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Job Hunt

Yeah, but...

…I've applied for dozens of jobs and have got nowhere.

Placing an advert in the press is expensive for an organisation – it will usually cost thousands of pounds. Most employers in the creative industries are small and are working on tight budgets. Most employers will only advertise in the press as a last resort. If you limit your job hunting to scanning the papers you are limiting your chances. Most employers in the creative industries prefer to employ someone they know or someone who knows someone they know. So get networking. Make sure that everyone you know knows that you are looking for work and knows the kind of work you are looking for.

Be resourceful, be creative and put some energy in to your research!

…I don't have any contacts in the area I'm interested in.

Clearly, the closer you are to people working in the field, the easier it’s going to be for you. But for most of us, life isn’t that straightforward, and you have to make your own contacts (Read some of our Alumni Interviews and see how they overcame this).

You could:

• Do some detective work

Look on the internet, company's websites, google searches, archive search on newspaper sites. You might find a named person who deals with recruitment or the name of the MD.

• Target the insider

Call, or pop in and chat to receptionists – they'll know all the right people and the best way to approach them

• Explore the six degrees of separation

Talk to everyone you know – think of your network as not only the people that you know, but they people that they know and the people that they know.

• Remember Your Tutors

Contact your old tutors at University – they will often have very strong, very relevant networks, and they will want to help you get on

• Get Help From the Professionals

Professional bodies can sometimes be really helpful – they may have a register of people in the field who are happy to be approached for advice

If none of that works you could try some more creative approaches, like getting a job in a bar near where the employees from your dream organisation work. As well as giving you the chance to get to know some potentially helpful people, you might get to find out a bit about what's going on.

...I know the theory but I just don't have the confidence to approach people I don't know.

You have two choices:

1. Try to start with working out in what way you’re not confident – is it because you’re not sure how to present yourself and your work? Take a look at our Presentation Style section and let us help you with some really practical tips that might make it easier for you. If it’s because you have worries about how people will perceive you in social or networking situations, then maybe try to face some of those fears head on - go to Building Networks for some help on this.
2. Be creative with your job hunting in ways that you do feel confident. For example, you might find it easier to call someone after you have emailed them. You might prefer to have something very concrete to discuss rather than having a general chat with someone, so you could ask to meet up to get some feedback on your portfolio.

Or...

You just decide that you would rather stick to the traditional methods of replying to adverts. Your job search might take longer or you might have to go for a lower level job initially, but if you've got the right skills, you still have a good chance.

...I've done all that.

If you feel that you've done everything that we've suggested, and it still isn't working for you then there are two possibly explanations:

1. You haven't done it enough. If you've got all the right skills, you've packaged yourself well, you're talking to the right people and you're really focused, then it will happen for you, you just need to stick at it
2. Something else is wrong. It’s possible that something else is letting you down. Visit the section on How Prepared For Your Job Hunt Are You? and really ask yourself if you are being as effective as you can be.