Job or earn more skill?

[BirdBirdBirdX3]

For the past months during the recession I have been hurting for a solid art job. I have been accepting small gigs here and there and took the opportunity to apply for a non-paying internship position. I applied twice so far, no dice. That just means I have to rework my portfolio. (I had more relevant job experience second time around too)

It got me thinking...new game plan. Why not just apply to their school to gain the necessary skill? I’m self-taught and a so so “B” grade artist and guidance I think it would do me a world of good. I want to work hard to reach that “A” level to gain more opportunities and do a better job.

So I do my homework find everything possible about the school and requirements. I fire off my requests of letter of recommendation, and start compiling my best work for review. Out of the blue processing my application I get job offer from an agent. I turn them down and mention I would like to focus on gaining more skills but thanks. I get my first of letter of recommendation, the second that is needed is in the works. Getting closer.

I get a second job opportunity…what the heck…if only it was earlier. I feel like fate is testing me if I want to go to the school. I get mixed feelings we go to school to go to get a job, not quit a job to go to school? It has benefits, seems like a good fit, and I think the job site is only 25min from my house…my second job phone interview is tomorrow. I couldn’t sleep much, thinking about it. I'm grateful for either opportunity.

I would fire off my application to the school and seek the other avenue if it doesn’t work out. But I’m short one letter of recommendation.(Not a good idea to rush the writer?) That maybe ready in 2-3 weeks wait.

So I’m hitting a bit of a crossroad here…

If tomorrow on the phone interview I told them to wait 2-3 weeks to get back to them, I don’t think that would go to well.

Would it be foolish to blow off two jobs offers in hopes to attend a school with the possibility of being rejected anyways and loose everything?

Would it be appropriate to mention in my application cover letter to the school, that I rejected two jobs to apply to show how serious I was…But I know it comes down to portfolio.

I value the atelier for the skills I will earn and use for the rest of my life. I can afford about 3-4 months of training. If I accept the job I might be there for a few years or a few months and back to the same cycle.


Side note: I already have a degree but still lack the skills. The degree is non-concept art, illustration related. So that is why I'm interested in going back to school.

What would you do in this situation? Thanks

[arttorney]

Could you please focus your question a little bit. I thought I had followed along pretty well. It seemed like you were saying you had applied for jobs but got nothing so then you applied for school and got job offers, and you're asking if you should reject two birds in the hand for one in the bush.

Then you said you already had a degree after it had sounded like you had said you were self taught and considering going to school (at which point I became convinced I wasn't following you at all).

[Amber Alexander]

So you applied to an internship and didn't get it twice. It is possible that 500 other people applied for this internship so don't fixate on this one internship, you could apply every year for 10 years and still not get it, you never know.

What is your long term goal? Obviously you want to get better skill wise, do you not feel your are good enough to work now?

From the sounds of it, you turned down 1 offer already...don't worry about that, its over and done with. Now you have a 2nd phone interview, go for it. This does not mean you are getting a job, until you have an offer letter in hand, you do not have a job so don't assume you do. Same goes for the school, until they tell you that you have been accepted, don't assume you are. Have a back up plan. Job interviews go both ways, its about not only seeing if you are a right fit for the company but also seeing if the company is a right fit for you. If you go through the interviews and you really like it then go for it, school can always happen later or online or weekend classes. If you really want to learn, you can find a way to do both.

As for the letter of recommendation, its more appropriate to give enough notice for the person writting it (1-2) months advance. And the school might take longer then that to reply to you, who knows.

As for the phone interview...do not mention anything about waiting at this stage. A phone interview is a screening process before an in person interview, you may get yourself cut out of the running for mentioning it this early on. The process from phone interview to having an offer letter can take weeks so you may not even have to worry about making a choice.

I would say take the interviews as far as you can. You may get it, you may not, it is absolutely alright to get to the last interview and turn it down. If you are their #1 choice they probably have a #2 on hold incase you don't take the job. But don't think you have a job until you have an actual offer.
And even when you get that offer you can still tell them you'd like a few days to think about it. But again, at this stage, I would not blow it off.

