Creative Graduate

Hi! My name is Jess, and I’m the founder of Creative Graduate (or CG, as I’m fondly calling it!) The idea of CG came to me because I really liked other accounts that were offering student and grad advice, but wasn’t aware of many that were targeted directly at those in the creative industries. I felt like I had some advice and experience I could share that might be helpful – so here we are!

I graduated with a 2:1 in Psychology from the University of Sheffield in 2018 and spent two years trying to get a job in theatre after being made redundant in 2019. I was frustrated with everything at this point, I’d spend hours filling out applications (all of which are in different formats) and rarely ever heard back. I had a few interviews, which I felt went well but the feedback was always the same: you don’t have enough experience. This was even more frustrating, because I was sure I had the skills needed for the roles, but no-one would give me the chance to gain this oh-so-vital experience.

I’d always wanted to work in theatre, but I decided to broaden my horizons to try and secure a creative job to gain some experience. And it worked! In February 2020 I had an interview at a great company for an events management role, after three (!) interviews I received a job offer, and was due to start in March 2020. Unfortunately, as the Covid-19 pandemic hit my start date was extended, extended and then – rescinded. I was devastated, but thankfully I hadn’t yet left my job in hospitality, so I had a lifeline, which I’m so grateful for.