Self taught and resumes
I've been wondering this for a while now - but is it better for someone who is self taught and never went to college to omit their education from a resume than to state that they were self taught? I've seen some people in their resume state that they are self taught. People who omit education, I imagine, probably have the question of education come up during the interview process. Does any of this really matter to most employer's if the interviewee's portfolio is solid? I imagine the answer is no, but I'm still curious.
Replies
Omit non-relevant jobs, and any details that aren't reasons to hire you. Such details may come up in your interview, but they don't belong on your resume.
You're correct that studios don't generally mind a lack of formal education. A candidate's portfolio is what matters.
If there's no real work experience to compensate for this one still has to do some extra convincing in the interview stage (is the applicant mature enough to take directions and work with others?). Maybe they'll need to pass a test to make the hiring guys sure that their folio and chop's legit.
Anyhow ohnein if you get interviewed, just be prepared to answer questions about your educational background. Like why you weren't able to go the conventional training route (no help with finances, or no available school in your area, etc.). Then you can further say you got involved in forums where pros hang out and you can show samples where you learned from their crits and made the necessary changes (getting references from industry guys would be really really good as an alternative to a diploma). Try not to be cocky though and reason out that your skills are better than what's out there (might actually be true for the artists who'll interview you and saying this will just make them insecure and make them not like you).
If you're applying for an ad that specifically mentions degree requirements, you're just gonna waist your time applying if you can't fit the bill. HR people who first screens people usually only care about the paper stats and background as opposed to a person's potential and skill level (you'll have to seek out and network with working artists who can open doors for you if you want to take that route). HR's not gonna go to every folio link they receive. They'll weed from the online forms first or resumes, and they'll let the leads or directors pick and choose who'll they'll set their "precious" time to interview.
If you're applying to an outsourcing agency though, I think those guys can be more flexible regardless of your education, police record (if you have one), or where you live on earth as long as you have a convincing folio ready. They can just screw you pay wise anyway if you fuck up your agreed deliverables.
I guess I was looking more for personal experiences or opinions on the subject. Thankfully since I have friends at a lot of companies, and if I need to get a job somewhere else, I can always talk to them to push my resume and get noticed by HR. I've done this in the past and it avoided the HR filtering out my resume.
I'm not an artist, I'm a level designer so having specific education to my career is a bit fuzzy anyway. I do want to pursue education in fine or tradition art because art does intrigue me.
When I interviewed artists at previous jobs, education rarely came up. Granted, it was known most came from Ai and we were fairly familiar with their curriculum...but even still, we mostly asked about the persons portfolio.
In the end, I think it all comes down to your portfolio and wether or not you went to Yale or made mods in your mother's basement doesn't really matter. I put my education on my resume just becaus eI went in debt to have "something" but, again, I really don't think having it has given me any form of advantage over others.
Really, I doubt any company would bounce anyone with skill just because they didn't have some kind of degree. It really would be their loss if they did.