You're under experienced or got too much of a strong background... Job applications struggles.

So... It's January, and that means one thing... Yearly annual hair cut!

Ta-Dah! It really needed a cut!

Any how, so as it's a new year and I've got a banging new hair cut... lets move onto something a bit more photographic!

Christmas was wonderful. New Years was hard work, and the job applying was tricky too... This one got to me the worst. I thought I had found the perfect Photographer's Assistant job vacancy based in a Nude / Boudoir photography studio based in London. I worked extra hard on my covering letter and tweaked my CV so I managed to make myself look like the ideal candidate and something special to get their attention. Once sent, I was overwhelmed that I got a reply from them with a questionnaire and again took my time, answered the questions honestly and sent my final answers back to them around 2 days later... This was the response.

After all that hard work... A whole year of applying for photography related jobs (around about 45 applications!) and I received that email.I'm not going to lie, I was completely broken hearted and hate to admit that I did get my hopes up over the fact that I had the chance of finally kick-starting my career.Once I got the mood swings out of the way (big girls don't cry... but for this sake, I cried and reminded myself that I was a strong independent woman) I revisited the email, and noticed that Faby & Carlo did not go into details with regards to why I was unsuccessful to the interviewing stage.So, I grew a pair of balls and sent them an email asking for some feedback... 4 weeks past, still not hearing anything I sent them another email insisting that they take five minutes out of their extremely busy schedule to answer my plea.And they did.

TOO STRONG OF A BACKGROUND!? ARE YOU SERIOUSLY KIDDING ME!?

And they pretty much said that they're not wanting to take anybody on until the have the time or the money to invest in a work experience program, bearing in mind that I applied for their internship and again, had the same response of having a too stronger background with what they are asking for. There is no balance. I am either under experienced but have the qualifications or too stronger background / not up to expectations. I am going round and round in that horrid constant loop. My biggest question is - how do I break that cycle? But I am not letting this get to me. Since graduating university in 2015 I have applied for around 50 different photography related jobs... And I feel like I am going round in a constant loop into getting to where I would like to be. Living in Norfolk doesn't exactly help at times as I am so far away from the Photographic Scene. It's gotten that bad I am now in the frame of mind of if I cannot get into the industry, the industry can come and find me. 2017 will have a couple of tricks up my sleeve that I am hoping to use (WATCH THIS SPACE!) with the goal of having an exhibit by the end of 2017 / beginning of 2018. To any of my fellow graduand who is going through the same circumstances as me - keep going. If you are determined, you will get to where you want to be but do not give up your passion (A kind photographer told me that last week - he was like a magician, he knew what camera I used just by looking at my hands! But he was right!). I've neglected my photography throughout 2016, and I am determined to be more creative for this up and coming year. To not giving up.