Being able to get a creative career has sometimes felt like the internet meme of how to draw an owl to me. First you draw two circles and then you draw the rest of the owl. Not very helpful.
That’s why we spoke to James Burns, owner of the award-winning videogame magazine Superjump (SJP) and someone who has bylines across gaming media, on his practical advice on pursuing a creative career.
What soft skills do I need to pursue a creative career?
In any industry soft skills are important, but James points out that if you’re wanting to pursue a creative career, strong interpersonal communication and self-organisation skills are particularly important.
This is especially true if you plan to freelance as you’ll rely on pitching, which James has done in the past.
“Then I'd focus on building good relationships with publications to get repeat work,” he said. “The same is very true for SJP as well. I think that being a generally good communicator, especially when it comes to interpersonal relationships, has helped to build and retain a great team here... and it's also opened doors for collaboration opportunities that we might not otherwise have.”
Self-organisation is key to freelancing because you’re responsible for your promotion and the amount of work you take on at one time.
For James this takes the form of one to-do list with the most important or time-sensitive things at the top.
“Then, each day, I only pull in 2-3 items (these are the things I must do in that day at a minimum),” he said. “If I have more capacity, I can pull in extra - but these are extra tasks. The alternative is to overload yourself with tasks that you can't finish, leading to a lack of a sense of accomplishment, and too much context switching (which reduces the quality of your work).”
It’s all in an effort to strike a work-life balance where he’s not expecting too much of himself in one day. As a recent graduate wanting a creative career, it might be tempting to overwhelm yourself with work, but it's important to remember that this will likely come at the expense of not only your quality of work, but also your mental and physical wellbeing.
Instead listen to what you can handle each day, and start with what’s a priority.
Why is persistence so important in pursuing a creative career?
In James’ view, people who are successful in finding a creative career are those who are highly resilient and can persist even in the face of major setbacks.
“Of course, luck plays a big role - bigger than many would like to admit - but there are few substitutes for hard work and persistence, especially in the face of defeats and setbacks (of which there will be many),” he said.
In the end if you study something and then don’t land your ideal job when you graduate, don’t give up! Remember, it’s just one step on your path to achieving the creative career you want and it’s having persistence to get there that is key.
Why SHOULDN’T I wait for my dream job?
As a recent graduate James stresses the importance of being “in the game” instead of standing by and waiting for the perfect job to get a creative career.
“You're usually better off going out there and a) pursuing work as well as b) using your time to build up your portfolio, share your work, and improve your craft,” he said.
From my experience writing for clients since I was around 16, I’ve learned that you never know how things will relate to each other. What might seem like a job far away from what you want to do will introduce you to people that will help you do the next thing, and the next thing, and so on.
The most important thing is to always put your best foot forward as a recent graduate, keep going, and you’ll get the creative career you’ve hoped for!
 | About The Author Sam is a Media and Communications (journalism) student at La Trobe University. He's been writing for various outlets since he was 16 and recently completed an internship at the Herald Sun. He's passionate about what makes people tick, from their interests to their motivations. |