Based on the principles that have been introduced in lecture 1 of the Enterprise module, investigate who you are as a creative in relation to who is out there looking for creative talent.
What skills do you have and who needs them?
What skills are needed and how do you go about developing them?
What are your professional/creative aims and how do they relate to the needs of the world at large?
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As an advertising student, the product that I have to offer is an obvious one - I provide a service for potential clients, advertising their product/company in the most creative and original way possible.
What may be apparent to me as a creative may not be apparent to somebody who is in business as a baker, for example. They might be great at making cakes, but if they were to try and come up with a strategy of how to get their cakes into 1 in 3 homes in Leeds, they wouldn’t know where to start. Creativity is invaluable (but, fortunately, we can put a price on it).
At the moment I am “only” a student, so I have to recognise that my skills will not be as commercially valued as those who have been in the advertising industry for years and years, however, they are invaluable to certain clients.
Not every business has thousands of pounds at their disposal and can’t afford to instruct the best of the best to create a campaign for them, and this is where approaching an advertising student offers up a unique situation - the student gains invaluable experience, and the company gets an advertising campaign for free (or much cheaper than industry standard.)
As with most things nowadays, the Internet has significantly expanded the scope for business. Websites such as Odesk.com allow you to pick up jobs that potential clients have posted. They are very specific in their needs, such as asking for a promotional website banner and specifying that they will pay £50 for this to be completed.
As well as being able to pick up specific jobs, you are also able to create a profile with a simplified version of a CV. People who are looking for somebody to do a job for them can browse the profiles until they find somebody who they think are suitable, and can them approach them personally. This can be of great benefit to the freelancer as the competition on this kind of website is unbelievable - you have to remember, you are competing with the entire world, not just Bob and Fred from down the road.
With each job completed, this builds up your reputation, and more people are likely to approach you if you have a bigger reputation.
Online presence is a very important aspect in today’s market as it is the first port of call for many people - after all, how many of us when we need something will just go and Google it? Being in advertising, you are constantly trying to sell yourself as a fresh and innovative talent, so it is incredibly important to keep up to date with developments in technology. Calling yourself “fresh” and then having to admit you don’t have an online portfolio? It’s a bit of a contradiction. Technology is so important.
My creative aims at this very point in time are just to experience as much as I can before going into the industry. Though it may seem like I am at a disadvantage being a student with no experience, I actually hold something very valuable - I am at an art college.
There are very few remaining specialist art establishments left in the country, and even fewer in the North. If I am approaching agencies in London, then I am giving them the opportunity to not only connect with the North, but also the chance to break into an art school audience, where the much of the new and upcoming talent is sourced from.
We’re all going through difficult times at the moment, and if there is an opportunity for businesses to exploit a situation (let’s be frank with each other) they’re going to do it. I am ready to be exploited!
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