Necessity for a resume when applying for a photo school?

<p>Hello.</p>

<p>I'm currently in a change over in my life, going from 14 yrs experience in working in IT to a career change in PJ documentary type of work. I'm in the process of enrolling into different PJ schools, but all seem to be asking me for my résumé...</p>

<p>I'm 34 years old and all I've done in the past 14 yrs is IT related. A little confused as to what to provide the school with... I really doubt they'd want to see how many Linux courses or even care about my Oracle training I've attended in the past few years lol. </p>

<p>Would anyone have any recommendations for me with this matter? How should I deal with this? Any ideas?</p>

<p>Thank you so much for any advice!</p>

<p>Patrick</p>

<p>Think about your past experience and how you can relate it to your current goals. Even if they seem entirely distinct, they are not, because it is the sum of all of your experiences that have determined your current ambitions, whether directly or tangentially.<br /> <br /> Part of gaining experience as a photographer is exercising your creative instincts, even in a photojournalistic setting, so the schools might be more interested in how you express and adapt your prior experience in terms of your current mission.<br /> <br /> For example, I use to be a mechanic for ultramarathon bicycle races, which might seem to have no relation to my career as a professional photographer. But, in fact, it was that experience that taught me how to work unusually long hours in perilous situations and remain focused, which is something that comes in very handy with my photography work.<br /> <br /> Another example, I use to be a departmental manager at a major university, which, again, seems to have no relation to my current job. But, in fact, it is that experience that gives me a great foundation for managing teams, which is not entirely different than my needs to manage a photo crew on set.</p>

<p>I hope this helps.</p>

<p>Yeah... I kind of understand, but still not sure how I'm going to pull it off. Been looking at my screen for way to long now... can't write a damn thing!</p>

<p>However, I did also do as you suggested John and emailed the school to ask...</p>

<p>Thanks for your advice!! Pat</p>

<p>Remember also, there are many different formats that can be used for resumes. Often, particular industries expect resumes to be formatted within a certain industry standard. So, for example, a programmer's resume might look strikingly similar to another programmer's, even if they have fundamentally different experiences. </p>

<p>My suggestion is to take a break from writing and look at a very general selection of resumes, ranging from a programmer's resume, to a magazine editor's, to a CEO's, to a photographer's, and everything in between. Because you are trying to create a non-standard document, which might not fit the standard for how such information is normally formatted, you might be feeling stuck because the format to which you are accustomed is too rigid to really express what's important to the readership you are currently addressing.</p>

<p>There are tons of pitfalls in mailing a resume, and often they can result from constructing the document in the wrong order or becoming trapped in the mechanics of layout. I obviously don't know your workflow for this kind of project or your experience, but if you find yourself simultaneously editing text and changing layout, I'd suggest you forget the layout aspect of this project until you have every bit of content (text) finished. This might make it less stressful.</p>

<p>I'm not usre what PJ docummentary means ? I'm assuming it means Photo Journalism documentary.</p>

<p>If that is the case, what you need to do is to assemble about 10-20 of your best pictures have these pictures blown up to a size 8X10" and place them in some sort of album or portfolio case. If you don't have 10-20 pictures on hand then you need to go out and do some shooting. There does not need to be a theme to these pictures. Later on when you join the Photography program at your chose school you will learn about themes.</p>

<p>I'm not sure how our school works, but usually the Director of the Photography department will ask for a meeting with you so that he can determine your aptitude for your chosen career. This is usually is not a make or break determination, but it may determine whether you need to take additonal suplementary courses to bring you up to speed.</p>

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