20,000 a year working as a photographer for a company.

Sounds about right for a entry level photographer position, and most likely it will just be part time.

Most photographers nowadays will start out with a unrelated photography job and will do photography freelancing on the side. They will slowly build up enough side work that they can then leave their other job.

You seem to be expecting to magically start out working in a well paying full time photographer position, unfortunately that just doesn't happen.

 

[DGMPhotography]

Why is no one seeing my posts where I've mentioned that I've already applied to TWO. The first was $45,000, the next is $52,000-55,000. That's more than adequate to pay off my bills.

With pay like that those are NOT entry level photographer positions. Those jobs are going to be looking for years of photography experience that you don't have. That would also be why you didn't even get called in for an interview

I think realistically you'looking at maybe $20,000 a year working as a photographer for a company.

Sounds about right for a entry level photographer position, and most likely it will just be part time.

Most photographers nowadays will start out with a unrelated photography job and will do photography freelancing on the side. They will slowly build up enough side work that they can then leave their other job.

You seem to be expecting to magically start out working in a well paying full time photographer position, unfortunately that just doesn't happen.

Idk.. my work is pretty decent. And technically I have 7 years of experience. I'm only applying to jobs that I qualify for. There are plenty that I don't.

I suspect that first job just hired from within, since it was the art school.

 

[MSnowy]

De

Why is no one seeing my posts where I've mentioned that I've already applied to TWO. The first was $45,000, the next is $52,000-55,000. That's more than adequate to pay off my bills.

With pay like that those are NOT entry level photographer positions. Those jobs are going to be looking for years of photography experience that you don't have. That would also be why you didn't even get called in for an interview

I think realistically you'looking at maybe $20,000 a year working as a photographer for a company.

Sounds about right for a entry level photographer position, and most likely it will just be part time.

Most photographers nowadays will start out with a unrelated photography job and will do photography freelancing on the side. They will slowly build up enough side work that they can then leave their other job.

You seem to be expecting to magically start out working in a well paying full time photographer position, unfortunately that just doesn't happen.

Idk.. my work is pretty decent. And technically I have 7 years of experience. I'm only applying to jobs that I qualify for. There are plenty that I don't.

I suspect that first job just hired from within, since it was the art school.

Decent and 7 years experience of a as a hobbyist photographer doesn't mean much to a potential employers who are offering a $45,000 salary. They are looking for someone whose work stands out above the crowd. They also want someone they can count on to produce, they don't have time to teach. One thing I've notice in my 45 years of working is that having a connection with someone within the company your applying to really increases your chance of landing the job you want. So networking is a good starting point.

 

[Dave442]

I expect any company looking for a staff photographer wants someone that fits in with their business. Like Gary noted, a newspaper favors photographers with journalism degrees. I think a staff position job would also have the company looking more at your LinkedIn account over FB and Instagram, so you might look to fill that out a bit more.

Your webpage would need to have a stronger listing of your achievements, it still sounds like you want to be a photographer not that you are a photographer and that you want to take great pictures and not that you do take great pictures.

As you noted the first position went to someone already on the inside, they had the contacts. If your not on the inside then you need to network to be in contact with someone who is on the inside, someone that can give you the referral.

 

[DGMPhotography]

I expect any company looking for a staff photographer wants someone that fits in with their business. Like Gary noted, a newspaper favors photographers with journalism degrees. I think a staff position job would also have the company looking more at your LinkedIn account over FB and Instagram, so you might look to fill that out a bit more.

Your webpage would need to have a stronger listing of your achievements, it still sounds like you want to be a photographer not that you are a photographer and that you want to take great pictures and not that you do take great pictures.

As you noted the first position went to someone already on the inside, they had the contacts. If your not on the inside then you need to network to be in contact with someone who is on the inside, someone that can give you the referral.

Fortunately, for this other position, I do have someone on the inside... so we'll see where that goes.