Creatives are different
The path into the creative department is a bit different from most careers.
For most creative roles, the way in is through building a portfolio, often called your 'book'. This is a collection of speculative advertising concepts for brands and businesses that demonstrate your creative thinking.
This book isn’t about execution alone; it’s about ideas. A rough sketch of a brilliant idea will beat a beautifully finished mediocre one.
Build your portfolio
There are a few ways to build the skills and work you’ll need to get into a creative department.
There is no single required pathway, but creative roles usually come down to the strength of your ideas, how you show your thinking, and the work in your portfolio.
Get your work seen
If you're studying through the MDS or AUT courses mentioned above, you'll develop a portfolio, often as part of a two-person creative team. Senior industry creatives may be invited to portfolio events where they can see the books developed through the course and meet the students. This is one of the main pathways into creative departments.
If you haven't done those courses and have developed your book independently, start by identifying creative agencies in the list below and doing some research. Find out who the senior creatives are at those agencies. Look for titles like Chief Creative Officer, Executive Creative Director or Creative Director, then search for them on LinkedIn.
Hustle to get a coffee with them and show them your book, or be creative in how you catch their attention. The way you approach them is another chance to demonstrate how you think.
