Career Services

Career Services

At PAFA, the goal is to help students develop the skills necessary to advance their careers—in whatever direction they choose. 

Students should connect with the Career Services Office early in their education by attending a workshop or meeting with Career Services staff at careers@pafa.edu to begin working on identifying career goals, developing a resume, and interviewing skills. More detailed Career Services resources can be found here (PAFA学生).

  • Help with resumes, CVs, cover letters, and artist statements.
  • One-on-one interview practice.
  • Guidance in exploring internships, using job search techniques, and developing career paths.

Professional Development Opportunities

dufala brothers career talk

Workshops

A complete schedule of workshops features topics including resume writing, interviewing techniques, using personality assessment tools, and more. In addition, faculty and museum staff develop collaborative workshops to address the concerns of artists trying to carve out a career in the complex world of professional art-making. These include sessions on framing and matting, panel discussions with intellectual property attorneys, insights from tax accountants, and roundtables with artists exhibiting in alternative spaces.

Past workshops have included:

  • Art Law
  • How to Price Your Art
  • Artist Residencies Panel with alumnis
  • The Artist Teaches: Developing Opportunities for Teaching
  • Service Learning Programs: A Meeting with Artist Year Director
  • Resume Writing
  • Interview Workshop and Mock Interviews

 

  • Finding & Defining Your Passion
  • Graduate School: How to Apply, Create a Portfolio and Fund It
  • Museum Careers
  • The Fulbright Fellowships: New Developments and Application Tips
  • How to Protect Your Art: A Conservator's Talk
  • LinkedIn and Social Media
student docents in the museum

Internships

An internship can offer a window into the workings of a gallery, auction house, museum, film/television production company, art center, publishing house and more. In addition to pursuing internships at outside organizations, PAFA students have access to a world-class museum to explore curating, museum education and development, conservation and digital archiving—all without leaving campus.

Past student internships have included:

  • The Philadelphia Museum of Art
  • The Barnes Foundation
  • The Penn Museum
  • The Mutter Museum
  • The Academy of Natural Sciences
  • The Print Center
  • Woodmere Art Museum
  • The Clay Studio
  • Taller Puertorriqueño
  • Freeman’s Auction House
  • William Way LGBT Community Center
  • Kate's Place
  • Little Berlin
  • NextFab
  • Philadelphia Sculptors
  • Portside Art Center

 

  • Main Line Art Center
  • Philadelphia Mural Arts
  • Project Home
  • SREHUP
  • Cerulean Arts
  • Larry Becker Contemporary Art
  • Schmidt Dean Gallery
  • Seraphin Gallery
  • Twelve Gates Art
  • American Poetry Review
  • Freeman’s Auction House
  • Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
  • Inliquid
  • Print Center
  • RAIR
  • Slought Foundation
myers-briggs

Personality & Skill Assessments

Career assessments are a great step for career explorers, job-seekers and students at all stages of the career exploration process. Career Services offers a number of assessment tools designed to help you discover yourself and your career options.

Contact Us

Student Services at PAFA is fully committed to assisting students with their needs and questions.

Telephone: (215) 972-2199

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