Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
Good news: you have a skill. Unlike a lot of majors out there, you are actively training for a specific skill. As it turns out, a lot of employers really like that. You might say it's on their "neat things I like" list. So assuming you're looking for a career of pointing a camera at things, you've come to the right place. If not, what are you still doing here? It's a little weird.
The biggest decision you'll make as a photography major is what exactly you want to point your camera at. Did you just shout "puppies"? You probably did. So did we. What you want to photograph determines your eventual destination. It sounds like an easy, obvious way to pick a career, but it makes a lot of sense. After all, this is what you're trained to do, and you clearly like it. So stick with it.
Common Career Fields
Photojournalism. Ever wonder where all those pictures come from in news articles? The header for this paragraph is a bit of a spoiler, but we'll say it anyway. Photojournalists. These are the people who document the news visually and are responsible for some of the iconic images of the modern age. The most famous photojournalist is still Peter Parker, so you'll probably want to change that.
Still Photographer. It might sound counter-intuitive, but movies need stills. Weird, right, since movies are moving pictures. Stills are used for posters, for publicity, and for eventual books if the movie is good enough to warrant them. If a poster has a photograph of the stars on it, a still photographer was the one who took it.
Art Director. You can direct art. Hey, Art, go over there for a second. It's just that easy. Okay, maybe it's a little more than that. Art directors are the people who determine the "look" of anything from a movie, to a play, to a TV show, to a website, and so on. Basically, they're the ones who give an entire piece of mass media art its color palette, the shapes it's using, and really anything else visual.
Event Photographer. Memories are tough. We've been through that. Most big events in life, like weddings, graduations, and mitzvahs (both bar and bat) need to be remembered. The best way to do that is to have someone taking pictures of the whole thing. These intrepid folks are called event photographers. If you like parties but aren't crazy about being a guest, this is the job for you.
Stock Photographer. Stock photos are those pictures of nameless people hanging out on a beach, holding hands in the rain, or, for some reason, trying to look through cucumbers. There is a large cache of photos that companies can use that can be for anything. "Hey, we need a man laughing and throwing dollar bills at penguins," says an executive, browsing through a stock photo catalogue. The executive finds it, pays for it, and the person who took the picture, the stock photographer, gets paid. Not like the penguins, though.
Fashion Photographer. Do you look fabulous? More importantly, do you love it when other people look fabulous? Fashion is a visual medium, and it's all about looking good. Photographers who can take flattering pictures are always going to be in demand, as designers want their clothes to look as good as they possibly can.
Digital Artist/Photo Retoucher. Not every photo is going to be perfect. Not even when it's taken by a professional. Technology to the rescue. Using this new digital medium, you can alter a picture to make everyone look better. Instead of smiling, is one guy throwing up? Well, if you have another picture of him smiling, you can stick that face on his. Is a woman covered in fire ant bites? You can retouch the picture so her skin is as smooth as silk.
Current unemployment of the major
7.3%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
24%Stats obtained from this source.