Hi guys
For a while now i've been looking at various ways out of my current job, a job that i've held down now for way way too long. It's getting me down and I have a strong feeling that now is the time to start something that I like or that I might like instead of doing what many do, which is to stick at a job just because the money is good or because it's all you know how to do. No! I want to branch out and there's no time like the present.
My wife is a journalist and is literally just about to start out on her own freelance. It's an exciting time for her and I can see that she's enthusiastic and ready to take off. People always say that change is good and in the past it's often what i've found to be true
For one reason and another my current job isn't really like a job. I won't go into what it is exactly but it pays well and I get a lot of freedom ...but my god is it dull :| I mean it's so mundane and working with the exact same people doing the exact same role for the last 9 years! Christ! I am sick to death of them but there's no scope for moving into something else within that role. Trapped is how I feel and it's really starting to get to me.
Anyway, my wife says to me 'you're good at taking photos and you're experienced in dealing with people ...become a press photographer'. She says there is demand in the north west and likely as not I would work for an agency at first and then freelance it. She knows photographers and I know one or two professional photo guys. Really I just need some advice on what to do to get started. There are courses with National Council for training of Journalists but are they worth the paper they're written on? Is it even necessary to be qualified at all? It probably is but the job is unusual in that some of the old school guys will have gone in with nothing but some photos and then learned on the way up. As with everything nowadays though it's all changed. However, time is on my side and I have the resources to retrain in something.
The only snag is that I did really badly at school, baring in mind that was nearly 25 years ago. Misspent youth I guess. I wish I could tell that 14-15 year old lad back then ...he wouldn't have listened :roll: I may well end up going back and sitting some GCSE's to get on a diploma course, but it's so time consuming and something I could really do without.
Tomorrow i'm going to speak with a course tutor at one of the Sheffield colleges where Journalistic courses are held and see what I can do. I have some GCSE's and some NVQ type qualifications, but mainly I have bags of stuff from my current job. I just wonder if these things can be taken into consideration and allow me to enroll. We will see..
Knowing what a diverse community we have here I was just wondering if any of you guys have experience of anything i've mentioned here, even if it's down to gaining qualification to move up in the world.
Thanks
Barry
For a while now i've been looking at various ways out of my current job, a job that i've held down now for way way too long. It's getting me down and I have a strong feeling that now is the time to start something that I like or that I might like instead of doing what many do, which is to stick at a job just because the money is good or because it's all you know how to do. No! I want to branch out and there's no time like the present.
My wife is a journalist and is literally just about to start out on her own freelance. It's an exciting time for her and I can see that she's enthusiastic and ready to take off. People always say that change is good and in the past it's often what i've found to be true
For one reason and another my current job isn't really like a job. I won't go into what it is exactly but it pays well and I get a lot of freedom ...but my god is it dull :| I mean it's so mundane and working with the exact same people doing the exact same role for the last 9 years! Christ! I am sick to death of them but there's no scope for moving into something else within that role. Trapped is how I feel and it's really starting to get to me.
Anyway, my wife says to me 'you're good at taking photos and you're experienced in dealing with people ...become a press photographer'. She says there is demand in the north west and likely as not I would work for an agency at first and then freelance it. She knows photographers and I know one or two professional photo guys. Really I just need some advice on what to do to get started. There are courses with National Council for training of Journalists but are they worth the paper they're written on? Is it even necessary to be qualified at all? It probably is but the job is unusual in that some of the old school guys will have gone in with nothing but some photos and then learned on the way up. As with everything nowadays though it's all changed. However, time is on my side and I have the resources to retrain in something.
The only snag is that I did really badly at school, baring in mind that was nearly 25 years ago. Misspent youth I guess. I wish I could tell that 14-15 year old lad back then ...he wouldn't have listened :roll: I may well end up going back and sitting some GCSE's to get on a diploma course, but it's so time consuming and something I could really do without.
Tomorrow i'm going to speak with a course tutor at one of the Sheffield colleges where Journalistic courses are held and see what I can do. I have some GCSE's and some NVQ type qualifications, but mainly I have bags of stuff from my current job. I just wonder if these things can be taken into consideration and allow me to enroll. We will see..
Knowing what a diverse community we have here I was just wondering if any of you guys have experience of anything i've mentioned here, even if it's down to gaining qualification to move up in the world.
Thanks
Barry
