The creative market is moving very fast, despite signs that the economy is slowing down, and now the expectations of creatives and designers are as high as ever. But help is at hand from us Trufflettes with our simple tips on how to stay relevant in the creative industry.
Learn New Skills
Get yourself onto a course, there is so much going on within strategy, development, user experience, product and service design, and so much to learn. There are online courses if you’re stuck for time and meatier 3-month quickfire courses like the ones at the General Assembly. We are also huge fans of Udemy and Treehouse which we know many of our candidates have used in the past – they will help you quickly acquire some extra UX/UI knowledge and take your skills to new levels.
Redesign Your Folio
Portfolios can fast look dated, make sure you’re always looking to improve and add to yours. Look to redesign the layout, look to re-platform your website, your folio is your shop front. You need to lure people in and keep them interested, make them want you. Take a look at other designers’ portfolios who you admire; how are they doing it? What makes them stand out? Use your creative eye and always critique your work. You should be spending a couple of hours each week keeping your folio up to date. Start now.
Keep Connecting
While the word “networking” is slightly grating at times, there’s something to be said for chatting to the right people in your field or attending local networking events. Following designers and creatives on social can also be useful, not only to inspire you but also for a spot of online mentoring. The wonderful Marcus Michaels on Instagram is great for that and often dishes out coding tips or answers questions from those looking for advice.
Embrace Change
You can’t run from it or hide from it so you must embrace it! Don’t be worried about failure, all the great entrepreneurs have made mistakes and fear should never hold you back. Change is good and is vital if you are to stay relevant in the creative industry. As Elbert Green Hubbard, the artist and philosopher once said: “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”
Good luck, and remember to visit our jobs board for all our latest roles: wordpress-545250-1747525.cloudwaysapps.com/jobs
