Pro's and con's of two job roles

Children's book illustrator 

In the future i would love to illustrate children's books, being quite childish myself and having quite a loose style make my images appropriate for story telling. I love drawing little creatures and leaving some of their story blank to allow the viewer to decide what happens next. I like the idea of working with writers to make a story which would then be published world wide, i want to see my work on the shelves. The overall experience that i would gain from getting a job as a children's book illustrator would make me stronger as an artist and also give me the ability to tell stories and communicate ideas which could open up the doors for future jobs.

Pro's

• Potential chance to work with kids - Could lead to book signings at schools and even mini workshops which i would run.
• Loose style works well in the genre of kids books - My style has always contained a hint of humor and since i have started uni i have developed a few different styles, some more appropriate for this job than others.
• Collaboration opportunities - I could meet other book illustrators which could lead to a collaboration product in where we would all contribute an image, it's always good to throw ideas around with new faces.
• Good pay - a successful children's book could bring in a lot of money.
• Potential full time job - Could get signed on by a publisher for future projects.
• Will get to meet new people within the industry- This will give me the chance to build up my list of contacts which could help me further down the line with future job aspects. 

 Con's 

• Free lance work - When starting off i may get commissioned to illustrate a couple of pages in a book, this is a one time payment and probably wouldn't be enough to support me.
• Self motivated - I have to motivate myself to find the work, i have to push myself to make all of the images the best that they can be, it is up to me to get my work out there.
• Competition - There are thousands of children's books getting published every year, there are a lot of jobs going but there are also a lot of artists who are willing to take your place should you not meet a deadline. You have to stand out from the crowd, your style has to be unique and likable.
• Will need another job to start myself off - Like the first point, most of my first jobs will be free lance and they will not be enough to support me, i will need another job to secure a roof over my head, putting time into another job will take away time that i can work on my images which could potentially hinder the quality of my work.

Blue Banana 

This is my current job, i work at an alternative clothing and body piercing store called Blue Banana, i have been there for nearly two years and this was my first paid job. The store is literally a couple of minutes away from the college so i can easily finish work and head to a lecture or vice versa, it's also not that far from home so it is even more convenient. I live at home but i still need to buy my own food and various other items, the store offers me a weekly income which helps me support myself. I have also manged to get the right amount of hours so that i can keep on top of my work as that is a lot more important than a part time job, though it is nice to manage both.

Pro's

• Time management - Arriving on time is good etiquette and it also allows me to plan my day fully, i can plan when i need to put in some extra time for any lectures that i may have missed. It also allows me to prioritize things and make a list of what is the most important.  
• weekly income - Reward for me to work towards each week.
• Till skills - Learning how to use the tills interface can prepare me for any future jobs in retail should i need one.
• Work as a team - Great team building skills, working together to get the sale.
• Meet some interesting people - I meet new people every day, you get talking to some interesting people, i have had people bring up illustration and then had them interested in my work through conversation.
• some artistic opportunities - I got the opportunity to draw some images for some potential tee shirts which would have been sold in the shop if they were good enough. Was pretty cool and i got to work with illustrator a bit more. Below are some of the ideas i came out with.
  
                        

Con's 

• Takes up college time - Work is fine but sometimes they call me in when i am busy and it gets in the way of my work, so far i have not let it effect my grades but the second and third year will require me to focus more and i'm hoping that work doesn't get in the way too much, if it does then it will have to go.
• same old thing - Being there for nearly two years has taken it's toll on me, i do the same old thing day in and day out, all of the days sort of merge into one.
• Pay isn't great - even if this job was full time i don't think it would be able to support me if i lived by myself, i have to wait till i am 21 to get a pay rise and even then it isn't great.
• Not living to my full potential - Every hour i spend in work could be another hour that i use to draw or to prefect another skill which can help me in the illustration field.