The Columbus College of Art and Design

Date: May 27 2008
Major: Fine Arts - Painting/Sculpture/Photography/etc (This Major's Salary over time)
I honestly loved the experience that I had at CCAD. But after I graduated I realized that I was not given the knowledge needed to find a job. Or where I was going to have to go to find it. It took me three years after graduating to get a job in my field. Starting pay was just under $30,000 as a full time staff photographer shooting commercial and advertising. CCAD did a great job for teaching technical abilities but I feel could do more in order to tell you about the places for photographers to work in the Ohio area. I can't help but feel that CCAD themselves do not know of the places graduates can work at. That is where CCAD needs to step up and do more for the students. You can't just teach someone how to take pictures or paint a picture and then cut them lose. Out of my group of friends (roughly 25 people) there are only 6 people that are working in their field. The others are holding down jobs at Best Buy and the nearest coffee shop down the street. The only advice I can give you is you have to get at least one internship while attending school. It is extremely important. I didn't have one and it took me 3 years to get a job. My 6 friends that are in the field all had internships and it took them at the most 6 months. I was lucky that I finally got in at a local studio. Be persistent!!