What makes you think if you take a job you will only be there a few months? If you get the job and take it then work your ass off, learn as much as you can, ask if they can give you any training or to push you in other ways so you are learning new skills while you are there. And you can still learn in your free time.

Overall what I would do is keep working on getting into both, I really wouldn't stress over having to choose until you actually have any offers, right now you don't have either and you might end up with none. If you're applying to a school and only can afford a few months, I would go for the job. And if all fails, see if the first job still wants you.

[BirdBirdBirdX3]

Could you please focus your question a little bit. I thought I had followed along pretty well. It seemed like you were saying you had applied for jobs but got nothing so then you applied for school and got job offers, and you're asking if you should reject two birds in the hand for one in the bush.


Sorry, for the confusion. Yes you pretty much got it. I applied around for months for a job with no luck. So after a while I decided to apply to a school, ironically that's when the job offers started. If I reject both jobs to apply and focus on school, there's still no guarantee I would be accepted into the class. Is it worth the risk of declining both job offers?

The school offers no degree, but it's no issue with me since I have one already. I just want the skills, because I'm lacking them.





What is your long term goal? Obviously you want to get better skill wise, do you not feel your are good enough to work now?



My long term goal is to have really solid skills I can count on. A higher skill threshold to adapt to more job opportunities. The very core problem to why I didn’t get accepted into the internship or down time is because my lack of skill/portfolio.

I agree there’s no guarantees whether I would get the job or accepted into the school. If the school never gets back to me…I could be kept in limbo…always clearing up my schedule for weeks in hopes I would accepted but nothing happens.

Okay I’ll try to play by air for the phone interview mentioning the school to them would be a no no. Who knows I might be accepted and all this worrying for nothing. If I accept the job, I kind of feel bad that I wasted the times of the people I requested the letter of recommendations from to attend school.

“What makes you think if you take a job you will only be there a few months?”

This might sound odd. Concept artist get cycled a lot and new waves come in for fresh ideas, it’s nothing personal. Lead artist or the ones who can model stay a bit longer. Suits and art director stay the longest. (This is just generalization.)

If you work really hard, they might route you to another project. Bump you off when you are done and send a few contract jobs later.

You gave me a lot of solid advice. And much to consider. Thank you!

[dierat]

Personally I would consider the job, assuming that this is a job that you want, to be the first choice and school the second. You needed work and here it is. Go through with the interviews, take it as far as you can. I would consider the school the back-up plan because the school will always be there but this position won't always be open, and the job won't just give you money but also experience and hopefully the opportunity to improve. If you land the job and take it, keep the letters of recommendation for after the work is over and apply to the school then.

Just my 2 cents.

[Qitsune]

So you applied to an internship and didn't get it twice. It is possible that 500 other people applied for this internship so don't fixate on this one internship, you could apply every year for 10 years and still not get it, you never know.
...
Overall what I would do is keep working on getting into both, I really wouldn't stress over having to choose until you actually have any offers, right now you don't have either and you might end up with none. If you're applying to a school and only can afford a few months, I would go for the job. And if all fails, see if the first job still wants you.

Quoted for truth. Both. Also, is this a freelance job or a staff position? It might not be worth blowing a chance at education for a short term freelance gig, but for a staff position, I wouldn't think twice. You will learn loads on the job and there is nothing stoping you from getting an education at night.

One way or the other, job interviews take time, and sometimes, they may love your stuff but still stall, and wait, and tell you they want to hire you, and then, nothing. Yes, even serious companies with a street address.

[BirdBirdBirdX3]

Whew, thanks a bunch guys. I just had my interview it went okay. It would be a staff position, making illustration, t-shirt designs and based off the requirements I can do most of the requirements minus webpage html/programming stuff, and animation. Only big no no I did was ask what the salary and benefits (Oops, that slipped out in one of the questions too early)

He asked what was the #1 inspirational site I said conceptart.org and he was like “Excellent!” The talk was 40mins long and it went by quick, I think that’s a good sign? He might get back to me in 1 week. So…meanwhile I better patch up my portfolio and practice. Cross my fingers.

Going back to the first job I declined is a great last resort plan. I agree even serious job offers can go to someone else at the last minute or simply flake out.