4 Career Prospects for Those Having an Arts Degree
Art is a powerful form of self-expression, and it has a wealth of mediums that allow people to get creative. It refers to a broad array of creative expressions that combine intelligence, skills, knowledge, imagination, and emotions to create beauty. Some create art through sound and music, while others mold clay and carve stone to create breathtaking sculptures.
Paintings, sketches, and fabric printing are also arts that bestow our world with beauty and magnificence. An arts degree is studying all these enthralling forms of creative expression and how they impact and shape our world. Given the wide-ranging and multifaceted nature of art and its many applications, students can choose several subjects.
Art is also taught in conjunction with other disciplines, such as fine arts, theology, history, music, theatre, and more. We all appreciate art, and those who pursue it academically enjoy opportunities in numerous industries and sectors. They can pursue a career as a critique, an art connoisseur, advertiser, public relations specialist, or writer.
Let’s look at the career prospects for students with an arts degree.
Media & Journalism
Students with an arts degree can find a wealth of lucrative opportunities in media and journalism. Every career opportunity requires academic and leadership skills. Students must polish their resumes with internships, accredited workshops, certifications, and licensure.
An art degree can open up opportunities to work as a TV presenter, photographer, writer, art critique, and more. Many students pursue degrees in arts and mass communication, which opens up lucrative career paths in broadcast and journalism. Aspirants go onto pursue courses and training in journalism and public speaking to sharpen their skills and expertise.
Aspiring historians and journalists can pursue a bachelor of arts in history online and achieve personal and professional growth. Such a degree can increase your authority to present analysis and facts regarding historical records and even host history programs. Today, aspiring journalists and art majors can set up their broadcasting channels through YouTube and social media.
Illustration
A lucrative and rewarding career path, illustration is one of the most incredible art careers to pursue. There are many types of illustration careers, including:
- Fashion illustration
- Political illustration & satire (news)
- Children’s book illustration
- Medical illustration
- Film storyboards
- Comic Books
- Animation
- Printmaking
- Concept art
Each career path requires different illustration techniques, and students typically pursue various fine art specializations to cultivate industry-relevant skills. Concept art, animation, and fashion illustrations have many similarities, and yet, they are entirely different career paths. A professional must develop relevant skills, an illustration portfolio, and possess a natural artistic talent to excel as an illustrator.
Photography
Suppose you enjoy capturing moments and freezing memories in time. In that case, photography is a lucrative career to pursue after an arts degree. Photography is a broad profession, and it opens up multiple jobs in numerous industries. Photographers work in the fashion industry, advertising and marketing, media and journalism, and even the real estate industry.
Photographers create art, celebrate cultural and ethnic diversity, cover weddings and events, and promote products and services. In journalism and media, photographers gather evidence to support news reports and facts. Many artists pursue careers in the fashion industry, while others gravitate towards wildlife and nature photography.
With the rise of social media, many nature and travel photographers have found lucrative opportunities through digital platforms. They can promote their work and establish an audience by publishing their work through social media, websites, and YouTube.
Social media platforms not only support earning but also help photographers land clients and enjoy financial stability. Photographers can collaborate with industry leaders in broadcast media and journalism by gaining an online audience for their work. The rise of the freelance industry has also allowed photographers to work and travel the world simultaneously.
Advertising & Marketing
Advertising is essentially the art of selling commodities and services by tapping into audience preferences with creativity and artistic talent. Professionals with an arts degree possess the inherent talent and a relevant skillset for a thriving career in advertising or marketing. Aspirants can work as graphic designers and illustrators or creative designers to perfect advertising content.
Many art majors work as packaging designers, helping brands reflect their brand identity through shopping bags and product packaging. Others work with digital marketers and content creators to design video advertisements, product staging, and social media content.
Graphic designing opens up a wide array of rewarding opportunities in the realm of advertising. Social media marketing requires brands to up their artistic design game and engage their audience with rich and immersive graphics. This endeavor opens up numerous career paths for digital artists and art majors with graphic designing skills.
Conclusion
Students who pursue an arts degree are usually inclined towards a form of artistic expression—for instance, music, history, fine arts, printmaking, or graphic designing. An arts degree equips them with the skills to channel their talent towards building a career. Art majors often pursue specializations and training to perfect their skills as fabric artists, illustrators, and photographers.
The key is to discover your true passion and visualize the career you desire after completing your arts degree. Then, you can map your journey.
In 2021, artists can work as freelancers by building an impressive online portfolio and garnering an audience for their work. A thriving digital audience allows artists to access incredible opportunities and work with large corporations and media houses.