DSLRUsers.com

Hi. I'm a victim of global outsourcing and recession. I lost my job a while ago. I've been in the IT industry for 14 years and spent the last decade as an IT Helpdesk and Support Manager (side note: can I have posting rights to the Computers & IT section ? There are answers to questions that I see that I'd love to post and help out but can't. No biggie if the answer is no).

It's become quite obvious that there are few jobs in my field at my level of experience and employers are not considering me for jobs of a lower experience level. Two opportunities in the last couple of weeks have gone because the decision was made "to go with the up-and-comer rather than the guy that has done it all before" (to quote one employer).

Anyway, enough of that. That's there just for context, not for sympathy.

I'm really at a stage where I have to assess my options of what else I can do.

Obviously, I enjoy photography. Do I think I'm a really good photographer ? Hell, no - competant at best. Law of averages and all that. But I really enjoy it. I'm also reasonably handy with Photoshop.

What are my options in this area ? Do I have any at all ???

I'm really just brainstorming right now because if I don't find something in my field soon, then I really have to make some decisions. I know what I like doing, but if we could all make a dollar out of what we liked doing we'd all be doing it ! It may well be that I have very few or no options in this area and I can accept that. I'm just really exploring what paths, if any, are open to me at this point.

Constructive comments appreciated. Mods - feel free to shift this if you feel it's in the wrong place.

Teach - TAFE, public schools are in need of IT teachers with industry experience. You'll just need to complete a short cert course and you're away.

I think it's every digital camera owner's dream to have a job in the photography industry (and the devices and people are becoming more and more prolific). However entry to the elite club is usually by means of who you know, rather than what you know. How well are you at marketing yourself? How good are your small business skills? How good are your sales and customer service skills? Thus begins the long list of questions to reflect upon, the least of your worries is whether you know what button to press to take the picture.

Constructively speaking - specialise. Just like you did in IT, you can't be a jack of all trades. Discover an area of photography that you'd like the most, and concentrate on that one particular area. Then sell yourself to place your name above others in the minds of potential clients (ie. you are perceived to be better than them).

Start off small and part time. Dog shows, kids sports, free weddings/portraits for friends. Flower shows, bird clubs etc. etc. As you become more confident send articles and pics off to magazines (learn to write) but stay away from photo agencies....they suck. Time will grow you and if you are persistent you will make it.

Google the govt's NEIS scheme. Its what got me launched in my photography career. Not sure if Krudd has been sucessful in ditching it yet.