Working in a creative field, especially in a technical role, can be quite demanding. Skillsets are becoming more easy to pick up than ever, and even personal hobbyists seem to have a degree of competence with certain programs. That means there has never been a more important time for you to refine your creative competence. Luckily, simple technical knowledge is not the only virtue an employer looks for in a role such as this.
They also prize the following completely:
Tenacity
You will come across testing clients. This will likely be seven out of every ten clients you come into contact with. It’s simply not right to believe every client will have absolutely no feedback or will accept everything you put forward as fact. Clients are always looking for a sense of what they have in mind, and if it isn’t delivered they will let you know about that immediately. This can be quite frustrating, especially if you have worked very hard on improvements, only to have them rejected and an inferior draft heralded. However, this is part of the business, and it always will be until the end of time. It’s essential you have the tenacity to come back again and again, and keep going during even the frustrating moments. An employer will notice this and prize you for it.
Self-Tuition
Creative employers hire creative staff because they know they can do the work. The thing is that most of these creative applications change often, from updates to complete overhauls, it’s essential to keep refining your competence and skill set here. For example, using useful adobe learning resources can help you keep in touch with the common requirements that even the most diligent employees might not find time to keep up on. Making this skillset upgrade as easy as possible can help you retain that information, and hopefully, put it to good use in the future.
Communication
It’s essential to communicate effectively. Without the capacity to do this, you will often find yourself either trying to fulfill a brief that was not specified in a certain way, or neglecting to express why you have made certain changes to your client. Communication is arguably more important than beginning the project or continuing with it, as if that foundation is not provided, none of it will matter. Be sure to ask questions, take notes, and have your client truly explain their desires, ideally in a carefully written form. This will help you refer to the creative direction you are under, while also being able to use this as proof of intention if they suggest your changes they asked for were never required (yes, clients can, unfortunately, do this.)
Turnaround
Simply put, you need to perform. If you cannot turn the work around, no matter how good, in a timely fashion, you will fall to the wayside. This is something you should avoid. Get better at managing your time, working effectively, and brushing up on techniques to edit, create and render in a faster and more disciplined manner.
These four tips are essential for anyone hoping to make it in a technically creative industry. We wish you the best of luck here.
