Happy New Year! A new year always brings with it the potential of new adventures and possibilities.

To kick-off the job hunting season I wrote a list:

10 points to keep in mind when you are developing your short – medium and long term strategy. To find your dream job and to improve your skills in no time!

• SHORT TERM
  • 1 – Writing a CV. This may be more useful for people who wants to work full time o as contractors, less for freelancers. Most important rules: keep it short, relevant, easy to read.
    • Use the same keywords you see in the job post you are applying to. Add your contact addresses and your professional links.
    • Write what you believe are your key skills, what makes you someone they would like to work with. What can you bring on the table?
    • Don’t concentrate on what you still have to learn but on what you already know.
    • Remember to highlight your soft skills.
  • 2 – Adjusting your existing portfolio. No one is perfect. Sure, our portfolios can always be better, be improved, but we need to start somewhere. You don’t need to show you can do everything. Even 5/10 very good slides can work.
    • Remember to put the best at the beginning and at the end to leave a strong impression.
    • Do not forget the importance of communication. Being a great artist is important. Being able to send a work that is easy to read without you present to explain it, is crucial. It’s something everyone will value as much as your artistic craft.
  • 3 – Applying to job openings. Just give it a try. If you think, honestly, that is something you know you can easily do, try. Even if you don’t know all the 300 software in the job spec list. Be sure you can cover the key requirements and show the willing to learn the rest. You may just be the right person. Don’t be scared before going for it. Even if it doesn’t work, no one is going to black listing you (and you’ll learn something in the process. Every time. As little bit of knowledge it can be. Still and always useful).
  • 4 – Attend industry events, fairs and exhibitions. You can go as a visitor or renting a table and presenting your work. Either ways have their advantages! These places are great to:
    • form connections
    • check on trends, new projects and successes
    • put to test your recent works and gain feedback and useful data for your next projects.
    • You may also have the opportunity to participate in interesting panels and workshops.
• MID TERM
  • 5 – Keep working on fundamentals. This is so important. Our job doesn’t allow us to learn something and stop practicing. If you stop you will forget. Also, it takes years to master fundamentals so it’s a life long commitment! It will pay off in the long run. Try to cut 30 minutes a day for your exercises and you will improve faster than you can ever imagine!
  • 6 – Be curious and explore software and tools. We don’t want to be that person that does the same thing in the same way for years. Just for then, one day, discover that everything around changed. We don’t know the industry standard software anymore, the pipelines, the tools sold in the shops … The point is: we don’t need to know how to do everything. But always keep yourself curious, engaged, try new things, follow interesting tutorials. You never know what could be the asset in your skillset that will make you relevant on the next job!
  • 7 – Work on personal projects. Personal projects are fun.
    • They can give you the opportunity to put into practice what you are learning
    • To work on something you like and to attract curiosity from potential work contacts or followers!
    • They can also become a source of income (active or passive) if you become passionate about them.
  • 8 – Update your portfolio. We keep improving and our portfolio needs to show it. It’s a risky move, when we have a job, to just let our public windows wither without any update. You never know what kind of opportunities a regular update of your portfolio can bring!
• LONG TERM
  • 9 – Networking. You surely heard how much is important to keep meeting people and don’t be isolated. Knowing people from the same industry you want to work in can give you:
    • An idea of what you need to know, when a good opportunity may arise, which people you would like to work with.
    • You may meet colleagues and mentors who can give you sincere feedback when you need it.
    • Other creatives you can team up with and work together on projects.
  • Generally speaking can give you a sense of belonging. But there are no shortcuts! You may talk with all the people in a room and not seeing them ever again. Yes, even if the conversation was brilliant. Knowing people, really, requires time, effort and respect. But is one of the greatest assets in the long run.
    • 10 – Create customized portfolios for your dream jobs. This may seem daunting and annoying. You may think it’s a waste of time: you could use that time to look for a job or to create a new illustration. But remember: even with 5/6 great slides you can make a good impression.
      • Concentrate on quality over quantity.
      • Try to think of it more like a pitch than a generic showcase of art.
      • You are pitching yourself and explaining why you would do great if you were part of the team. Imagine you being the art director of that company. What would you like to see?

That’s it! I sincerely wish you to achieve all of your goals and to not be discouraged.

I know the economic situation in the latest years wasn’t very bright, but crisis comes and go. Skills you develop are here to stay and to bring you wherever you want to go. It takes time. It takes effort. Sometimes it takes some compromises.

But you can and will achieve everything you want if you put in the work.

If you wish any of these points to be further explained, just leave a comment at the bottom of the page. I’ll do my best to answer!

Also, if you have any anecdote or tips you want to share in the comment section, please do! Sharing our knowledge and form bonds with other artists is what makes us stronger 🙂

P.S: If you feel a bit overwhelmed or just want to read more on the topic I wrote this other article on the subject: https://bethatartist.com/2024/12/07/the-job-of-looking-for-an-art-job/