Wednesday 4 August 2010

A to Z reasons for looking at Derby Creatives Twitter

The A to Z reasons for looking at my Twitter page: www.twitter.com/derbycreatives

Awards Business start up info Competitions Designer info Events Funding Grants creative Hubs Internships Jobs Keep up to date Local creative contacts Makers info Networking Opportunities Portfolio advice Quad updates Residencies Support bodies Training courses Undergraduate opportunities Vacancies Work experience eXchanges You don't want to miss out Zillions of other stuff...

Go on... take a look....

How to survive and thrive as a creative professional after University

Just finished a university creative course and want to develop a creative career, either in house or freelance?
Feel like you are living in a creative desert and need some creative inspiration?
Need to develop your skills and build your portfolio?

 Read on for my top tips on 'how to survive and thrive as a creative professional after university'.
In no particular order!
  • Use the free services on offer from your University Careers Centre for three years after you finish. Most universities offer free services. Here at Derby, we offer individual guidance interviews with specialist art, design and media careers advisers. You can discuss working for yourself as well as in house jobs. You may have no ideas at all, we can still help.  Book a session at www.derby.ac.uk/careers
  • We also have careers advisers specialising in helping unemployed graduates and managers. Register your interest at www.derby.ac.uk/onetoone
  • You can also access workshops, programmes and initiatives such as Mentoring, Graduate Internships, our Leadership and Work Experience Award and Volunteering. More at www.derby.ac.uk/careers
  • Open all summer!


  • Use Social Media,  Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or all of them! Get inspired by blogs. Find opportunities, events and competitions. Connect with creatives on line , brilliant if you hate the idea of networking in person. Find a job! The most common place to post a vacancy now is on a social network site, so don't miss out and remember employers will be looking at applicants social network sites so be careful how you portray yourself and as Davina would say 'please don't swear'. Consider separating personal and professional sites. I recently asked a creative graduate whether she minded mixing business with pleasure on her social networking sites and her answer was" If you are a creative and looking for work, you have to"
  • Twitter page for Derby Uni art & design students and graduates www.twitter.com/derbycreatives
  • More about social networking and job search here http://lnkd.in/R4PCRm

  • Network - in person too...ugh, yucky word for just starting and maintaining relationships with other creatives. Suveys show that 90% of creative graduates get their first position through a personal contact, so you really need to make some. Start by going to monthly informal network meetings for local creatives, such as Social Boom www.creativeboom.co.uk/derby and Creative Coffee morning http://www.creative-cin.co.uk/ 
  • Tell people you are looking for work.
  • Connect with other creatives and consider working collaboratively,maybe to exhibit for example or to apply for some funding.


  • Keep learning. Take any opportunity you can to boost your skills and knowledge. Take courses, ask a friend to train you or teach yourself. Keep your eye out for free and inexpensive training courses, often listed on social network sites, university careers websites and local press. There are practical and technical skills programmes, theory based courses and creative business start up programmes. Contact your local college and adult education department too.
  • http://artsbowl.com/
  • www.derby.ac.uk/creative-exchange

  • Get relevant work experience. Even if you try and fit it in alongside a paid job. OK, so it looks good on the CV, but the main reasons are to make useful contacts, give an insight in to a work area and maybe lead to a job. To be honest, if you want to work in the Creative Industries, it is expected that you will have had some form of relevant work experience. Hopefully it will also be enjoyable and will boost your confidence and self esteem no end. It doesn't have to be unpaid, look out for creative internships for graduates.
  • http://www.arts.ac.uk/student/careers/internships.htm
  • Check out our web page on work experience, mentoring and volunteering here:
  • http://www.derby.ac.uk/careers/workexperience
  • http://www.derby.ac.uk/careers/volunteering


  • Work on your self promotion. Ensure that potential employers and or buyers of your work are clear about you and what you are offering. Consider having your own brand to follow through on all of your self promotion materials ie: CV, letters, website, business card, portfolio, social network sites. Make it eye catching but clear. You get approx sixty seconds to make an impact on your CV for example. Consider writing a blog. Always have your business cards with you, as you never know when you may bump in to someone who could offer you something useful.
  • Great tips here: http://www.ucreative.ac.uk/index.cfm?articleid=21917

  • Finally, keep positive and keep being creative. Stay up to date with developments within your chosen area. Visit exhibitions, read, go places to get inspiration, try and socialise with other creative people and keep making work.
  • Don't be down hearted, it can take time to kick start a creative career. A survey tracking creative graduates destinations showed that virtually all of them ended up working in a creative field, but it took time to get established.
  • Read this blog 'Art Graduate, What next?'...http://www.riseart.com/blog/view/217

  • Good luck,! Debbie Longridge, Art and Design Careers Adviser. University of Derby.



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