A small tiny graduate vs the creative industry

The reality vs. expectations

A lost creative? 

Back in 2018, I applied for an Arts Foundation course at the University of Lincoln, (desperately hoping it would help me figure out what I actually wanted to do with my life).  I can’t say I have ever been a standout student in your traditional academic subjects, I just loved the subjects that allowed me to be creative in any shape or form. Whether it was art, drama, or creative writing, that was the only time I really enjoyed school.

Throughout the year of my foundation course, I bounced between fine art, illustration and graphic design but nothing was really sticking, until I found myself in an intro talk to the Creative Advertising course, and within 30 minutes, I was sold.

A degree on how to be creative 

In 2021, I started my degree in Creative Advertising, immersing myself in out-of-the-box thinking, the art of ideation, and everything from print ads to social media campaigns. Our agency days in Manchester and London gave me firsthand experience working on briefs for major agencies like Dentsu and Rise at Seven. The first two years flew by and before I knew it I  was in my final year, writing a dissertation, completing a portfolio, being part of a creative team and planning for our final show - The Creative Glitch. 

I loved every part of my degree. Presenting projects went from something terrifying to something I genuinely enjoyed. As both a person and a creative, my confidence grew, and I worked incredibly hard within a creative partnership to create work we were both proud of, which leads me to our final project. 

Using our own experience to inspire and encourage creative thinking in schools and showing young people that even if they don’t fit the traditional academic mold (like myself), creativity is a valuable skill with so many possibilities. It was incredibly rewarding to see this work awarded the Best Impact Project award, and myself as the top graduating student. 

That hard work paid off and led to us securing a placement up north in Newcastle (up the toon), with a creative team where I had the opportunity to put everything I’d learned into practice and delve into the real world of advertising.

The reality of agency life

Working in an agency was a whole new ball game, being thrown in at the deep end (in the best way possible), we were working across a vast range of brands that delivered everything from kids’ holidays to sports campaigns to police recruitment. Unlike university, where creative freedom was endless, the real world had budgets, deadlines, and clients. Even simple things, like setting up a deck and presenting ideas for real-life clients and not university lecturers, were learning curves. The amount I learnt in my first month was insane let alone by the time six months passed by.

My placement wrapped up after six months, my creative partner went off travelling, and I found myself back home - job hunting, solo, and unsure of what on earth to do next.

The job hunt: Rejection, reality checks  and flat whites

I sent out countless applications, pouring hours into cover letters, only to hear the same responses: not enough experience, not quite the right fit. With each rejection the more disheartened I became. I started questioning everything: my degree, my abilities, and my future. LinkedIn became my worst enemy, a doom-scroll of comparison to everyone around me, feeling like I was stuck in limbo.

I’d left university convinced that a first-class degree, a strong portfolio, a placement, and a real passion for all things creative was going to get me my dream job. But here I was, learning the hard way that the creative industry is (most certainly) not easy to break into.

After feeling sorry for myself (for a bit too long) I started applying for anything and everything and found myself working as a barista at Costa  (mastering the art of a flat white is harder than initially thought and turns out latte art is not at all easy). Luckily enough the opportunity came up to work as a part-time ‘marketing graduate’ at a local catering and retail butcher (as a vegetarian….buttttt I’m a firm believer that stepping into an unfamiliar industry doesn’t mean you can’t bring a fresh perspective and an open mind). Giving me hands-on experience running social media - something I’d only ever briefly touched on in my time up north - I loved it!

Figuring it out as I go

This role, however, threw another curveball: Did I want to be a copywriter? An art director? A digital marketer? A content creator? At university, it was very much suggested you're either an art director or a copywriter. But I'm beginning to realise, it’s not that simple nor does it necessarily have to be that set in stone. 

University often presents a degree as the sole path to employment (or at least that's how I perceived it to be), you get the grades, and you work hard,  but the creative industry is most definitely not easy to get into. Do I regret my degree? Not at all. Was I naive to think it would guarantee me my dream job? Absolutely. After months of feeling negative, deflated and defeated about my situation, I decided I really needed to change my perspective on the whole situation, reminding myself why I wanted to work within the creative industry in the first place. 

So why do I want to work in a creative agency? 

Despite what felt like a lot of twists and turns, my goal still remains the same. I want to work in a creative agency because I thrive in fast-paced, collaborative environments. I love problem-solving, the art of storytelling whether that's through words, visuals or both to bring together a brand campaign or a social post. 

And it was this that brought me here, to Knapton Wright - and a week of work experience to get a real taste of agency life again. Every agency is different, but whether it's six months or five days, the sheer amount you can learn being directly in the environment where it is all happening - seeing the ins and outs firsthand - is something university simply cannot teach you. 

Knapton Wright has opened my eyes to working in a small agency with big ideas, bold goals, and a focus on sustainability- something that is extremely close to my own heart. 

They say you don’t truly learn how to drive until you’ve passed your test, and honestly? That’s exactly what being a creative fresh(ish) out of university feels like.I don’t have it all figured out yet, and that is OKAY!