I love artists. My parents owned an art gallery growing up in Brazil, my father is a plastic artist, and I have done a lot of graphic design in my past. My company is always looking for creatives in video, web, and print. I love meeting young talented people who bring fresh ideas and new sensitives to our portfolio. Good work from young creatives is like looking at the world through a fresh set of eyes. But often, managing creatives can be difficult and downright painful. I often get asked during the interview process at our company what I’m looking for in a creative hire. Here’s my wish list:
Speak up. Don’t be afraid to bring your perspective into a project. That’s what we want from you–your youth and everything that comes with it.
Be teachable. Your design video is not God-breathed and, believe it or not, it can be improved with input from your superiors and, shockingly, even your clients. Remember, you can learn from anyone.
Deliver the goods. Concepts, ideas, and visioning are great, but deliverables are what count at the end. If you can’t deliver the goods, than you won’t last long. In the real world, deadlines do matter.
Keep drama away. If you can do good creative work without drama, you’ll be ahead of a lot of your peers. The earlier you realize that every project is not about you and that your job is to please the client, you’ll go far. I will hire a low-maintenance, low-drama creative who’s good and wants to grow before I’ll hire the prima donna who thinks she’s already great.
Work hard. There’s no substitute for hard work. Be willing to put in the effort and hours that take to get the job done.
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