I have been no stranger to having multiple jobs in addition to running my own freelance business. In fact most photographers I know work other jobs because it either grounds us or offsets our earnings in our down periods and there is nothing wrong with that.

But as a job seeker I always have to weigh whether I include my business or not on a resume. In many ways it is unattractive to employers because and I am guessing here but it shows I have abilities far above most the positions pay grades and something I can fall back on so I am not beholden to a job they offer.

Then there are the employers who get excited about my business and skills but only how they can use them to benefit themselves without hiring me and my business at a fair wage. So it leaves me in the position of having to decide how much I am willing to take those skills and put in someone else’s business.

I am finding I am less and less willing to use my skills, personal equipment, and programs to further someone’s else business without fair compensation. Recently I declined an interview for a position purely because they emailed that I would be perfect because they need someone to do product photography for them — the position was office manager, which also appeared to include accounting services and a few others, I wasn’t about to add full scale product photography for $11 an hour.

I wrote back declining but told them as a professional photographer they could feel free to contract out my services on an as needed basis for which I quoted them a fair price to ultimately be told hiring and paying professional fees was prohibitive to their business.

It wasn’t surprising I knew they would say something like that when they were underpaying a position that was multiple in one anyways. It was easy to see they like many others think photography is clicking a button, therefore has low value, and I really wasn’t sad to see this not pan out. In fact it was a blessing.

Yet, I find that myself exhausted, I do not want my abilities, skills, and talents taken advantage of but for the right position I also know it wouldn’t bother me to lend a hand in those areas because I love what I do. It’s such a hard thing to navigate but standing up and advocating for myself, services, and fees is something I will never feel bad about.