Green white paper cover titled “How to Find Your First Creative Job,” surrounded by flying white booklets and pages on a white background.Green book cover titled “How to Find Your First Creative Job,” surrounded by flying white booklets and pages on a white background.
White Paper

How to Start
a Successful Creative Career: A Free Step-by-Step Guide

Field-Tested 3-Step System to Land Your First Creative Job — From Portfolio Preparation to Full-Time Offers

Доступно на Русском Языке
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
“Helpful and insightful”
York University logo with the word 'YORK' in serif font and a bold black square containing a stylized letter 'U'.
Andrew Reutsky in a navy blue suit, sitting at a wooden desk in a library, holding a printed guide titled “Guide to Starting a Successful Creative Career.”

About the Author:
From Recent Graduate
to Youngest Art Director
at Leo Burnett

Andrew Reutsky ↗
How to Build a Stable and Sustainable Creative Career

Many believe that creative careers—in design, writing, and advertising—are unstable. But with the right strategy, you can break into the creative industry and build a sustainable, rewarding career.

Research shows that an aspiring creative professional (i.e. writer, designer, editor) can secure a stable, well-paying job by following three straightforward, actionable steps.

As Explored in The Paper

Three-Step Guide
to Starting a Successful
Creative Career

Step 1

Build a Portfolio That Helps You Get
a Creative Internship

Covered: Resume, Creative Portfolio Tips, Finding Creative Internship
Don’t rely on your degree alone—employers want proof of creative thinking and craft. A strong portfolio is your real ticket into the creative industry.

Step 2

Ace Interviews and Get Hired
at a Creative Agency

Covered: Interview Preparation, First Job Offer, Getting Hired at a Creative Agency
Learn what agencies and studios are really looking for during interviews. This guide offers strategies to tailor your approach and land that first opportunity.

Step 3

Turn a Creative Internship Into
a Full-Time Creative Job

Covered: Why Employers Hire You, How to Get a Creative Job
Understand how to stand out during your placement and become the hire they can't afford to lose.

Download the Paper
Research Methodology

Academic Research with Field-Tested Insights from Creative Professionals Applied to the Needs of Aspiring Creatives

Backed by extensive research, the paper has been created in consultation with anticipated graduates and supported with insights from more than 30 successful creative professionals.

What Creative Directors Say About the Guide
“I wish I read this when I was first starting out”
CHARLIE LIKELY
CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Contribute to the Creative Career Guide

“Alone we can do do so little; together we can do so much.”
‍Helen Keller

Thank you! Your submission has been received.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.