I wrote this for someone who was questioning their post-grad plans and I thought I may as well post it for anyone else who may be feeling the same. I didn't have a glamorous path, no big name industry internships, no miraculous lucky break, no easy entry into the industry right out of college. So for anyone else who's doubting their future + their worth, I hope it provides some comfort, because I could really use some.
I had a hard time coming out of college. I didn't get the strong technical abilities that are more sure to get you a job than pure conceptual knowledge out of my degree. And I surely didn't gain any confidence; reluctant to apply to internships as I could pinpoint every area I was lacking. I actually spent about 2yrs freelancing before I got my current job (my first job). I believed I was not yet good enough and thought I could take the time to improve without stressing my family's finances and get a secure job before moving out. However, it's important to understand your situation will not be purely dependent on your abilities alone- there's the luck of timing (job availability), your location (I never got replies while living in CT vs CA), and connections (who can refer you for art tests prior to their announcement to the general public).
It's incredibly easy to get discouraged after not hearing back from even the shittiest jobs, but from my experience, I have to advise you not to settle for rock bottom. You may not be able to get your dream job right off the bat, but don't compromise either. Figure out what's important to you in a job. For me, it was location, a company/position where I could actively learn what I wanted, company environment, etc. I actually have a spreadsheet of all the jobs I applied to post grad (and it's incredibly depressing to look at) ranked by 1-5 on how much I actually wanted it. However, in the end, I actually moved out to CA without a sure job in place and it made all the difference in hearing back + actively being pursued without actually applying for art tests.
What finally pushed me was the feeling of desperation. My skills were improving + on the surface looked on par with my peers that were getting jobs but I still wasn't hearing back. I was reaching a suicidal point and losing motivation, and anything seemed better than being left behind alone in CT. What was interesting was that there was also a huge difference in hearing back. So I'm unsure whether my skills had just reached that point, or the location, or a combination of both.
If you do the same, use the time to actively practice, be prepared for what you're getting into while also showing/ improving your abilities. I couldn't justify moving out without a reason so I actually chose my initial apt in LA due to it's proximity to Gnomon so I could continue taking classes as I applied asides from just being in the area where the entertainment industry was situated.
Social media is a huge boon to freelance and recruiting as well- most of the artist community has migrated to twitter so I would advise at least that to make connections, promote your work, and just have some community to feel less alone in your search. Behance is also where I got a lot of my early freelance projects.
On that note, don't feel bad about relying on your family. Art is in the end a luxury career and it's a huge strain on finances if you don't have one of the coveted positions within a studio (an apt in LA is around $600-1000 a month for ref). If you feel like you'll improve more rapidly in the industry environment, definitely go for it. But you must actively take advantage. network, take classes, work damn hard and potentially consider a job to work simultaneously (unrelated to art if need be) because money will go fast. I was lucky to find a job within 1.5 months of being in LA but I would only have been able to stay out a year. Which was another fear that kept me from moving out- the possible failure of not being good enough and having to come back.
I currently work at an amazing company, a dream job for some, but it's still hard to quiet those voices that want the validation of those big name studios. I'm sorry there is no happy ending to this post. There's only continuing forward.
