ADVICE . COMMUNITY . INSPIRATION
How to land the creative role you want…
Securing a creative role that’s right for you, takes time, research, and a bloody brilliant portfolio.
Here’s some guidance to landing the creative role of your dreams; inspired by this recent Linkedin post from Simon Dixon of DixonBaxi (who is definitely worth a follow, we should add).
Above all, your portfolio needs to be creative, concise and catered specifically to the role you want
Do some prep work
Creating a good portfolio requires the opposite of the one-size-fits-all approach. Employers want to know who you are and your raison d’être, so your portfolio needs to express your passions and be authentically you.
if you try to make a portfolio that appeals to everyone, it’ll likely end up appealing to no one.
Don’t try to bend into a shape you think the agency will like. Start by figuring out what you want from a role, then research the agencies that can offer it to you.
There are many different types of design, branding and creative agencies. One will certainly be a perfect fit for you. Once you find them, check them out thoroughly. It’s a good idea to reach out and build a connection with them before a role even comes up for grabs. Be active and consistent in how you build connections. Talk to as many people as possible.
Now it’s time to compile your portfolio
This will take what Simon Dixon calls “a brutal confidence” to show your best work.
Think about the agency you’re speaking to. How will you make their life better? What do you offer?
Curate an edit of the projects which show your skill and the ones which show what you care about. Passion projects are so important – they give a flavour of what you are capable of when designing without constraints.
Design your portfolio like a project with a clear structure and narrative
This is a great tool for juniors, you may not have all of your career projects yet, so here is your chance to show what you are truly capable of. Do you have other creative interests? Are you a keen photographer? Are you an aspiring illustrator? If it’s creative, add it! Then include a snapshot of the best parts of a project.
Don’t overfill, just pace it visually, adding short paragraphs that provide context and shed light on why you created the work and why it works for the person it’s designed for.
Our Creative Consultant Sandy Rayner believes “As a creative, you have to articulate what’s in your design-led brain to other people. How can you translate that into something visual for other people to understand?
Convey the full story. How did you get to your ideas? Any sketches? Any original conceptual thoughts?
When you do eventually meet with the agency of your dreams, have some readymade questions tucked up your sleeve. Research the agency – what’s your favourite project? Why do you love it? Can you offer any suggestions to expand the ideas? Also remember: know your portfolio – be ready to present your work, talk about the research, the conception – above all remain adaptive so you can react to questions naturally.
Be well-researched and believe in yourself.
Whilst you’re here, connect with us on Linkedin. We share industry insights, career advice and of course, lots of hot job roles within the best creative, design and branding agencies.