Life after my Degree

Today we were asked, once we had completed our degree what area of the discipline we wanted to go into.

There are many fields of Illustration, more now than ever before. Illustrators are no longer confined to children's books or scientific texts. Now we have magazines, books (of various content), walls, billboards, clothing, skin, floors, ceilings, interior and exterior platforms. There is not a surface or medium an illustrator cannot create.

But my degree can lead into other careers, the most obvious one being to teach.


Teaching

Going on to teach requires me to gain a teaching qualification, such as a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (a PGDE), but to gain entry for this qualification requires a good level of Math and English.

There are a number of ways in which I could gain this qualification. One is through a college or university or by working in the schools themselves via School-Centered Initial Teacher Training (SCITT).

• College and University: If I chose to study for a PGDE in a college or university, I would have to apply for this via UCAS in the same way I applied for my Degree. This would require me to take out further tuition fee and support loans. I would also be given a placement in schools to gain hands on experience.
• SCITT: Training directly with the schools, I am placed within the actual classroom, on the frontlines. I earn a salary and may receive additional help with the cost of the tuition fees. This largely depends on the school and the area in which I am to be teaching.

Give these choices, I feel the best route would be with the School-Centered Initial Teacher Training.



Art Therapist



Another, rather unusual, career track would be into the Health and Social care track as an Art Therapist.

I have already had some experience working with families who have suffered domestic abuse and the breakdown of the family unit due to this abuse. During my time working as a support worker for this charity, I attempted to bring art as a means to relax into the lives of some of the families who were open to the idea.

To become qualified as an Art Therapist, usually a first degree in a relevant subject is required. Then I would need to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Fees are somewhat different compared to the teaching qualifications. There is no specific course in a college or university to teach this subject, training would have to be done at NHS institutions who are funding the course.

The student is also required to pay their own tuition fees, unless they're already working within the field then their employer may cover these costs.

Students are trained in the psychology of image making, therapeutic relationships, the importance of boundaries and psychological and psychotherapeutic practice.