Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Profession: Costume Design or Elementary School Teacher?

I am having a hard time deciding which career path I should pursue. I got my BA in Theatre Arts but am considering going back to school for my Master's in Elementary Education for a more secure future and benefits. Costume design would allow me a lot more personal freedom and I really enjoy collaborating with other artists. However, I would probably start out sewing in a costume shop all day for minimum wage, which I have experience doing. I would love to move to California, specifically the LA area, but it is apparently very difficult to find a teaching job there, whereas it would probably be relatively easy to find something in the entertainment industry. The only problem is that I would barely be able to pay the bills in California, working minimum wage. (I was thinking I could also start a side business on Etsy to help with the bills.) I enjoy kids in small doses, but am not sure if I could handle all day disciplining them or the responsibilities of teaching a full class of students, as well as dealing with administrators, parents, testing standards, etc. I guess if I chose costume design, I would be choosing the "starving artist" route, whereas teaching would give me a higher income and more stability (however, the job might be really stressful if I can only find a job in a poor area, or if I have to start out substitute teaching).

No comments:

Post a Comment