Ram Castillo came to JMC Academy to discuss the best way to get a job in the creative industry, specifically in design.
Ram, an award-winning Senior Designer, Art Director, Blogger, CreativeLive.com Instructor and Author of the internationally acclaimed book 'How to get a job as a designer, guaranteed' is imparting his wisdom onto the JMC Community!
Based in Sydney, Australia, he started a blog in 2012, GiantThinkers, which has gone on to help thousands of design students and graduates become employed. Ram has since been featured in Communication Arts, HOW magazine and AIGA. He recently came and spoke to our students on how to get yourself out there and actioning steps for emerging as a creative.
We have pulled some key points from Ram’s talk that can help you find that perfect job in the creative industries!
- A portfolio is a refined and considered selection of your best work, customised to speak to the area of creativity you are applying for. It should showcase your proven abilities, examples of completed work and potential for growth
- A large degree of your competence and abilities are measured by your portfolio and informs your potential employment opportunities
- Your craft is a commercialised artistry, you are a service and you offer a specific product
- Do not target everybody, you are not speaking to everybody
- Extend your personality into your work and use your portfolio as a chance to express yourself
- "80% of jobs in the western world are filled through word of mouth, only 20% of jobs available are publicly advertised"
- What is networking? It’s about building relationships. It's by far the most effective job search tool you can use
- People always say ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’, but Ram disagrees. He believes "It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you"
- Conversations have a starting point. Create that starting point, say hi to people, introduce yourself "Hi, I don’t usually speak to strangers but you don’t look too strange. My name is…’ ‘ Hi I don’t mean to pry but that looks really interesting, what are you working on?" Examples galore!
- Social media is a key way of networking, especially through LinkedIn. It Is a good way to get and maintain connections, and is a place to ‘find and be found.’ It is also a great way to research people and companies before an interview
- Employers want to work with people they like. Therefore, you need to contribute in an interview. You need a likeability factor.
- What makes you different from other candidates? Embrace that you are already different, and use it. Who you are, where you have been and what are your life experiences?
- Creative Communities to check out include
- Creative job post websites worth looking at include
Want to study Design (Visual Communication) at JMC?
Our Favourite Ram Quotes
- "Don’t wait for perfection – aim for it, but learn as you go"
- "See things how they are, not worse than they are. Often times we can easily self-sabotage ourselves because of the unknown"
- "What getting the creative jobs you want boils down to being accountable and taking responsibility. Successful people don’t sit still. They are constantly networking and developing themselves"
- "My dad taught me that success is a decision"
We would like to thank Ram for coming to JMC Academy and giving this incredibly helpful talk.
If you would like to learn more about Ram and his wise words, visit his site
Choose JMC Academy
3 campuses across Australia in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane
Over 20 different courses on offer from Animation to Entertainment Business Management
The opportunity to complete part of your course abroad
