5 Things to Remember When You Are a Creative Graduate

So the security blanket of education has been whipped off your body and the harsh wind of adulthood is blowing all over you. It is enough to cause any of us to recoil back towards the familiar. But now you have left university it is definitely time to step your game up.

Whether you are self-employed, in an entry-level graduate position or stuck in limbo here are five ways to help you adjust to the new season of your creative journey.

1) Stepping out of your comfort zone

This gives you room to accommodate new growth. Doing things you have never done that will benefit your creative career is what gives you new results. The more consistent you are the greater the change.

Attend networking events, apply for internships and collaborate with fellow creatives. Social media is a great way to connect with fellow creatives and you can also scour your timeline for new networking events for creative graduates depending on the type of accounts you follow. This will also allow you to efficiently promote yourself, your content and services. Contently is a great website to consider if you are looking to create an online portfolio.

2) Resist the urge to procrastinate

If university taught us anything it is the fact that sometimes starting can be the hardest part. That essay, that report, that business proposal can become a pulsating thought at the back of your mind that you soothe the throbbing by reassuring yourself that you will start the work tomorrow.

But tomorrow can quickly become the day before the deadline. You can easily find yourself caught up in the stomach-churning cycle of procrastination. The more you procrastinate, the more you run the risk of reducing the quality of work you produce. It can be especially discouraging if you are job hunting, in-between jobs, freelancing or not working at all.

Remaining committed to your tasks means you get more done and ultimately it gets you a step closer to your goals. You can find out more about ways to combat procrastination here.

3) Your journey is your own

Some expectations may have been put on you from the moment you graduated from your family, peers and even yourself. Time waits for no man and treats everyone according to their own personal watch. Time does not take into consideration whether two individuals attended the same university and did the same course or whether they are both seeking to enter the exact same career field. So it is important not to focus too much on what your peers have done. Comparison truly is the thief of joy.

Instead allow yourself to be inspired by other people’s journeys, using it as further motivation to drive you forward towards your personal goals. Your journey can, in turn, inspire others.

4) Focus on remaining productive

Creating lists and writing down your goals will improve the way you utilise your time and your workflow. A great app for organising your thoughts is Evernote. Journaling and planning your day the night before will encourage productivity the following morning especially if you struggle with early starts. Remaining productive and getting things done starts with you and how organised you allow yourself to be.

5) Find, develop and practice your craft

Create, create, create. Never forget the reason why you do what you do. Being a new graduate can bring forward a fresh round of obstacles but it is important to have tunnel vision during the times where your confidence in your craft may waver. Now that you are a graduate you are in full control of what your years at university have taught you but the lessons are far from over.

Paige Vahla is an editor, creative writer and freelance blogger from London. You can follow her on twitter @PaigeVahla.

Inspiring Interns is a graduate recruitment agency which specialises in sourcing candidates for internship jobs and giving out graduate careers advice. To hire graduates or browse graduate jobs London, visit our website.