Instructions
The Employment Status Report, your project, introduced in Module 1 is now due. Remember, this project requires you to use at least three diverse resources for information related to your industry and goals. Many of the assignments in Modules 2-5 were designed to coincide with this project.
Resources must include an interview conducted with a professional from your field and use of industry journals or publications. Sources must be cited according to the MLA method of internal and end citation.
For your convenience, the following repeats instructions outlined in Module 1, Session Page 11:
CONTENT
Address the following topics, using the sets of questions below to guide you in narrating your professional story. Use your process and research to develop a thesis assessing your current position and preparation within your industry as well as next steps toward achieving your dream, or another argument you wish to make about yourself and your field.
Do not repeat the provided questions as part of your writing or simply give one-sentence or yes/no answers. (‘My competition is other photographers.’) Don’t simply tell what you already know: Discuss and analyze your ability to compete or your thoughts on competition. In other words, dig beneath the surface. Research and make information meaningful. Present your thorough responses in well-developed paragraphs.
Goals and Philosophy: What are your short and long term professional goals? What is your artistic philosophy? Describe what satisfies you about your creative process. How does your process reflect your artistic philosophy and professional goals? Describe a problem you’ve faced in your work and tell how you solved it.
Marketplace: Who hires for the position you seek? Who is your competition? What is the average salary of the position? (For those who are fine artists or who intend to go into business for yourselves, what is the competitive price range for your work/service? What methods are used to calculate price?) How will you promote yourself to beat the competition?
Skills and Tools: What specific skills must you have to fulfill your professional goals? What skills do you have now? What skills must you attain? How have your skills been rated thus far? What are the tools of your trade? Which tools have you mastered? How is technology changing the way your industry operates? What is required of a professional portfolio/demo reel/resume in your industry?
Networking: What journals and affiliations are prominent in your field? What is required to join the most prominent organizations associated with your industry? What are the benefits of membership? Are there annual conferences or conventions intended for networking and professional development within your field? What role do social and professional networking sites play in making connections in your industry?
The Future: Where would you like to work? Research and describe a specific employer in your industry as well as the workplace environment. Why do you want to work there? If your goal is to be self-employed, what existing business or artist might you model and why? What will make your work marketable to your chosen audience?
GUIDELINES FOR REPORTS
HEADINGS: You may use the topic titles provided as headings or create your own. (Business reports often use subheadings between topics. Headings may be creative to ‘hook’ readers or simply informative, making longer reports easier to read.)
RESOURCES: You must use at least three resources, of various kinds (books, magazines, journals, websites, etc.). One of these must be a personal interview.
- If you planned ahead, you will have interviewed someone in person or through email.
- Wikipedia is not a reliable, independent resource. The site information provides a good starting point, but Wikipedia should not be one of your three required resources.
- Other resources include magazines, trade journals, reliable industry websites, books, etc.
Purpose
Each of you has professional goals. This writing assignment requires you to engage in research and reflection to shape and communicate your professional mission. In it, you will analyze yourself and your goals as well as your intended industry to see where you will fit in and where you may need to improve and grow to meet industry standards.
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