I’ve just graduated from university and I’m keen to begin my career as a photographer, but with little experience I’m unsure about where to begin. I’m thinking of assisting as it seems like a good option, but any help or ideas would be appreciated.

Freya, you’re right! For any young graduate or aspiring photographer out there, assisting is a great way to progress up the ladder. Assisting enables you to learn on the job from those with good knowledge and skills, open up new pathways, and build up contacts.

To be an assistant you need to be willing to learn, lug equipment around, help set up lights and backgrounds, and have basic computer skills. Really there is no magic way to become an assistant, you’ll need to put the time into searching through job ads, but maybe more importantly get in touch with photographers you admire to see if there are any opportunities to work with them. Although you may have lots to say, often a lengthy email isn’t the way to catch someone’s attention, so be creative and to the point. It’s a highly competitive industry, so be willing to face rejection and keep pursuing your dreams.

Some assistants work under a self-employment basis, which means you won’t get benefits such as holiday and sick pay. The benefit to being self-employed is that you can be flexible with when you work and who with - there are pros and cons to both sides of the coin.