| The competitiveness of industry and commerce has | | | | ability to consistent deliver will be questioned by any |
| resulted in the need for business leaders to take | | | | employer. |
| radical approaches to both creating difference and | | | | Creative Director CV |
| assured return on investment, resulting in the creation | | | | While for many industries and positions a 2page |
| of more Creative Director Job positions. | | | | nominal CV could gain them a job, the Creative |
| However, when job seekers see the Creative | | | | Director Job requires more thought and evidence of |
| Director position as their goal, what do employers | | | | capability through the job application process. Nice |
| seek in the ideal candidate? | | | | paper in different colours just won't work. |
| The Creative Director Job? | | | | Much like an old style portfolio, the creative director |
| The job of the Creative Director is to maximise the | | | | job application needs to show evidence at each level |
| final output of a creative process, to both match and | | | | of capability, creativity in the application itself, and |
| exceed the client brief. They deliver this by bringing | | | | with communication throughout. In summary, it needs |
| their own creative experience to bare on the | | | | to be a mini-client experience of what you would |
| interpretation of the brief and its communication to | | | | deliver in working for that company or organisation. |
| the in house team, and then leading and supporting | | | | In the modern world we are internet driven to a |
| the internal creation process to bring about a | | | | large extent, and although more connected |
| successful client delivery, which is: on time; to brief; | | | | technologically as a society, less so on a |
| and commercially remunerative to all parties. | | | | communication level. It is for that reason that when |
| Where as many current Creative Directors started | | | | most client briefs will require an online element, any |
| out in pure creative industries such as fashion, | | | | prospective creative director needs to have an online |
| advertising, media and entertainment, the value of | | | | portfolio addressing all key issues. This means it must |
| the position has transposed itself as a more | | | | be creative, evidenced and finally communicative to |
| commercially successful interpretation of the project | | | | the desired audience: in this case, the prospective |
| director position in commercial industries. This is | | | | employer. |
| particularly true where pure delivery via an agreed | | | | There are many creative people who have highly |
| process delivery to a tick-list specification, is not | | | | original personal websites, but they fail to engage for |
| sufficient to meet client or company requirements. | | | | one or all of these reasons. While modern marketing |
| There are hence now developing creative director | | | | relies to a great extent on the Marmite effect or |
| job opportunities in industries such as games, web | | | | either love or hate, but at least getting a reaction; |
| and software development. There are also high level | | | | such a reaction in the potential employer will limit your |
| creative positions in motor vehicle manufacture and | | | | employment opportunities. |
| yachting, where design and style are core to a brand, | | | | Creative Director employment |
| and the competitive need creates the dynamic for | | | | It is hence key to be both individual and to apply to |
| creative interpretation and input. | | | | organisations where the "love that" reaction |
| Creative Director background | | | | overwhelms the potential "no thank you" Marmite |
| Much like in project management, most creative | | | | outcome. |
| directors come from within the industry for which | | | | This means that although creation of an online |
| they eventually hold the position. A basic foundation | | | | portfolio is essential, much like a CV written in |
| in arts, forms and graphics, either studied to degree | | | | isolation can be marketed and sent to employers, |
| level or learnt through floor-up apprenticeships; are | | | | successful employment is only gained through |
| then nominally followed by successful team and | | | | research of the company and creative interpretation |
| individual project work within their chosen market | | | | of their needs. |
| sphere. | | | | This is mimicking the activity the final job holder |
| Many modern creative professionals recognise that | | | | would do on first engaging with a client brief: |
| although they are primarily employed for their historic | | | | research, market, understanding and hence |
| and often industry award recognised ability, it is as a | | | | communication, with an outcome of an agreed brief. |
| team leader who creates successful business results | | | | It is only through this process and its realisation at |
| that the step up to a creative director position will be | | | | the employer, that your assured delivery will be seen, |
| gained. If you aspire to the position, and yet can not | | | | and hence greatly improve your chances of |
| show team interaction and leadership, then their | | | | employment. |