How To Get Ahead: Networking In The Creative Industries

Digital Media Student and Social Media team reporter Brooke White gives us a #unigoals lowdown on a recent Creative Industry Networking Event that was presented by the Queensland College of Art (QCA) on the Gold Coast. For those who missed the event, we think you will especially like the ‘takeaways’ that Brooke shares below.

Students of Queensland College of Art, myself included, were this year invited to attend our first industry networking event and I thought to myself, that would make a great post to share during our #unigoals week at the Gold Coast.

Hosted by the QCA and organised by the Careers and Employment Service, the event gave us the opportunity to hear some personal career stories from professionals working in the creative industries and learn more about future career opportunities.

Keen to find out what this networking business was all about, I headed over to the Sky Lounge (G11) at the Gold Coast campus, where I was pleasantly surprised to find my own personalised business cards and name tags waiting for me, courtesy of the Careers and Employment Service.

Networking 101

I soon discovered that networking starts with us and it is a skill that can be practised. Nicole Graham from the Careers and Employment Service kicked things off with a presentation on “Networking 101”, to teach us some key networking tips and tricks, then sent us all outside to practice our newly learnt skills of networking, power stances, introductions and goodbye.

It was all fun and games, until then the pros arrived…

We heard from a wide range of professionals working within different areas of the creative industries, such as Graphic Design, 3D Design, Interior Design, Digital Design and Photo Media.

The panel included:

David Shaw, Melissa Reid, Jenica Smith, Felicity Yang, Jai Mitchell, Sarah Schoeller, Marissa Bowden, Nic Nichols and Mitchell Hickey. For a greater look at the professionals the list is linked at the bottom of this post.

It was great of them to take time out from their busy jobs in order to share their personal career experiences with us as well as some fun stories of their time in the industry.

If you’re a QCA student and you missed the event, here are my standout ‘takeaways’ from the mouths of the professionals:

“Quality over quantity! Your folio doesn’t have to be long and involved. Only include your best work and showcase the work you want.”

“Mix up your skills, but don’t aim to do everything. You’re better off being good at a few things than being not-so-good at a lot of things.”

“Join creative, design and/or art organisations. It’s a great way to keep up with what’s happening in your industry and a chance to meet new people, potential clients and employers!”

“Follow other creative professionals and design blogs, this way you can learn about the latest trends. Being able to keep up with trends is one of the most important skills to have within the creative industry.”

We later broke for food and the chance to meet and chat further face-to-face with the industry professionals, whilst practicing our new networking skills.

Overall, there was a really good turnout and I think we soon-to-be graduates learnt some valuable lessons about the competitive creative industries we are so excited about joining.

For more industry and networking posts, check out the links below:

• 5 Reasons Why Students Should Attend Industry Events

• Griffith Career Board shares job search hints, industry events and networking opportunities.

• Griffith Careers and Employment has a wide range of services to help out you guys! Resume writing, interview tips, career direction and more.

To see the professionals who attended the event view the 2015-Industry-and-Staff-Contact-List-1.

– By Brooke White