Entering the professional world often requires both training and an extended education in the working world. One way to get such training in an arts setting is to take advantage of one of many available art apprenticeships. During such an apprenticeship, the apprentice will learn valuable skills necessary to be successful in the professional world by working under the guidance and supervision of a more experienced professional. Getting art apprenticeships starts with determining one's career and artistic goals in the professional world. This will help a candidate determine which apprenticeships are most appropriate for him or her.
Art apprenticeships can cover a wide variety of skills and topics, which means there is no one-size-fits-all apprenticeship for artists. It will fall onto the potential apprentice to find an apprenticeship that will most accurately fit his or her career or artistic goals. Some artists, for example, may want to seek out training in non-profit operations, while others may want apprenticeships that focus on one certain type of art. A painter, for example, may want to find a painting apprenticeship, but such a position would not be exceptionally useful for a sculptor or a digital artist.
If the candidate is enrolled in a college program, he or she can visit a career counseling center or an academic advisor to find out more information about potential art apprenticeships. These faculty and staff members may have specific knowledge of various apprenticeship programs, or they may be able to help the student find apprenticeships through various available resources. If the student is still in high school, he or she can visit a guidance counselor or guidance office to find out more information. Outside of school, the candidate may be able to find out more information by either doing an Internet search for positions, or by contacting an artist's coalition or other artist's group locally.
Applying for the art apprenticeships can be difficult, as applications may require a fee as well as presentation of a portfolio of work. This means the artist will need to prepare a portfolio that contains his or her best work ahead of time and be prepared to submit it for consideration by whatever program offers the apprenticeship. This can be a highly subjective process, and the artist will do well to keep in mind that rejection is common and is not personal. It is important to be persistent and continually update his or her portfolio.
