(mellow electronic music)
-: Remember, no matter how talented you are,
just don't be an asshole.
We all want to work in a nice environment,
and we're very decent people.
-: My approach to hiring has always been relatively simple.
It's, you know, hire nice people who are good at their job.
-: Yeah.
-: It's as simple as doing it in that order
because it's a lot easier to teach someone
to be good at their job
than it is to teach them to be a nice person.
-: You have passion and raw talent,
you have to come with those,
and then certain skills, certain tools,
that's our job then to give you.
-: Making those inroads
into the industry as early as you can,
whether you're working your Easter holiday,
or some weeks in the summer holiday,
or any of those kind of things,
it sort of just starts to get you in a place
where you you can understand what actually the industry is,
I suppose, and how it operates.
-: I think for me it was super beneficial to do an internship
whilst I was still at university,
because it relieves the pressure
of having to know exactly what you wanna get into,
and then I think have better chance
of naturally falling into something that you enjoy.
Like I never knew production was a career
that you could go into.
-: If you are open to different roles,
you can actually start somewhere quicker
than if you would be waiting for the perfect role.
-: When you start working, especially in agency life,
it will very quickly become apparent where you can fit.
-: Everyone has their own pace and their own opportunity.
A lot of people think that they need to decide
on a certain thing at a very early stage.
And I feel like it might not be the case for everyone.
You can try everything out,
just something new, you know,
you don't know if it's good for you or if it's bad,
but not until you try it will you know.
-: Get someone in the industry, get someone in an agency,
just reach out and say, "Hey, I saw your work.
I really like what you've done.
I'd love to get to know more.
I don't know where to start."
-: There's a saying that we always say,
it's like shy bairns get nowt.
So basically if you don't ask, you don't get.
It's that the confidence of just being like
what's worse that can happen?
Like, just go for it.
-: It's about building a community from the off,
making friends, telling people
what you are interested in what they do,
asking them specific bits of advice,
not just going straight in, being like, "Can I have a job?"
Like, it is actually just being like,
"Hey, do you wanna have a chat about this certain subject?
I'd like to get your thoughts on it."
-: I'll give you a story.
I mean, you know, a few weeks back,
a graduate just reached out,
and rather than simply saying,
"Here's my folio, have a look,"
she engaged in conversation.
She shared a point of view.
So I replied, and suddenly we're having a conversation,
and I'm really interested in her worldview.
So I ask her a few questions,
and before you know it,
I've invited her to speak to Sarah, our studio manager.
She's then spoke to Tasha, one of our senior creatives,
and maybe she'll join our intern academy.
And that was a very easy transition from being a graduate
without possible connections
to maybe being part of our agency in the short term.
-: Don't be shy to talk about experiences
that you might have had
that are not necessarily related to the creative industry.
So you know, your part-time work,
you know the types of hobbies that you've got,
what kind of things you enjoy,
and those things can really start a lovely discussion,
and I think then it's up to us
to help find that thing in the person.
-: Before, I didn't have experience in the industry,
but what I did have was other skills that were transferrable
in terms of client management skills
that would help me be a producer.
And it's about elucidating
that to whoever you're speaking to,
if you manage to get in the room with an interview,
you know, be confident in the skills that you have.
-: Put in the work and the grit,
and work more than everyone else at that stage,
because that's what you're gonna put you
in a better position.
-: I treated looking for a job as a job.
I had literally made Excel spreadsheets and didn't give up.
And I think use every avenue that you have
to explore the opportunities that are there.
So there's many job sites and whatnot,
but also just your portfolio.
It's how you put yourself out there.
-: Be able to speak about yourself, yeah,
and about your work,
because no one can sell you like you can sell you,
and no one's gonna.
It's so powerful to be able to speak about your values,
your ideas, your work, why you've done it the way you have,
and explain your creative process to people
who want to know about it.
-: There's no better way of getting into the industry
than making things.
I get contact by people daily
who say, "I haven't done this work yet.
I haven't a chance."
The truth is, you've just gotta make it.
And when you're early in your career, it's low risk.
Making work that you believe in
is the fastest way to find a home,
as long as you research
and make sure that that's a good cultural fit
and creative fit for you.
-: I think a good place to start
is just getting a portfolio together,
getting a body of work together.
It could be sort of real briefs,
but it could just be your own interest.
-: Just do it.
Just if you love it, just start doing it,
and you'll figure out a way.
Like, that sounds like garbage, but just make it up,
and you can put on it, you know, "This is spec work.
Like, "I've just created this to show you."
-: Something that played like a major role for me
was portfolio reviews.
Coming out of uni you feel like, oh yeah,
"I've got a portfolio, I'm so this,"
and then you actually meet people who work in the industry,
and they look at your work,
and there's like tons of work that you can do
to like make it stronger.
-: Don't hold back on the idiosyncratic work,
or the things that feel maybe raw
as compared to something highly polished,
because oftentimes, they're the things that reveal
who you really are as a creative.
-: When you're younger,
you maybe feel like you're a bit different
or are a bit weird,
because you think about things maybe slightly differently.
So if you can show that, the weirder, the better.
-: Don't give up, either.
Gotta keep going.
But seriously- -: That's really,
really helpful- -: Loads of people give up.
As soon as you add something, and you don't give up,
you bring, and you keep trying,
and don't blame other people if you fail,
and don't be negative about it,
it's amazing how quickly you achieve something.
(austere piano jingle)