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Digital Communication

First contact- what is the best way to reach out to the professional world and start to pursue a career. How to contact clients, design studios or look for commissions.

Brief: 

  • research and gather info on CV and email writing in the creative industry.

  • create a cv for your website

  • 'about' page on your website

  • details of who you could make contact with.

Online Resources:

https://weare.guru/creative-cvs/

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/careers/documents/students/other/creativecvguide(1).pdf

I don’t need a CV to feel fancy; the quicker I can get at the facts, the better. But it matters to me that a CV is well written with good spelling, punctuation and grammar. Even where these are a student’s weak point, and they know it and have got the detail right by marshalling some help, this tells me a lot. In contacting design practices, I think it’s important that it’s clear that they’ve done their homework and are interested in what the practice does. And that they’ve got a name: “Dear Sir or Madam” is obviously scattergun."

There is much debate about innovative CVs within the creative industries. For some, the more unusual the better, whilst others expect a CV to simply provide clear, written information, relying on the portfolio to evidence creative skills. This places applicants in a dilemma; send the wrong style of CV to a company and their chances are doomed. This is where that tried and tested method – research – can help. Look at the company website and marketing information. Does that give any clues? Do you have any contacts within the company that may be able to offer some light to your quandary? Who will be receiving your CV? If it is HR or the finance manager, will they be interested in a highly creative CV or would they prefer a simpler format? How about phoning or emailing the company to ask what type of CV they would prefer? It is the really unusual or wacky CVs that are most at risk. People either love them or loathe them. When they hit the mark they are a great success and interviews follow, but the rest of the time they simply provide light entertainment in the design office before ending up in the bin.

CVs for Freelance and Self Employed:

By Elaine Banham – Head of Creative Careers, University of the Arts London If you are planning to join the ever-growing legion of freelance creatives, you will need a carefully designed CV that promotes your skill set to the relevant potential client. Be clear that you are in business and what service you are offering. Your opening statement should encapsulate this as well as catch the reader’s attention. You could headline achievements, recent job successes or relevant training. Keep it short and aimed at the person to whom you are writing. Your contact information needs to stand out – make it easy for busy commissioning editors or studio managers to contact you, so supply clear mobile, email and web information. It helps to summarise relevant skills and experience as well as promoting your capacity to deliver ‘the job’, whether it’s an illustration, a fashion event, an article for a magazine or design work. Highlight or list creative or technical capabilities and demonstrate commercial understanding in a concise and accessible way. Too long and the reader loses interest, too short and you may be underselling yourself. This first point of contact needs to express how well you manage and organise your own business. Even if you are in the early stages of building your freelance career, your CV is an opportunity to show confident information handling, flexibility and reassurance alongside your skills and experience.

These are 2 examples that I like:

Screen Shot 2021-04-20 at 11.56.35 am.pn
Screen Shot 2021-04-20 at 11.56.20 am.pn
My CV
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As part of this module I will research in to places I could potentially sell work which will include galleries and shops, I will also research craft fairs and exhibition spaces with an eye to creating my own exhibition as a way of selling things, launching a business and getting my work out in to the world. I am also considering creating a facebook page and an etsy shop.

https://blog.folksy.com/2021/04/28/how-to-write-an-engaging-usp

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