The creative industry is an exciting, expanding sector that a lot of students would love to work in. But it is also one that a lot of potential applicants never apply to as they aren’t aware of the entry routes or believe it’s just too competitive. If you are one of the 42% of young people who believe that a career as a creative isn’t a realistic career option, how do you get a job in this industry?
Resilience. Curiosity. Self-belief. Perseverance. Just some of the qualities and attitudes an aspiring creative needs to have to succeed in this sector – qualities that are arguably as important as qualifications, talent and experience. That these attributes are essential demonstrates the uniqueness of the creative industry job market and highlights how different the recruitment process is compared to other industries. If you want to be a doctor or a teacher the routes into these careers are well known but how do you become a director, producer or a writer?
The ’hidden’ job market
Being proactive and trying to create opportunities is an important feature of the creative industries. It is very competitive, getting your foot in the door is so important as finding the first job can often be the hardest. There is of course a visible jobs market and you can research some of the specific industry recruitment websites on the Warwick Careers creative page and Creative Lives . 95% of creative companies however are micro-businesses with less than 10 employees (source DCMS 2021), many of whom will not advertise vacancies. This is where speculative applications can be highly effective. Essentially, you are trying to create your own opportunities by showing a recruiter what you can do for them.
It can be a challenging, time-consuming process that will require a lot of motivation. You need to research the business, find out what they do and explain why they could be interested in you. You may have developed a marketing strategy in your student society that increased membership, for example. You may have written articles for a student newspaper, or created your own blog which has high levels of readership and followers. You may have directed a play that has received excellent reviews. Highlight your achievements – you may be able to demonstrate the exact skills that the creative business is looking for.
Of course, some employers may not even reply to your application or Linked In message. But this is where your perseverance and determination are so important. Keep trying, I spoke to a producer/director for Channel 4 and E4 at a creative careers event who told me that it took two years for a director she had got in touch with to respond. He had followed her career on social media and eventually got in touch when he had a project that he felt she would be ideal for.
What the creative industry is like
It is a highly skilled industry and 72% of creatives are graduates. Adding to your skill set will also increase your employability as ‘portfolio’ careers are another unique feature, “…it’s a writer who works in scripted TV and business; an animation director who works in film and graphic design; an actor who works on stage, in scree and in developing motion capture.” A lot of creatives are freelancers and the ability to navigate short term contracts, unpaid holidays and managing your tax, for example is an important consideration if you decide you’d like a creative career – planning and organisational skills are other attributes of successful creatives, many of whom are self employed and manage their own careers.
Top tips
Develop your ‘brand’
quality portfolio of your work…
Learn how to showcase your talent. If you are an aspiring writer for example, submit articles to student newspapers, if you would like to be an actor create a ‘show reel’. If you’d like to be a games developer show your creativity by making your own game. A professional, high quality online portfolio will help you to stand out.
Network
Put yourself out there and try to make connections with industry professionals. Linked In is an effective way to do this as you can contact your university’s alumni. Go to conferences, events, premieres. Try to introduce yourself to people you have followed on social media, tell them what you think about their work and ask them to review yours and give you some feedback.
What could you do in the creative sector?
Development, production, craft, technical, post production, sales, engineering…there are a variety of departments and roles you’ve probably never considered or are unfamiliar with. Researching these roles may uncover a career that is a perfect fit for you.
Keep up to date with the industry you’d like to work in
This is known as commercial awareness and will keep you up to date with developments and opportunities in the creative sector
Try the hidden job market
The majority of jobs are never advertised and speculative applications will help you to uncover them. Writing a CV and cover that explains what you could do for the organisation you are targeting could be very effective
Get experience
You might be lucky enough to find an industry internship or placement, but a lot of creatives have to be creative to gain experience. Develop a marketing strategy for your society for example; manage a charity’s use of social media; form your own theatre company. Wherever the experience was gained, show your initiative and the impact you made.
Start small
Target the smaller, independent creative and arts organisations. They may be less competitive and more flexible in how they recruit. For every large corporate there will be many more smaller companies. There are over 1,000 theatres in the UK, for example. Working in customer service in a venue may not feel like you are living the dream, but a part time job could present you with opportunities to meet and impress producers, directors, writers and agents etc.
Make contact
Politely follow up any connections you’ve made. Creating opportunities is often a question of timing and the 2nd or 3rd email you send may be the one that coincides with the industry professionals needs – they may require some temporary support or have a project you could gain experience on. Be persistent and curious.