How to Get Hired as a Photographer When You Don’t Have Experience

It’s an age-old question: how are you supposed to get hired as a photographer when clients are only looking for photographers who already have experience? World-renowned photographer and entrepreneur Chase Jarvis has an answer for you.

His advice breaks down into a Do and two Don’ts.

The Do is simple: be around the thing you want to photograph. Whether it’s going to local meet-ups or volunteering for a studio you admire, Jarvis says, “you just have to put yourself in a position to … be a part of the conversation [and] learn.”

This is how you put yourself in a position to create what he calls “proof points”—investing your own money, time, and other resources to create a portfolio and knowledge base for the type of photography you’d like to be hired for.

Which leads us to the two Don’ts.

1. Don’t arrogantly expect that people should see your potential in this area without proof that it exists. It’s unrealistic, and it will never happen.

And 2. Don’t sit around doing nothing, hoping that somehow you’ll get hired for work you’ve never shot or even expressed an interest in shooting.

Check out the video at the top for a more detailed breakdown of each of these points. It’s a great piece of Tuesday inspiration, because ultimately, the underlying message is simple: “it is possible … if you’re willing to put in the work.”