We have a rising sophomore that is a talented artist, but also enjoys science and math. Her art is precision and realism oriented - she gets very irritated by abstract thinking. I do not see her pursuing a career in fine arts - rather, I think she would blossom in a career where her artistic talent would be a benefit but not a focus. We would like to assist her with setting up some job shadow days this summer, but have no earthly idea how to choose who or how to shadow!! Can anyone give us any suggestions? Orange County, CA is heavily populated, and I think there are almost an overwhelming number of possibilities. I just don’t know where to start! Thanks for any suggestions!
Graphic Design was the field that my S. purused as an artist, who realized that he cannot support himself finanacially pursuing the fine art. I am sure there are other fields. What impressed me more recently was the art in the Medical textbooks used by my medical student D. it is unbelievable and required extreme precision. I have no idea what is involve in art related fields, except that both S. and DIL are both graphic designers.
Urban Planning, (and transportation/related industries), avionics/aerospace, landscape design, architecture, anything requiring spatial relations abilities and drafting skills…
Vital Link OC? They seem to expose kids to career ideas, but I don’t know if this is exactly what you had in mind. Or if it’s a nonprofit.
But Dap’s medical illustration suggestion is worth keeping in mind. I had a friend who did this. At first, for a publisher, then it became contract work. It’s probably much evolved, what with the new design technologies.
Another idea is to contact an art college illustration dept and pick their brains. There may be a student or recent grad to follow. Lots if these kids use their talents in business.
There was a college that my son was looking into (he imeill be an animation major) that had a medical illustration major. Can’t remember which college off the top of my head. Maybe Syracuse or RIT?
Has your student participated in any of the “Saturday High” programs at Art Center in Pasadena? I know that it would be a real schlep up the freeway for you but it’s a great program for talented young art students to explore professional options in the arts. Art Center might be a great resource to discover “out of the box” professional pathways.
I started with my friends when my kids when younger. They reached out to my friends by themselves. They interviewed my friends then spent some time at their work place to see what the day to day life was like.
One friend was into waste recycling funding, so D1 traveled down to DC with him to hear about the latest technology and meet some investors. D1 also met with someone in marketing, architecture, finance, etc.
I had my oldest job shadow with my two brothers. With one it was a great success, they liked him so much they ended up hiring him. The other one ended up being on the road and it was pretty much useless. It’s always easiest to ask friends and relatives. You can look at a wide variety of fields. Even non-artistic ones. When I was in high school I had a good time helping out at the Washington Monthly one spring for example.
As for shadowing, you and spouse should rack brains on what connections you might have in each field. Then ask. Usually if someone comes up to you with no relationship at all (some people have tried this to me), I don’t bite. But I did have my D’s friend shadow me.
Also, Laguna College of Art and Design in OC has great summer classes.
Johns Hopkins:
This is where middle and upper middle class kids have such a tremendous advantage. We have friends who have friends or neighbors who work in the potential fields of interest. We and they do informational interviews for those friends’ kids who want to know more about our fields of employment. We volunteer at/donate to organizations that have someone in the job that our kid might be interested in and help make that contact - and our kids volunteer in organizations that hire people who have the jobs they may someday aspire to. We instill in our kids the confidence to send an email or pick up the phone and call the head of volunteering at a non-profit and explain that they are interested in X and are there any positions where they could do clerical work for free for someone who has that job at the organization? We encourage them to use the alumni networks at their college and to talk to the profs and their advisors so they meet people who are already in the field they want to work in. If their friends have parents or siblings in the field, would they be willing to share information? An opportunity to shadow, to interview for a position, to learn more can come from anywhere and the more contacts you make, the better your chances of finding someone who can help.
If you have taught your kid how to do basic outreach, how to interview, how to do their homework on an organization before they show up asking questions, how to demonstrate good manners with well-written letters or emails of inquiry and write thank-you letters afterwards…then you have prepared them with skills that will last for the rest of their lives. If you have money, your kid gets to do those unpaid internships when others have to earn enough to cover their tuition expenses.
And yes, it’s unfair. Too many kids do not have the luxury of working for free. They do not have parents who have the skills or the connections or the time to help them in these ways. It accelerates the divergence between the haves and the have nots. You can try to diminish that gap just a little through your donations, volunteering, and just making yourself accessible to those kids without access, but I don’t see this changing for the better any time soon.
These are wonderful suggestions…thank you so much!!! I love this board for the creative and diverse ideas. And yes, DD is taking a precollege class at Laguna College of Art and Design this summer. We are hoping that nest summer she considers the Art Center in Pasadena, although that John Hopkins program looks amazing as well!!, All other suggestions welcome!!! I am sure others are thinking about shadowing as well.
Reach out to your local chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). They can hook you up with the large architectural firms in your area that will be happy to set up a day of job shawdowing. Really large firms may have illustration, architecture, graphics, urban design, engineering, interior design, etc. all under one roof. These are all careers where the ability to be artistic, while precise and realistic are valued.
Thank you so much, all! one more week until the emails begin!