If you’re a creative professional, you know the feeling. You want to get a job, but you can’t seem to get your foot in the door. You need experience, but you can’t get experience without a job. It’s a catch-22. And it’s frustrating.
So how do you break the cycle? Here are a few tips:
- Start small. Don’t expect to land your dream job right away. Start by looking for small projects or volunteer opportunities. This will give you some experience and help you build your portfolio.
- Network. Talk to people in your field and let them know you’re looking for work. Attend industry events and meetups. The more people you know, the more likely you are to hear about opportunities. It can feel a bit daunting, but be brave. You can do it because other people have done it before you.
- Be creative. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Come up with creative ways to get your foot in the door. For example, you could start a blog or create a portfolio website to showcase your work. Really critique and polish your work. Take some free courses – learn new skills, meet new people.
- Be sharp. Create an on-point portfolio of work/experience that fits with where you want to be. If you want to work in advertising or marketing, create brand mock ups, web sites, creative work to strut your stuff. If you want to work in gaming – design some games, learn Python or whatever the the current tools are – you need to find out what they are. The key secret is to work your work hard and continually improve it. Quality and work beats all.
- Don’t give up. The job hunt can be tough, but don’t give up. Keep applying for jobs and networking. Be open to change. Eventually, you’ll find the right opportunity. Do. Not. Give. Up.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
