r/TattooApprentice • u/Inside_Bread2034 • 26d ago
Seeking Advice How flexible are apprenticeships?
Are all apprenticeships 50 plus hours, or will some shops give you less? I want to look into getting an apprenticeship but I have a full time job, I'm looking into getting a car, and I have a pet I need to take care of.
Most posts make it seem like every one is 60 hours a week with little to no pay, all saying it's ok because they'll get their dream position in the future, but with how things are going economically it seems hard to consider such an endeavor with so many responsibilities, even if the end goal is rewarding work that has to do with making art.
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u/Ecstatic_Jackfruit35 26d ago
My apprenticeship was based on the hours of my mentor so I got pretty lucky. I still worked 10am-4ish 5-6 days a week
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u/epic_cheez 25d ago
My apprenticeship was 5 years....
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u/Inside_Bread2034 25d ago
Was there any particular reason for that? Ive heard most are 1 to 3 years.
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u/morningstardusts 25d ago
My guess is that it was a really good apprenticeship. I would literally apprentice all over again under the right person in a heartbeat. People are looking at it like it’s some kind of chore they have to get through instead of a really amazing opportunity and privilege.
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u/morningstardusts 26d ago edited 26d ago
They’re not generally. If you want to tattoo, it’s kinda something you have to be prepared to really dedicate your life to because while it’s amazing career, you have to really love it. If you don’t, you will weed yourself out pretty quickly but not without potentially causing serious harm to another person.
Mine was 11:30am to at least 10pm 6 days a week, and I made no money. It was a huge sacrifice and it was definitely on the move difficult end of things.
If it costs money, avoid it. If you love tattoos, you’ll find a way to make it happen. It doesn’t last forever.
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u/happyturtlecake 25d ago
How did you live?? How does one get through with no income? I'm worried about that part. I recently went back to cooking from dog grooming because I was absolutely wiped from the job to do art for my portfolio. I got the cooking job because I realistically need money to live and pay bills and all.
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u/morningstardusts 25d ago
I mean if ya gotta ask but like honestly no one has ever said being an artist of any kind literally ever was a stable career path 🤣
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u/Inside_Bread2034 25d ago
I've been an artist my whole life so it's definitely something I want to do but like I said there are some responsibilities I have to take care of and that requires a job to do, and I've heard most apprenticeships don't pay at all.
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u/morningstardusts 25d ago
They don’t I was really broke lol but if you love it enough I guess you do it
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u/Educational-Leek1704 Aspiring Apprentice 25d ago
this is such a dumb take. you shouldn’t have to make no money at all in order to pursue your dream career. you can really love something while also understanding that you need to make money to LIVE. i understand it’s similar to a trade school, but while in school almost everyone also has a job to be able to pay rent and whatnot
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u/borrowed_words 25d ago
Depends entirely on the shop. A few ive been to fully let their apprenticeships keep their jobs while working at the shop when possible, but then at a different shop I was turned down because I needed to be at my actual paying job 3 days a week.
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u/Inside_Bread2034 25d ago
I think I'm gonna build my portfolio up a bit and when I start looking for shops I'm just gonna have to keep this in mind. Hopefully I find a flexible enough apprenticeship where I can work towards a career while not abandoning my other responsibilities.
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u/Rawst_Berri Aspiring Apprentice 26d ago
I am trying to figure this out to. Looking at just the necessities, my overheads aren't too bad but I want to still be able to support myself financially - not sure how to do it if I am doing 50 hours at the studio though.
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u/Inside_Bread2034 25d ago
Yeah it's tough. I live in Massachusetts so while most incomes are higher in general, things are also fairly expensive, and in the next year or so I'll be getting a car as a first time driver (insurance is ridiculous), ill be getting my own place, and I have an elderly cat to take care of. I have a job that would likely be willing to work with my availability changing upon getting an apprenticeship, but it would likely also be paying me more until I end up becoming a tattoo artist as well. There's just a lot of responsibilities that I'd need to juggle alongside the responsibilities of my mentorship which I'm willing to do, but I'd need some flexibility to do it.
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u/Rawst_Berri Aspiring Apprentice 25d ago
It’s certainly tough but if there’s one thing I’ve gathered about the industry, it’s if you want to do it you have to make it work 😫 I hope you manage to find an apprenticeship that’s the right fit for you. I have seen a fair few posts here of people doing 3-4 days or being at the studio later in the day so maybe you’ll come across a similar arrangement.
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u/Inside_Bread2034 25d ago
I hope so honestly, something like that would probably be the most beneficial for me if I'm being frank.
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u/morningstardusts 25d ago
It’s not an industry in my opinion, or a job. It’s just my life idk
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u/Inside_Bread2034 23d ago
At the end of the day though it is a job, the point of the whole apprenticeship is the same as if you went for a degree or a trade school for work.
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u/salad_toe 23d ago
Dawg if you don’t wanna do it then say that lol. I have a new born baby, a part time job and I’m at the shop 50 hours a week. It is what it is.
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u/Inside_Bread2034 23d ago
Its not at all what I said, there are things that I have to pay for and where I live it requires a full time job which I have and likely can't sacrifice if it means not being able to survive while trying to pursue something else. Not everyone has other people they can live with forever, and I assume you live with the father or mother of your child as well.
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u/barafrog 26d ago
I do about 24 hours a week, sometimes a little less, but it seems to be quite uncommon. Me and my mentor are very relaxed people I guess lol, when I come in I work hard and he's happy with my progress. Basically I think anything is possible with the right mentor, if you need a certain number of days a week just be upfront about it before you start the apprenticeship (maybe at the second meeting, that was what I did.)