When you are studying photography or design, it can be very easy to feel as though you are supposed to know exactly what you want to do when you graduate.

The truth is, most people don’t.

The creative industries have changed enormously over the past few years. The way we work, where we work, who we work with and even what a creative job looks like has shifted. That can feel overwhelming, particularly when you are just starting out.

But I also think it is incredibly exciting.

The last few years have shaken the tree. Things have fallen out, things have changed and some old ways of working no longer make sense. At the same time, new opportunities, new roles and new ways of working have appeared.

For photographers and designers, this means there isn’t one single career pathway anymore.

You might become a photographer, designer, art director, retoucher, stylist, producer, creative director, content creator, visual communicator, brand designer, educator or work across several of these areas. You might work in an agency, a studio, a magazine, a brand, a production company or independently. You might even create a career that doesn’t have a job title yet.

And that is the exciting part.

Your career doesn’t have to be a straight line

One of the biggest things I want students and recent graduates to understand is that your first job does not define your entire career.

You may start as a photography assistant and eventually become a photographer. You might begin in a design studio and move into branding, art direction or strategy. You may discover that you love production more than you expected, or that working directly with clients is where you really shine.

Your career will evolve as you do.

Junior creatives become mid-weight creatives. Mid-weight creatives become senior creatives. People move sideways, change disciplines, start businesses, return to study, collaborate with other creatives and discover completely new opportunities along the way.

So don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have the whole map worked out at 22.

Instead, think about your next step.

Start with what you have

If you are looking for your first opportunity, start by taking another look at your folio.

Is it still great?

Does it show the kind of creative you want to become? Is there work in there that you have outgrown? Is there new work that deserves to be included?

For photographers, think about whether your folio shows your eye, your ability to tell a story and your understanding of light, composition and subject matter.

For designers, think about whether it demonstrates how you think, not just what you make. Show the ideas, the process and the thinking behind the finished work.

Your folio doesn’t have to show that you can do everything.

It needs to give someone a reason to want to meet you.

And don’t forget your CV. Bring fresh eyes to it. Could it be more interesting? Could your personality come through? Make sure it tells people not just what you have done, but what you could bring to their team.

Go looking for the people you want to work with

Don’t wait for every opportunity to appear on a job board.

Think about the photographers, designers, studios, agencies, brands, production companies and organisations whose work you admire.

Research them.

Look at what they are doing. Understand the kind of work they produce. Follow their work and, when the opportunity feels right, introduce yourself.

Tell them why you like what they do.

You may not get a response straight away. That’s okay.

People are busy. Jobs don’t always exist when you first make contact. But that doesn’t mean the connection wasn’t worthwhile.

The person you contact today might be looking for a junior creative six months from now.

Keep going.

Your network is one of your greatest creative assets

Networking can sound terrifying when you are a student, but really it is about meeting people and being interested in what they do.

Go to exhibitions. Go to talks. Go to openings. Attend industry events. Follow people whose work interests you. Talk to your lecturers, tutors, fellow students and graduates who are a few steps ahead of you.

And don’t underestimate the network you already have.

Your family, friends, former classmates and people you have met through study all have their own networks. Someone you studied with might end up working at an agency. Someone you met at an exhibition might become a creative director. Someone you helped on a student project might remember you years later.

Make connections.

Stay in touch.

Be generous.

And remember that networking is not something you suddenly need to learn when you graduate. It is a skill you will use throughout your entire career.

Find people who can help you along the way

You don’t have to work everything out by yourself.

Find people whose careers you admire and learn from them. Ask questions. Listen to their stories. Find a mentor if you can.

Sometimes hearing how someone else navigated their career can make your own possibilities feel much clearer.

You will also discover that very few successful creative careers happened exactly according to plan.

There are twists, turns, wrong turns, unexpected opportunities and plenty of moments when people have wondered, “What am I doing?”

That’s normal.

Look after yourself too

Starting a creative career can feel a little like training for a marathon.

There will be exciting days, frustrating days, rejection, uncertainty and moments when you wonder whether you are good enough.

So look after yourself.

Get enough sleep. Eat well. Move your body. Get outside. Make time for the things that have nothing to do with your career.

And remember that confidence doesn’t always arrive before you take the leap.

Sometimes confidence comes because you took the leap.

Positivity and belief in yourself create an energy that people notice. You don’t have to walk into every room believing you are the best person there. But you do need to believe that you have something to offer.

Because you do.

The future is yours to explore

We can’t always be certain that the career path we are on is the right one.

And that’s okay.

Your career is not a train track where you choose one destination and stay on it forever. It is much more like a map with lots of different roads.

Some will lead somewhere wonderful.

Some won’t.

You might take a detour and discover something you never knew existed.

The important thing is to keep moving, keep learning, keep meeting people and keep looking for possibilities.

The creative industries need people who are curious, adaptable, generous, imaginative and willing to keep evolving.

So if you are studying photography or design right now and wondering what happens next, don’t panic because you don’t have all the answers.

Start where you are.

Look at what you have.

Make your work the best it can be.

Meet people.

Ask questions.

Put yourself out there.

And be open to the possibility that your career might become something much more interesting than the plan you had when you started your course.

The future is not something you have to predict.

It is something you get to create.