Career Trajectory

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On the 25th of November 2019 we had a seminar session that focused upon our career plans and future trajectories. We were told to think of how the previous years of our degree had informed our current position and thoughts on future career plans. What strengths and experiences had we gained to help us in those careers and then also, what points were highlighted that could do with improvement.

 

Where am I today?

When I began this degree I was doing it because I loved it and didn't want to do anything else and admittedly, wasn't thinking about where I would take it in the future. I knew I always wanted to study art and photography and just went with my instincts at the time. Not far into my first year, I realized that I would love to teach the subject. After my first two theory lectures in photography, my mum came to visit and I spent the majority of the afternoon reiterating the things I had learnt that term so far. I found myself reflecting on how much interest I actually had for the theory of the subject but also for explaining it to other people. In previous years before university, I could see myself working with young people, possibly in secondary schools, counselling or in the student welfare or career sector after my own personal experiences in secondary school. Towards the end of my first year, I had decided that a job in teaching photography was definitely the way I wanted to go. I had been volunteering a lot in my first year in things like open days and campus tours and had relished in the prospect of talking to all these young people about their career paths and university options and it was this that solidified the career path in my mind. The further experiences I have in this field were all achieved in my second year when I became a peer mentor to first-year students and an ambassador for the university. I attended EYE Training sessions about career paths in teaching and then volunteered as a school mentor for under 16's at Whitby High School, Ellesmere Port, on their photography GCSE course. For my work-based learning module at the end of my second year, I found a teaching placement in West Cheshire College on their photography A-Level courses, this time for over 16's. These past few years at university have helped solidify my career trajectory through voluntary work more than anything, which I chose to do during my degree so that I could gain as much experience in the field as possible while I wasn't working. It's really helped me gain confidence in talking to young people in education and I feel as though I have made the most of my time here. 

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Where do I want to go?

Considering all of the above plans and ideas, my first step is to gain a Masters degree in the same or similar course so that my understanding of the subject runs deep enough to teach it. After attending these career talks in my second year, I decided that taking an MA course would help in many ways. One would be that, upon graduation, I would be that much older and therefore have more confidence in myself to speak to and keep control of a classroom full of over 16's. Also, there would be a slightly bigger age gap by then between myself and my students so that I would feel more of an authority. It would also allow time for me to plan my way into a teaching career while studying. My next steps this year are to apply for MA courses and, if and when I am accepted, I will think about applying for a PCGE course following the MA. The obstacles that I could encounter are, of course, not being offered a place on any MA courses but also, during the MA I could decide to do something else entirely, but I don't really see this happening. Another thing will be that the MA, in either fine art or photography, will not include anything to do with teacher training. I have already planned for this and understand that you have fewer lectures during an MA course so, if I attend Chester for this course too, I will be continuing as an ambassador and mentor so that I can keep up my work with undergraduates even throughout the MA. There are of course further things to think about once I am doing my Masters, such as funding for teacher training courses, opportunities in the area for possible jobs and whether or not I will want to relocate back to Wales to do this.  

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Applying for an MA

University of Chester, Fine Art MA

2 Years: Part-time

Start Date: October 2020

Entry Requirements: A minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in a relevant undergraduate course. Applications must be supported by images and a portfolio and interview are required as part of the application process.

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Manchester Metropolitan University, Photography MA 

1 Year: Full Time

Start Date: October 2020

Entry Requirements: An undergraduate degree in a relevant course subject. A digital portfolio may also be required. 

