Spend five minutes with Dom and Geri's head of design, Caroline Macrae

Caroline Macrae, Head of Design at Dom and Geri gives her advice and guidance to those wanting to apply for jobs within the creative industry.

Applying for the job

“It is important to be proactive, plan ahead and have the right attitude and personality for the position. These attributes have enabled me to get my work in front of the right people and got me to where I am now. 

If you see a particular company that you want to work for, my tip would be to contact them - even if they don’t have any jobs advertised. Make a call to show your interest and to find out the right person to speak to.

I believe that a well written CV is still the best way to communicate the value that an individual will bring to the position advertised - but a concise online profile or portfolio can also be a great way to show off your very best work.”

Networking Skills

“Due to the explosion of social media and a tighter job market, people are definitely taking advantage of the opportunity to network online, building relationships and then submitting CVs once they have made a connection. I found that networking played a very important role in my gaining a creative position - but it is important to not restrict yourself to one mode of networking.

Look out for opportunities to network in person, through acquaintances or at industry-related events. Before going to such events find out who is attending and familiarise yourself with the respective companies. Look at their online presence, their personality and promotional materials in order to establish what they would be looking for in a prospective employee, and then tailor your

What to avoid

“Try to avoid sending your CV by email, as it can either be deleted or just put in the ‘to do’ file with the many other hopefuls. 

It is important to understand that if your application is well-designed and appealing to look at, but has grammar and spelling errors and lacks substance, you won’t receive an interview invite.

Make sure that you read your entire application out loud, ensuring that the words on the page showcase concrete examples of your skills and past accomplishments.”

Tips

“When looking for potential employees at Dom and Geri, we are amazed at the lengths people will go to in order to secure a job with us. We have been sent a 3-D CV, a T-shirt CV, and even an application on fabric - all of which we instantly were impressed by.  The main aim is to get your potential employer to look at what you have created, and to want to meet the person behind it all. 

Employers look to see what experience the applicant has had to determine whether they are suited to the role. Volunteering for several organisations enabled me to add important and relevant experience to my CV, gain practical knowledge, improve my creative skills and increase my confidence through the feedback received. I found the knowledge and experience gained was invaluable to me, opening doors I would never have been able to open myself.

If you feel like you are struggling to overcome obstacles, try to think even further outside the box. People in this industry are rightfully known for their originality and creative problem-solving, so why not make yourself stand out and become even more innovative?

It could open up a world of opportunity. “