The Job Market For Creative Millennials and Gen Z

Congratulations, you’ve finished the workaholic hell of A-levels or degree and are now exploring various avenues to kick-start your career in the job market. This is one of the first times you will experience true freedom. Value it. Take it as a time to evaluate what you want.

You might already be at university or seeking out experience in your chosen field. Expect there to be competition; fierce, organized and equally savvy competition. Love the fight. Competition is the only thing that makes the process bearable. Treat it as a game. Here are some tips for any creative Gen Z’ers or Millennials navigating the job market:

1). Get digital

What’s that thing in your hand that you’re reading this with? Laptop or phone. There is no escape from developing an online presence. It is both an opportunity and disadvantage with the ability to google someone and find their 2009 myspace account in under 15 minutes. One thing that is worth remembering is that it is much better to be controlling the conversation than not. It is what people say about you when you’re not in the room that matters.

One cool way to do this is through an online portfolio. Use a site like myportfoliobox.com or a website maker to advertise your achievements. Link it to LinkedIn and Twitter. Building a great LinkedIn profile is an art in itself. Emulate the profiles of people you admire, and detail every single thing you could count as experience. Employers get tons of CV’s every day. Standing out with digital is key.

2). Be authentic

Something that is coming up time and time again is the idea of ‘personal brand.’ Whilst this label has good intentions it can mislead people to think they need to be overly friendly online. Part of getting recognized online is authenticity. Creative people in influential positions have respect for those who put themselves out there, even if they don’t agree with you. A personal brand should never be the objective. The objective should be to share your unique perspective with the world as long as its aim is to help or solve problems for others.

3). Personalise

The job market has changed with the web and is now an opportunity for anyone looking to set up shop. Forget formalities. Data is everywhere. If the effort is made to actually go to a prospective employers office with a cv and pitch, then this will boost your chances of getting the job x10. LinkedIn’s "apply now" technology has ruined recruiting. At a press of a button 300 profiles are sent to an employer. Networking and personalised communication are even more valued now than before.

4). Eyes on the prize

Don’t be disheartened if a big fish doesn’t pick you as their new recruit. Often large corporations will take someone with basic skills so that they can be moulded and put into action with little risk of rebellion. (Yep, literally recruit someone worse than you on purpose) Part of figuring out which job is the right fit is evaluating which jobs are not. Do you value freedom? Small agencies often offer a higher level of creativity and personal liberty than found at global corporations. A single voice can often get drowned out in large numbers.  Such is the nature of man against the machine. Crowd keep each office to 15 people maximum to avoid this.

5). Look for the places that aren’t advertising

In many agencies and businesses, they won’t exclusively advertise an opportunity to the general public fearing the impending volume of CVs. Call the office and ask to speak to the head of digital, design or whichever discipline you’re interested in. Show interest. Quote the information you’ve researched about the company. Ask if they’re hiring. This is far more likely to get a response than just emailing over a CV.

Solve a problem for them. Write every job application as if you’re the missing piece of the puzzle, not the desperately injured antelope trying to get help anywhere you can. The job market is like success in dating, desperation is never an element in the formula leading to a romantic conclusion.

Ultimately, you control your destiny. The steps above are just a few ways in which #TeamCrowd have made it into the position they’re in today. Follow these, but focus on yourself and create your own guidelines based on the success they yield.