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Personal Statement 

I am currently studying Ba(Hons) photography at the University of Chester. My practice has developed greatly during the last 3 years and I have been able to refine the ways in which I work, shoot and put together portfolios. I am well suited for an MA course in photography because I am keen to develop my practice and my skills even further. I work first and foremost as a documentary photographer with black and white 35mm film and have a large enthusiasm to further study a multitude of darkroom practices in terms of exploration of print methods and different film types. My most recent work has been all about the exploration of the use of colour film, shooting with medium format and using Imacon scanners to create prints for my latest exhibition rather than the darkroom. Many of my portfolios in the past have centered around the idea of documentary mixed with archival photography, stemming into vernacular at points. I enjoy creating a range of outcomes from my photographs whether they are just archival prints for myself, professional framed prints, or handcrafted books which is something I would like to look into further in the future also. Alongside my studies, my main hobby would be collecting vintage cameras and photography books. I have created something of a home library during my Bachelors, full of history and film theory books, film cameras and books by people like Bill Brandt, Robert Frank and Roland Barthes who have all influenced my own practices in the past. I am currently reading ‘The Stanley Kubrick Archives’ and ‘The Minds Eye’ by Henri Cartier-Bresson. I have also recently invested in creating my own darkroom at home so that I can continue both digital and darkroom printing in my spare time. In trying to promote my own work, I have previously had photographs framed and sold in various craft shops in my hometown of Conwy, North Wales alongside a couple of books I have published with Blurb. Last year I also created an Instagram account as part of my Bachelors, which is more focused on showing the process of my work as well as the outcomes all the while giving me daily access to photographic associations like AOP, BJP, RPS and LIP. There are quite a lot of aspects of art that I enjoy aside from photography as I have studied Graphic and Fine art since the ages of 13 and 14 and pride myself on the fact that I am a very-hands on worker, another aspect that draws me to film photography. I enjoy the physical process of making and creating something rather than sitting at a computer screen. During the three years of my degree, I have also been a Student Academic Representative for my campus, a Peer Mentor to students at The Whitby Highschool in Ellesmere Port and a Student Ambassador for the University of Chester. Outside of education I always have to keep busy too so I have also volunteered collectively for 3 and a half years, raised £250 for Cancer Research and spent 168 hours running charity events in my home town.

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Outcomes

Following my applications, I was offered an interview with Maxine Bristow from the University of Chester on the 14th of February and was required to bring along a portfolio. I attended with my current portfolio that I was still working on for this academic year so that they could see clearly my way of working, planning, and what I was intending to do for the degree show exhibition. I also took with me a smaller, completed portfolio from my second year which I felt was one of my best. It included the most research and additional reading that I had ever included in a portfolio and I felt as though the concept and narrative behind it was really strong. Bringing this along too meant that I could show them how I usually round up my projects and what kind of process I have for the final selection of my images and what kind of outcomes I like to produce and the quality I am capable of achieving. A third item may not have been necessary and I would not have taken along anything else had I not created this book during my A-Levels. It was the book entitled 'Street Seen' that I had published with Blurb, which can be found on this website. I thought that this really showed my capability to work to produce different outcomes and my love of physical imagery and final pieces. I would say that the images in the book are quite different from the ones I have produced during my degree, those being more conceptual documentary pieces, whereas the ones in the book can be classified specifically as street photography. I was aiming to show with this book, a love for all things documentary, not just conceptual, and hoped that it would prove my practice to be one that is not static and looking in only one direction when it comes to producing work. Shortly after the interview, possibly less than two weeks, I received a conditional offer via the application website, but better still, in a personal email from Maxine herself, she confirmed this offer to be unconditional. 

Having not heard from Manchester at all until early March, I was expecting to be one of the last to be called for an interview, however, I received an email on March 15th, offering me a conditional place without the need to show any portfolios. 

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I have since accepted the offer to study the Fine Art MA at Chester for multiple reasons. As much as I love the Manchester School of Art and the course would be in photography and take only one year, those are the only pro points to accepting their offer. The main reason I have chosen Chester is financial but also this course, I feel will help with my chosen career path. With the photography course being full time, I would have to either drive or get the train to Manchester and back 3 times a week, or more, which is very expensive. I would not be able to find the money to do this if I only had 3, if not 2 or less, days a week free to work. Aside from Kingsway Campus being within walking distance of my house, allowing for zero commute costs, I would also have most of the week free to work, with the course being part-time. This extra money could either go towards course equipment, exhibition costs or travel costs for location shoots. The ideal thing about this Fine Art course is that when it comes to teaching, and I've spoken to teachers at both the Whitby High School and West Cheshire College about this, if you have a degree in more than one subject, you become more flexible and employable to education centers. It would increase my chances of employability, broaden my knowledge of photography as an art form, and also, as previously mentioned, the extra year would be good in terms of my age and confidence when applying to teach as well as giving me more time to think about which route into teaching that it is I want to take. 

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In a handout given to us in November, when considering our career trajectories, a list of transferable skills was discussed. Throughout the course of my degree, I believe I have improved upon various skills that I already had, due to working from the age of 11, and gained new ones following the volunteering I have done while studying. The following are the transferable skills that I believe that I have. Highlighted, are the ones that will benefit me most when teaching;

 

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