Industry engagement post - interview

As part of my engagement with the creative media industry i interviewed my sister, Mia Goodley, who works at PolyDoor which is a record label within universal music. She also worked within the recruitment department for a few years where she gained a lot of experience with placing creative people within the company. This gave her a lot of insight into what big creative companies, like universal, are looking for when it comes to creatives. After asking a few questions related to what I want to do as a career she went to explain how video content, specifically within social media, has become an integral part of a music artists success. She went on to highlight how companies like universal music are constantly looking for innovative ways to brand and market their artists.

What employers are looking for

Given her background in recruitment, Mia provided me with some advice on what employers are currently looking for within the creative media industry. She emphasized:

-             Adaptability: the creative industry moves so quick that being able to keep up with trends and adapt to new platforms and techniques is crucial

-             Technical proficiency: at the end of the day you are there to do a job and you need the necessary skills to complete that job to the highest standard possible. Meaning if your job is to edit videos you will need extensive knowledge, skills and experience with software like Adobe Premiere Pro.

-             Strong creative skills: these days everyone is looking for the next best thing, and to create it requires unique, out the box creative thinking. You need to be able to bring fresh ideas to the table.

-             A good portfolio: while education is important, when looking at the creative industry employers are more concerned about a strong portfolio with quality work.

Career advice & next steps

Towards the end of the interview I asked if there was any advice she would give herself when she was about to finish university and enter the job world. One thing stood out among the rest, the importance of networking. She stressed that in a world like the creative media industry who you know and the connections you have are almost as important as your skills. She advised me to start reaching out to professionals through LinkedIn and attend networking events. She also told me to take the feedback from this portfolio seriously, in her words ‘get all the help you can get, real help can never be a bad thing’

This interview reinforced my confidence in my desired career path and provided tangible advice and has informed my next steps going forward. Talking to someone who not only has experience in the industry but also hiring experience has given me a much better understanding of what potential employers are looking for and how I can be that.