It’s safe to say that, due to years of layoffs, inflation, and the birth of AI, we’ve entered another tough job market for creatives. But as we write this, the September surge in hiring is upon us! Right now, more employers will be looking to hire and more recruiters will be seeking out top talent. If you’ve been struggling to find a new job or freelance gigs, now’s the time to stand out and make yourself an attractive prospect to potential employers.
Build a Great Web Presence
We’ve already written at length about the importance of looking good online. Not every recruiter will Google you before meeting with you, but the fact is your online presence validates your skills and viability as a job candidate. Begin with creating a website (if you don’t already have one) and making sure your portfolio homepage is the best representation of you. Make use of AI to help with SEO and boost search to your site—especially if you’re a freelancer! Embrace Substack if you feel like it, create a blog on your site, or start your own monthly newsletter to clients and friends. If social media (like Linkedin or TikTok) is where you thrive, then focus on that! The bottom line is to make use of the internet in a way that you enjoy and keeps you top of mind.
Get a Life Outside of Work
Your network is the biggest key to landing you a new job—so turn up the socializing. Meet with former colleagues when you can. Reach out via email and let everyone know you’re looking, attaching your new resume and portfolio site. Most companies will incentivize referrals, so it’s beneficial to both you and your employed friends to get you hired!
Next, volunteering of any kind is a great way to meet new people, learn leadership skills, and feel good about the work you’re doing. From a professional standpoint, it gives you a chance to learn new skills in a relatively low-pressure environment and signals to recruiters that you’re probably an empathetic being. And before you think you can’t commit to traveling to volunteer sites, these volunteer-from-home opportunitieswould beg to differ.
Hobbies and side projects are another fun way to learn new skills and get the word out about your passions. Sometimes your side hustles can even make you some quick money, so it’s a win-win!
Widen Your Search Net, But Be Selective
It’s 2024 and the number of job search sites and freelance gig platforms out there is overwhelming. Nearly all of them let you set up search queries that automatically email new listings directly to your inbox. It may also help to zero in on niche job boards that focus on the types of jobs you actually want. It’s easier to sift through a curated list of jobs sent directly to you than to trawl a dozen different sites.
Once you’ve got a streamlined, focused list of jobs coming in, read listings carefully before committing to applying—this is how you don’t get burned out on applying. It’s better to write well-crafted cover letters to a handful of jobs that match your interests and skills than a “shotgun” approach that has you sending out dozens of boilerplate letters to every remotely relevant job. There are real people reading on the other end, and you’ll stand out much better with a personable but brief cover letter.
The More You Learn, the More You Earn
Even if going back to school is an option, it’s frankly time-consuming and costly while you’re looking for a job. Online classes from LinkedInLearning, Skillshare, and Udemy, (among others) teach software skills just as well as brick-and-mortar vocational schools. Prices can vary widely, but generally scale up commensurate with the depth of course material and the amount of attention you get from real human instructors. For industry veterans, it’s a great way to catch up on the latest trends since you graduated a million years ago. For fresh grads light on experience, look for certification programs to bolster your resume.
Work with a Recruiter
Reaching out to a recruiter for help will up your job search game tenfold. Like the Robin to your Batman, recruiters do the grunt work of finding jobs or gigs tailored to your interests, then get out of the way so you can save the day with heroic graphics, copy, UX, or code. Recruiters only get paid when you do, so they work hard to find you as many gigs (or jobs) as you can handle. Best of all, when you’re applying for a role, having a recruiter do the outreach puts you at the front of the line because the association means you’ve already been vetted.
Want more? Learn how to convince a hiring manager you're right for the job.
TLDR; No matter where you’re at in your career—industry vet or fresh out of college—everyone can do more to stand out from their peers. If you’re still not finding the job opportunities you’re looking for, reach out to us! Artisan recruiters have been connecting talent with full-time employment and freelance gigs for over 30 years.
