How to stand out when you’re starting out

Wise Guides is an advice series for creatives navigating the first years of their careers. In this piece, Creative Lives in Progress pulls together a jam-packed resource list to get you started on all the essentials.

Whether you’ve recently graduated or are making your own way into the creative world, embarking on your all-important first steps into the industry can be daunting and thrilling in equal parts. Alongside the promise of the unknown, this period brings the inevitable pressure to stand out and get noticed, especially in the process of job-seeking.

Breaking into the creative industry without existing connections or privilege can feel like a steep uphill climb. While there’s no one simple fix to get ahead, we believe that setting yourself up for the best chances involves a delicate mix of knowledge, preparation and action.

Here we’re taking you on a whistle-stop tour of some of the most essential current advice and tips that Creative Lives in Progress frequently imparts to emerging creatives – all drawn from knowledgeable employers, clients, recruiters and creatives who have experienced the climb firsthand. So, notebooks at the ready: Let's get you off to the best start in industry!

Building a standout portfolio

Whether you’re a budding visual creative, wordsmith or more of a strategist, having a portfolio you’re proud to show will set you apart from the crowd. You might have heard that a lot of creatives use Instagram as their portfolio, and of course a website is great too; but most times a PDF portfolio will be the universally accepted format. This is for anything from job applications and email outreach, to potential clients or meet-and-greets, such as portfolio reviews.

Again, this is where tailoring and editing will become your best friend. Start with curating the work you’ll include: Select your best and most relevant work for the situation. It can be tempting to include everything “just in case“, but trust us, this can be more damaging than helpful.

A well-organised portfolio typically includes a cover page, a curated selection of 5-10 projects, and a final page, ideally with a note or contact information. Clear project titles, concise captions, and proper credits make navigation easy. We also advise using a layout that makes your work the focus. Select images carefully and ensure they are high-quality but optimised, so your portfolio file isn’t huge. Including personal or self-initiated projects will demonstrate your passion and eagerness to learn.

Making industry connections

Phrases like “your network is your net worth” can sound cringe, but it’s true that contacting strangers is another unavoidable element of starting out. You might as well embrace it, because whichever creative discipline you specialise in, networking can significantly aid your first or next steps within a career. If you’re a freelancer or in full-time work, you might need to reach out regarding an open role, asking for career advice or in search of a creative collaborator.

Making and sustaining relevant industry connections is easier said than done, but in 2024, this might translate to sliding into your favourite creative’s DMs, chiming in on a Linkedin post, joining an after-work sports team or having a chat with someone in your co-working space, studio or Slack channel.

Email outreach is timeless and sending a great email to the right person can also lead to a host of different opportunities, from meeting a new mentor to getting a press feature to collaborating with someone you admire. Rule number one? Email people, not places. Avoid emailing generic ‘studio@’ or ‘info@’ addresses and contact an actual person rather than a place or entire team. If you’ve met someone IRL, emailing them to follow up is another great networking tip.

Using social media in a healthy way

Of course, there is no right or wrong way to use socials to stand out, but there are ways to set boundaries to ensure you get the best out of them while looking after yourself. Whether you’re on Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn, for all your accounts, it’s always a good idea to ask yourself: What do I want out of this platform and how can it help me?

Establishing different accounts is one way to set boundaries between your public work and personal life. Then, think quality over quantity. Especially on Instagram, sharing what you love is far more likely to produce better outcomes than sharing what you think people want to see. Building a social media presence takes time, consistency and patience, so try not to dwell on how well something performs.