Impact’s co-founder, Jules Dosne, recently hosted an inspiring and insightful roundtable on ‘Barriers to Entry’ in collaboration with the London College of Communication (LCC).
As part of Impact’s ‘Future Proofing Talent through Diversity’ Programme, this event brought together industry professionals and course leaders for a brilliant discussion filled with innovative ideas and valuable insights.
We covered several key topics, including perceptions of diversity, future-proofing diversity initiatives, the importance of role models and ambassadors, and sharing tips from industry alongside valuable student perspectives. Here are our key takeaways:
Business Education: Emphasis on educating businesses about the value of diversity and inclusion, particularly concerning graduates from diverse backgrounds.
Partnerships for Training: Collaboration with partners such as Creative Access to facilitate line manager training ahead of summer internships, ensuring managers are equipped to mentor and develop individuals from diverse backgrounds effectively.
Data Review: Consensus on reviewing ethnicity and gender statistics across levels and assessing exit interview data.
Leadership Turnover Challenge: Acknowledgement of the challenge in lack of senior leadership turnover, preventing an increase in broader leadership representation.
Quotas and Targets: Mixed responses on the introduction of quotas and targets, with a shared emphasis on maintaining ongoing conversations about diversity.
Bold Campaigns: Utilisation of bold, creative talent attraction campaigns to signal a commitment to diversity.
Inclusive Culture: Standardising processes, mixed interview panels, and unconscious bias training are critical in fostering an inclusive culture.
Community and Networking: Students crave an environment of community and networking, underscoring the importance of role models and ambassadors.
Industry Collaboration: LCC’s collaboration with industry speakers and ambassadors showcases diverse and unconventional routes into the industry.
Inspiring Partnerships: Partnerships with schools and charities to inspire students before further education decisions and mentoring programmes targeting lower socio-economic and diverse backgrounds.
Graduate Expectations: Addressing the disparity between new graduates’ expectations and the realities of entry-level roles.
Commercial Readiness: Consensus that portfolios should be commercially ready, not just compiled for grading.
Broad Thinking: Encouragement for students to think broadly about how their creativity fits industry needs.
CV Requirements: Some agencies have removed CV requirements for entry-level applications, focusing instead on tactical skills and behaviours.
Extracurricular Activities: Demonstrating a ‘side hustle’ and engaging in extracurricular activities helps candidates stand out.
Owning Experiences: Understanding that some students have financial demands or caring responsibilities preventing them from undertaking more relevant extracurricular activities—industry advice is to own these experiences and articulate their value.
Passion and Responsibility: The importance of showing passion, responsibility, and the ability to articulate experiences.
Recognition of Graduates: Non-graduates are also valued, with degrees still seen as indicative of commitment, passion, and career direction.
Selling Yourself: Emphasis on selling oneself for a role and the ability to confidently critique and discuss work are standout attributes the industry seeks.
Presentation Skills: Encouragement for early talent to bring fresh perspectives, practice good body language, and maintain eye contact.
Leveraging AI: Early careers talent has an incredible opportunity to leverage AI to drive efficiencies and add value positively.
Individuality in Applications: Consensus that using tools like ChatGPT for applications and CVs is discouraged. Employers value individuality in applications, which remains crucial.
Diversification Drivers: Clarifying the industry drivers for diversifying are centred around client creative work and ideation. The desire to deliver diverse perspectives and meet clients’ demands for representation of the world we live in.
By bringing industry and academia together, we aim to tackle barriers to entry, foster a more inclusive workforce, and prepare the next generation of talent to thrive in a competitive market.
A huge thanks to Carrie-Anne Woodard, Sheriff Showobi, Bridget Flatley, Laetitia Askew, Daisy Hall, Rachel Lenihan, Kate Grealish, Marc Vickery, Louisa Wetton, Carly David, Jonathan Wright, Lainy Malkani, Jackie Raphael-Luu, Chiara Minestrelli, Sam Brooker for your valuable insights and contributions.
Our thanks to Omnicom Media Group UK for enabling Impact to host at your fabulous offices.
In the growing landscape of the creative industry, personal branding has become an indispensable tool for professionals to carve out their niche and thrive in the creative job market. At Impact, we understand the importance of self-expression and how it can propel individuals toward career success. Here are 6 tips we tell our creative candidates to elevate their personal brand.
To build a compelling personal brand, it’s essential to embrace what sets you apart. Whether it’s your distinct style, perspective, or skill set, showcasing your authentic self is key.
Reflect on your passions, strengths, and values, and infuse them into your personal brand narrative. Remember, authenticity resonates with audiences and helps you build meaningful connections.
