by Brandon Piggott

After graduating, it can feel like every employer is looking for a junior with 10+ years experience and it often seems like everyone you ask has a different story of how they got their first job. But everyone has to start somewhere right? Well, here’s a fewtips on how to give yourself the best chance at landing a job and starting life after graduation.

Networking: As much as it sounds like shameless self-promotion (GO TO YOUNGBLOODS EVENTS), attending networking events is the best way to mingle and get to know people in the industry. It can be daunting at times, but get a group of friends together and go down to as many events as possible – even events that aren’t ran by Youngbloods.

If you do get a few friends to come with you, don’t just sit in a corner and only talk to them, push yourself to talk to at least 3 new people. And remember don’t treat this as an interview, just use it as an opportunity to get to know people in the industry and let people in the industry get to know you. At the end of the day, people hire people, if a Creative/Account Director is looking at two equally good books/resumes, they are going to choose the person that they’ve met before and know has a good attitude.

As much as it is a shitty cliché, getting your first job is a lot about who you know. In this industry job positions are rarely advertised and are often filled by someone who knows someone in the agency, so get to networking and get to know as many people in the industry as possible.

Book/resume: Coming from a creative background, you want your student book to be “all killer no filler” – I don’t know where I got that expression from but the sentiment is true, only put work in your book that you are proud of and if you don’t have work you’re proud of, keep working on it. You want your book to be a representation of you and an exhibition of your skills. I can only assume the same goes for the business side of agency life; you'll want your resume to speak for you.