Dear Creative Grads
Advertising, Film, Art, Design, Photography, Writing
You did it! You graduated! So what’s next? You might be thinking? What can I do with my creative degree? I remember when I graduated 4 years ago with my degree in Digital Media Studies, people asked me “so, what are going to do now?” It took me a long time to finally work in my my profession. Many people don’t know, but I go to bed every night around 2 am because I’m consistently researching and improving my skills! I don’t want to get left behind in the creative world. Design trends change often, and your job as a creative is to RESEARCH and IMPROVE your skills. Is up to you! If you put in the work then the work will come to you! At 31 years old, I never stop learning from other amazing designers and creatives!
Here’s some advice that I believe my 24-year-old self would have appreciated. Make sure to download my Instagram Story Q&A at the end to fill in your answers and share! Have fun reading and congratulations on your amazing ACHIEVEMENT again!
1. INTERN
Take an internship in your field vs. full-time position in another field. If you really love what you do then don’t stop! If you really are passionate about the field you received your degree in then don’t settle. If you really believe you were destined to work in that field then don’t change your mind. However, if a door opens up at company that you really want to work at in another position, then of course take it! It’s all about making connections!
2. ADVANCE DEGREE
Consider the option to continue your education with an advance degree. So, I decided to continue my education because I felt like I had more things to learn in the creative world. I discovered that I wasn’t done with my education. I really didn’t know that I wanted to pursue an advance degree until I came back from a Florida Trip and decided that I needed to submit my application. So, if you really want to gain more experience in your field and increase your cash flow then consider taking this route.
3. JOIN LOCAL GROUPS
You can join local groups with other recent graduates to discuss tips and tricks. After graduate school, I visited so many meet-ups in the technology area around Houston to pitch my magazine to people! It was so much fun and terrifying at the same time! Consider meet-ups to meet new people.
4. VOLUNTEER
Volunteer your time if you can, if you want to gain more experience. This can be good because when you volunteer at a business or organization they sometimes will offer you a position in time. Consider volunteering in your community to give back or reach out to some global organizations. You could also volunteer your time remotely too if you have skills in social media, graphics and other computer skills.
I volunteered at Lakewood Church for one year, and they promoted me to a contractor position for graphic design and social media!
5. GET A MENTOR
Get a mentor, these are the people that you can learn new things and grow. After I graduated from college, I didn’t have a mentor until a year and half later. I meet my mentor at Lakewood Church. She’s probably the best mentor I ever had! She gives me advice about my career, she prays for me whenever I requests, she includes me on projects (I’m her graphic designer on a project-to-project basis) and she has the best heart. Find a mentor that you can learn from and gain an awesome friendship too!
6. READ
Continue to read about people or things that inspire you. Just because you graduated college doesn’t mean you can quit reading or stop visiting the library or bookstores. Once there, find some self-help and inspirational books that will keep you motivated on your journey.
7. GO FOR IT
When it’s your time to batter up, GIVE IT ALL YOU HAVE! Remember there are so many people who would like to be in your position, so don’t take that opportunity for granted. Always thank people regularly, show kindness, give when you can and have fun!
8. HAVE PATIENCE
This is something that I’m working on now. It took me almost 30 years to break into the creative world, and it was so hard at times. I loved celebrating people but, when was it going to be my turn. I waited so long to get opportunities. I can admit that I wanted things to happen right away, so I sometimes get antsy when waiting for new client projects. I don’t want to go backwards; I want to continue to move forward. A good way to deal with impatience is to slow down and relax. Remember being impatient can bring more stress into the situation and can cause a little tension that can be preventable. Also, impatience doesn’t speed things up, it actually slow things down for you and we don’t want that to happen! So breathe and remember that patience is like opening a door for someone to enter. That person may be taking a long time to enter that door, but you don’t want to be rude and close the door before they enter or answer you! So, patience counts. It really does open doors! So, just breathe a little!
9. ASK FOR HELP
If it’s taking longer than 6 months to land a job in your creative field, I would suggest that you ask for help. Go back to your university and visit a career counsel to help you with your goals, resume and perspective. This can really help!
10. BELIEVE
If you believe you can then you will! Don’t ever give up on what you believe. In due time and at the right time, it will happen! When that time comes, you will know that it was all worth the wait!
Click here to download a Instagram Story Q&A and don’t forget to share!
XOXO,
Clarissa