Clarify your brand identity by defining your unique selling proposition (USP) and core values. What makes you different from others in your field? What do you want to be known for? Craft a clear and concise elevator pitch that encapsulates your brand identity. This will serve as the foundation for your personal branding efforts and guide your messaging across various platforms.
Leverage social media and digital platforms as powerful tools to showcase your creative portfolio and expertise. Create a cohesive and visually appealing online presence that reflects your personal brand. Consistency is key across all platforms, from your website and LinkedIn profile to Instagram and Behance.
Use high-quality visuals like professional headshots, behind-the-scenes photos from your creative process, or beautifully edited portfolio pieces. Engage your audience with content like insightful blog posts sharing your creative journey, video tutorials showcasing your skills, or Instagram reels giving a glimpse into your daily life as a creative professional.
Share your journey, experiences, and insights through blog posts, videos, or podcasts. Be vulnerable and authentic in your storytelling, as it fosters relatability and empathy. Your story is what makes you memorable and resonates with those who share similar aspirations or challenges.
Position yourself as a thought leader in your niche by sharing valuable content and insights relevant to your industry. Engage in conversations, participate in relevant online forums or share your knowledge and experiences on LinkedIn posts. Establishing yourself as a go-to resource builds credibility and authority within your field, attracting opportunities and collaborations.
Networking plays a pivotal role in building your personal brand and expanding your professional circle. Attend industry events, workshops, and conferences to connect with like-minded individuals and potential collaborators. Cultivate genuine relationships with industry peers, mentors, and influencers, and seek opportunities to add value and support others in your network.
Mastering the art of personal branding is an ongoing process that requires dedication and continuous growth. By embracing these tips and committing to authentic self-expression, you’ll be well on your way to elevating your personal brand and unlocking new opportunities in the creative job market.
At Impact, we understand the importance of personal branding for creatives. That’s why we’re committed to not only connecting you with exciting job roles but also empowering you to thrive in your career by cultivating a distinct personal brand that sets you apart.
Connect with us on LinkedIn to tap into our expertise and resources, and take the first step towards unleashing your full potential.
Creating a creative portfolio that reflects your skills is the most important step for anyone looking for a job in the creative industry. A recruiter can help you develop the perfect portfolio to showcase your design talent. With our insight, you can create a portfolio that stands out from the crowd and increases your chances of getting your dream job, so here’s some top tips from our creative recruitment team!
Only showcase your best work
When it comes to putting together a portfolio, it’s important to only show off your best creative work. Showcasing your best pieces will give potential employers and clients an accurate representation of your skills, abilities and creativity. It’s essential to pick the right projects that showcase your individual style, so take the time to curate your portfolio carefully.
Start strong, finish even stronger!
It’s important to keep your interviewer engaged throughout the entire portfolio, rather than front-loading all of your best work and potentially losing their attention towards the end.
By strategically placing your strongest pieces at the beginning, middle, and end of your portfolio, you can create some anticipation. Allowing you to showcase the breadth and depth of your skills and experience, rather than just focusing on a few standout pieces.
Choose a website over a PDF file
A website-based portfolio is definitely the preferred choice over a standard PDF portfolio for our clients. Showcasing your work and skills through a personalised website-based portfolio can be a great way to stand out from the competition. A website portfolio allows you to present your professional experience, skills, and personality in an engaging way to potential employers. Not only does it make a strong impression, but it also gives you the opportunity to showcase your creativity and website building skills.
A clean format highlights work better
Clean formatting has become an essential part of making sure your work stands out. By using simple layouts and short, snappy descriptions, you can make sure that your work is easily understandable and visually appealing to your potential employer.
If you’re looking for a new role in the creative industry, search our jobs today or email one of our creative recruiters, Sally & Ferhan.
We can all agree that the last 2 years have been the most challenging period for the creative industry in living memory. After the shock of the lockdown in March 2020 the economy went into meltdown which, in turn, affected all businesses. We saw that the media and creative industry became particularly affected by a huge decrease in revenues, which resulted in many job losses. So the big question is, what is the industry like 2 years on?
After extensive research here at Impact Recruitment, we are happy to announce that our eagerly anticipated Market Guide 2022 is now available to download!
If you’re a client, now is your chance to get some first-hand industry insights into sourcing some great talent, along with the current salaries in our role specialities across the board.
Not only are our senior team members providing insights into the creative and media industry, but there are also contributing features on good communications, responsible business practices and rising to the challenge of sourcing good talent in 2022’s market.
We delve deep into the latest salary bandings across our key sectors; Marketing, Creative, HR, Talent and Business Support. All of which have been compiled through extensive client research from the past 6 months.
If you are a company or client, please email enquiries@impact-london.com to register your interest in our 2022 Market Guide.
Don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn for current roles, industry news and upcoming events.