If you are inspired by Holbein’s paintings, and the thought of capturing someone’s likeness on canvas, you could follow a career as a portrait painter.

Being an artist of any kind can be a very precarious occupation, unless you are both extremely talented and fortunate (at the same time!).

Many artists have formal qualifications, including a degree/HND in Fine Art. Many specialise in a certain area on their course in fine art, painting or (more specifically for this career) portrait painting. You may want to continue studying painting at a postgraduate level.

When selecting a degree/HND course it is important that you discuss your requirements with the course providers. Courses offered by the Slade or by Beaux Arts in Paris are known to offer specific skills that will be relevant if you are considering a fairly traditional approach to portraiture. Essentially though practice and focus and determination are crucial wherever you study.

Applicants for degree/HND courses in Fine Art are usually required to have achieved a Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art & Design) and to present a portfolio. Other preliminary routes and courses exist for mature students and under-represented groups.

Further information

• Visit the Connexions website for further information.
  
• Degree and HND courses and entry requirements, www.ucas.com

Contacts

• The Arts Council of England, 14 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 3NQ. Tel: 0845 300 6200. Web: www.artscouncil.org.uk
• a-n, The Artists Information Company, First Floor, 7-15 Pink Lane, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 5DW. Tel: 0191 241 8000. Web: www.a-n.co.uk
• National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD), The Gatehouse, Corsham Court, Corsham, Wiltshire SN13 0BZ. Tel: 01249 714825. Web: www.nsead.org

Marriage guidance counsellor

The serial marriages of Henry VIII would have presented a challenge to any marriage guidance or couples counsellor! Usually, though, this is an opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives.

It is possible to work either as a self-employed or employed marriage guidance counsellor, and you can work flexible hours or even as a volunteer.

About 2,000 counsellors work for Relate, which offers thorough training programmes, backed up by support and supervision. There is strong support and encouragement for personal growth and development, and a broad range of training is available, including specialisation. Web: www.relate.org.uk/workforrelate/

The national charity aims to maintain a high standard of service by recruiting people who have the right personal qualities and life experience. Begin by contacting your nearest Relate centre, and attend one of its information sessions. Details will be given about training placements and courses on offer.

You can also provide relationship counselling, after training, from your own private practice in areas not catered for by Relate centres. Working under license, you will still receive supervision from Relate personnel, but can set your own fees.


Miniaturist

Only about 11 of Holbein’s miniatures survive, and they are considered among the greatest-ever painted. Miniatures evolved in the 16th century into wearable items, and were a precursor to the locket. They did not survive the birth of photography, which instantly satisfied a need for an intimately scaled, portable portrait.

As a miniaturist you could become known in collector’s circles for a new take on portraiture, and establish interest in your work from networking, word of mouth and exhibitions in galleries. An exhibition at the right venue can instantly increase status and collectability. You can also submit your work to the National Portrait Gallery.

To be an artist of any kind requires dedication and focus, particularly if you intend working full-time. The majority of artists have a degree/HND in Fine Art. As a miniaturist you will probably choose to specialise in painting on your course in fine art. Some artists progress onto a postgraduate qualification in their chosen field.

Applicants for degree/HND courses in Fine Art are usually required to have achieved a Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art & Design) and to present a portfolio. Other preliminary routes and courses exist for mature students and under represented groups.

Further information

• Visit the Connexions website for further information.
  
• Degree and HND courses and entry requirements, www.ucas.com

Contacts

• The Arts Council of England, 14 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 3NQ. Tel: 0845 300 6200. Web: www.artscouncil.org.uk
• a-n, The Artists Information Company, First Floor, 7-15 Pink Lane, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 5DW. Tel: 0191 241 8000. Web: www.a-n.co.uk
• National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD), The Gatehouse, Corsham Court, Corsham, Wiltshire SN13 0BZ. Tel: 01249 714825. Web: www.nsead.org

Restorer

If you are intrigued by the science and art of restoring paintings, and would like to be present at that moment when microfriction cleaning reveals an important aspect of a painting’s history, then this career is for you.

Most conservator/restorers will specialise in one field, concentrating on either fine art, books, textiles, archaeology or past industrial sites/exhibits. They are also consulted in an advisory capacity on collections in museums, galleries and private homes, and their work is mostly based in workshops and laboratories.

To be a conservator you will need to be dexterous, visually aware, patient, methodical, practical and able to pay close attention to detail.

Most restorers have a degree or HND in restoring/conservation (course titles vary), or in their specialist area (such as fine art, glass, ceramics, textiles), followed by a postgraduate qualification in conservation.

Entry requirements also vary: in addition to GCSEs and school-based subjects, some courses require an art and design foundation course or equivalent.

Further information

• Visit the Connexions website for further information.
  
• Degree and HND courses and entry requirements, www.ucas.com

Contacts

• Association of Independent Museums (AIM), SS Great Britain, Great Western Dock, Bristol BS1 6TY. Tel: 0117 926 0680. Web: www.museums.org.uk/aim
• Creative & Cultural Skills, 11 Southwark Street, London SE1 1RQ. Tel: 020 7089 5866. Web: www.ccskills.org.uk
• Museums Association (MA), 24 Calvin Street, London E1 6NW. Tel: 020 7426 6970. Web: www.museumsassociation.org
• National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies, NADFAS House, 8 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1DA. Tel: 020 7430 0730. Web: www.nadfas.org.uk
• l United Kingdom Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 702 The Chandlery, 50 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7QY. Tel: 020 7721 8721. Web: www.ukic.org.uk

Image consultant

Holbein’s painting of Henry VIII successfully conveys the importance and power of the head of state. If you can imagine how you might have advised Henry on further improving his public image, then you could be an ideal image consultant!

