The days of people thinking being an artist isn’t a “real job” are long gone. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of businesses across the globe in the creative industry, employing millions of people. Millions more have branched out on their own to be freelance artists or show off their creative skills in other ways.
Today, most professionals recognize and understand the value of those skills. People with graphic design, photography, and writing skills are highly sought after.
If you have those skills and you’ve gone to school to hone in on them, you’re undoubtedly ready to find a job that lets your creativity shine. The only potential drawback is that many others want the same thing. Standing out and doing what you can to secure a creative career post-graduation is essential.
If you’re still in college, now is the time to position yourself for success. Let’s look at a few tips that can help.
Tips to Land a Creative Role After Graduation
Improve Your Creative Operations Skills
Now is the perfect time to focus on your creative operations skills so you can have a leg up on your competition when you start applying for jobs. You might be the best designer, writer, or artist there is, but if you don’t have the skills to move things forward, you’re not going to be as appealing to a company.
Creative operations are meant to make the creative process more structured, allowing teams to be more productive and consistent with their work. If you want to hone in on those skills, make sure you know how to:
- Meet deadlines
- Manage your workflow
- Work with a team
- Utilize resources
It’s also crucial that you know what to do when you’re in a creative slump. It happens to everyone, but people who can overcome those crises will continue to create beautiful work and not leave their company dragging behind. Things like changing your routine, working with others, listening to new ideas, and practicing self-care are great ways to keep your creative juices flowing, and they can serve as excellent soft skills to list on a resume.
Start Networking Now
If you’re still in school, don’t hesitate to start networking and taking advantage of opportunities to break into the creative industry. You don’t have to wait until graduation to get your foot in the door.
Things like joining student clubs or involving yourself in extracurricular activities can go a long way. Not only will you boost your time management skills and interact with like-minded individuals, you never know who you’ll meet that could help you land your dream job after graduation.
At the end of the day, a future potential employer will likely care more about your experience in the creative industry than the classes you took. Organizations and clubs that serve as creative outlets look great on a resume and will offer you the opportunity to talk about your experience during interviews.
Getting into a creative career can be exciting and feel like a dream come true if you have fresh ideas ready to share with the world. Remember these tips to stand out in the industry and land your career quickly after graduation.
Author: Sam Bowman
