Is It Really Possible To Get A Creative Job With No Experience?
We’re not going to lie, a creative career may seem to be a difficult discipline to start off for those with no creative experience but is it impossible? Read on to find out
As a doe-eyed Creative fresh from training, perhaps the most daunting question is ‘How am I going to get a creative job with no experience?’ when facing the realities of the big wide world.
This question causes even more dismay when met with the realization that a fallback for a new graduate is the lack of experience within their field. We’re not going to lie, a creative career may seem to be a difficult discipline to start off for those with no creative experience.
This is why it is imperative that Creatives should take into consideration some tips to help themselves get a sturdy foot in the door and learn ways of gaining creative jobs with no experience.
Show Resilience, Creative. It IS possible, and let us disclose how…
But First, What Are “Creative” Jobs?
Let’s break down what we mean by the term Creative Jobs.
Creative jobs are roles that require some form of imagination and ingenuity to flourish. These roles rely on an individual’s potential for divergent thought and their capability to inspire innovation.
Creative jobs are fueled by an individual’s unique brand of creativity, this wielder of creativity harbours an ability to come up with novel ideas and fresh perspectives that will contribute to solving problems.
Every sector of society is fueled by the creative process and requires capable individuals in the roles of creative jobs to run efficiently. The definition of Creative work has expanded from the traditional view of artisans or craftsmen, and has evolved alongside technology in the modern era.
Kinds of jobs that are considered creative today can include these examples and even more:
- Creative directors [film/ art]
- Marketing specialists
- Designers [fashion/ graphic/ interior/ gaming]
- Architects [design/ construction]
- Performance Art [actors]
- Stylists [beauty]
- Artists [commercial/ retail]
The Trend of Creative Jobs in Today’s Youth
As fast as new technologies are being introduced to society, new creative callings are being discovered by today’s youth. Nowadays digital platforms are second nature to the young and they are becoming more in tune with the benefits of becoming a creative creator within this evolving world. But why do people, especially the younger generation, seek these creative jobs today?
The broad answer is that the next generation of employable talent want to work in creative, purpose driven roles or organisations, positions that are as personally gratifying as they are financially beneficial.
The classic saying in childhood is ‘Find a job that inspires and that you love to do, and you will find you never work a day in your life’, this has never been more relevant than today. Passions are forming positions, and today’s creative youngsters are taking advantage; the best examples of these are Youtubers, and Bloggers/Vloggers – also known as content creators.
Is It Really Possible If I Have No Experience?
Answer: Heck YES!
Anything is possible if you have the resolve to see it come to fruition.
Life is all about taking chances, and searching for a job with no experience is much the same. Seizing any opportunity to take a positive step in the right direction for your career is definitely the way to go in this field, and every small step counts.
What Does Creative Experience Even Mean Anyway?
Businesses simply use years of experience as a shortcut to understand that you have the skills for the job. There are so many other ways to demonstrate your skills though.
Showcasing your creative thought is the best way to carry your potential to employers, here’s some common vessels used to deliver ideas:
- Portfolios
- Personal Websites
- Social Media
- Gallery Forums
Still feeling doubtful? Look at the new Content Marketing assistant on the Experlio team, a graduate fresh out of University with nay a lick of experience to her name, but a new exciting creative job to her roster.
Luckily, the best thing about choosing the creative discipline is the flexibility surrounding the recruitment process.
So when met with the question: is it possible to get a creative job with no experience? The answer is most assuredly, absolutely!
Creative roles can be quite open to people without experience, in fact, most view that as a good thing; a strength that ensures they’re bringing fresh perspectives to the organisation. So don’t look at your lack of experience as an overpowering negative, because in some cases it can be seen as an extreme positive.
Creative Jobs With No Experience
Believe it or not, your life experience can help your get jobs and paid work without you even realising.
Marketing Assistant
With the right employer, experience shouldn’t be an issue. Assistant roles are there to support a marketing manager. So long as you’ve done your self study and enrolled in free online courses like Google Digital Garage and Facebook Blueprint, you’ll have a great shot at getting your foot in the door.
Micro Influencer
Ever wanted to become self made? With the surge in influencer marketing and user generated content there are so many opportunities to get work without experience. If you have even a modest following of a couple thousand people on your social media, you could be considered a micro influencer and able to work with brands to post content on your social media that promote their products and services.
Content Creator
Similar to the self-made career above, content is king in today’s world and you typically don’t need a bachelors degree or years of experience to dip your toe in the water and start making content.
This could include writing a research paper on an area you’re deeply interested in, for a company that specialises in that area too. Many companies are beginning to work with content creators ona part time and full time basis to help them keep up with competitors and rule the online world with the attention of those they care about (their customers).
Social Media Coordinator
If you post on social media and enjoy engaging with people online you could be an expert with years of experience without even knowing it. Utilise the time you’ve spent posting on socials, on a daily or even hourly basis, and put it to work!
The Final Word
Job experience, although having a minor presence ISN’T everything to employers when looking at prospective creative employees; the potential promise of creative ability IS.
You will find it extremely beneficial to yourself as a creative to take advantage of opportunities to share your creative experience and creative ability to the world.
When it comes to the process of job seeking, common entry level job boards such as craigslist or gumtree might attract less restrictive employers with less fuss to do with experience status.
Places like these can be more appropriate for fresh creatives as they are not so high end or professional like LinkedIn or niche job sites like Dribble or Behance where experience is a hard line. Another option for an ambitious creative is taking advantage of a creative talent platform such as Experlio.
The Experlio platform can be a great place to get an opportunity to demonstrate your skills to employers where you’re not judged on your level of experience, and can display the ‘proof’ of creativity they require to nudge them into making a hiring decision. The platform enables a creative to ‘show what they got’ without prejudice and can encourage skill-building and creative experience to flourish.
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There’s certainly a great deal to know about this subject.
I like all the points you made.