Today, people have become increasingly interested in their image and in finding help with projecting a favourable impression in the public arena. A growing number are attracted to the profession – it is thought that there are between 350 and 650 image consultants in the UK.

An image consultant considers every aspect of the image of an individual or company, advising on personal appearance, presentation, public speaking, and marketing and media contact.

There are no particular entry requirements, but generally you would find it useful to have some experience in a related field, such as marketing or beauty therapy, before entering the profession. There is no promotional structure as most image consultants are self-employed.

Relevant qualifications exist at a variety of levels, including GNVQs/GSVQs, HNDs and degrees.

Further information

• Visit the Connexions website for further information.
  
• Degree and HND courses and entry requirements, www.ucas.com

Contacts

• The Federation of Image Consultants (TFIC), Mallory House, 27 Verulam Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL3 4DG. Tel: 07010 701018. Web: www.tfic.org.uk
• Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority (HABIA), Fraser House, Nether Hall Road, Doncaster DN1 2PH. Tel: 01302 380000. Web: www.habia.org.uk

Forger

If you admire the paintings of Holbein, and have sufficient skill to reproduce them, you might fancy your chances as a forger!

As a forger you would need to be an exceptional and gifted artist/copyist (the skill level required depends on which artist you choose to represent), you would have to be comfortable with the notion of committing fraud (!) and would have a dealer who was prepared to act as an agent for your work. It would also contribute to your career to have some specialist knowledge of art history, particularly relating to your target artist/s. The dealer may know of the true origin of the paintings, or may be entirely unaware.

Forgery thrives because it is possible to find collectors and dealers who are more interested in their investment potential than they are in the aesthetic qualities or proven authenticity of the painting. To gain a sense of the volume of forgeries in the art world, it is interesting to note that in 1940, Newsweek reported that out of 2,500 paintings produced by Corot, 7,800 were in the United States!

Being a forger is obviously an extremely high-risk profession. If you set out deliberately to present a forgery as an original, and are caught, you could be found guilty of fraud. The artist Tom Keating (1917-1984) appeared on television in 1976, confessing that he had forged more than 2,000 paintings by around 100 artists.

To begin with you will require either a degree/HND in fine art painting, or vast amounts of practice and experience of painting in your own time. The right course would also provide a solid knowledge of art history.

Your career aims on graduating might also change, and - who knows? - you might even end up wanting to produce your own work…

Further information

• Visit the Connexions website for further information.
  

• www.ucas.com

Contacts

• The Arts Council of England, 14 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 3NQ. Tel: 0845 300 6200. Web: www.artscouncil.org.uk
• a-n, The Artists Information Company, First Floor, 7-15 Pink Lane, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 5DW. Tel: 0191 241 8000. Web: www.a-n.co.uk
• National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD), The Gatehouse, Corsham Court, Corsham, Wiltshire SN13 0BZ. Tel: 01249 714825. Web: www.nsead.org

Divorce lawyer

Almost five centuries have passed since Henry VIII and his machinations to get rid of his wife, Catherine of Aragon. The main difference in working as a divorce lawyer today would be the common occurrence of civil divorces, although, the wearing of the traditional wig and gown in court has remained virtually unchanged since Henry’s time.

In Henry VIII’s day divorces were only granted if they were considered to be null and void. In Henry’s case, the argument for divorce would have been based on purely religious grounds, and permission had to be granted by the Pope.

In England and Wales, divorce lawyers need an approved law degree or another degree and a postgraduate conversion course, followed by a Bar Vocational Course and two six-month pupillages. Some universities now also require entrants to take the National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT).

To be a barrister you need to be confident, logical, analytical, able to function under pressure, have a good memory and capacity for assimilating information, and – in upsetting cases – be able to avoid emotional involvement.

Some barristers specialise in family law, which includes divorce. There is no difference in terms of qualification between a barrister specialising in family law and one specialising in, say, crime or negligence. A barrister may choose to practice in family law, receive instructions in that area of work and develop an increasing expertise and join a professional organisation. In family law this will be the Family Law Bar Association.

All barristers have to complete at least 12 hours per year of continuing education, and for a family lawyer this will be in family law.

Further information

• Visit the Learn Direct website for further information.
  
• www.barcouncil.org.uk and www.legaleducation.org.uk

Contacts

• The Bar Association for Commerce, Finance and Industry, PO Box 3663, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 2FH. Tel: 01344 868752.
• The Faculty of Advocates, The Clerk of Faculty, Advocates’ Library, Parliament House, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1RF. Tel: 0131 260 5636. Web: www.advocates.org.uk
• The Crown Prosecution Service, Personnel Branch, 50 Ludgate Hill, London EC4M 7EX. Tel: 020 7796 8000. Web: www.cps.gov.uk
• The Law Careers Advice Network, a partnership of the professional bodies and all those involved in the provision of careers advice to students seeking to enter the legal profession. Web: www.lcan.org.uk

King

Right, this one may be difficult if your parents weren’t monarchs; the best you can do is be a Prince Consort, for which you just have to marry a Queen.

Contacts

• There are no vocational training courses for the monarchy, nor are there professional associations or unions. You’re pretty much on your own with this one. Sorry.