It's easy to look back with the benefit of hindsight and think about all the things you wish you'd known when you were just starting your career. And that advice can be useful to those just starting out on the career ladder.
That's why we asked a range of creative leaders 'what's the one thing you wish you'd known when you were just starting out?' You can read all about the importance of openness as well as the value of people in the earlier posts in this series, but here, some creatives decide to throw out the rulebook entirely.
You don't actually need to know anything
When it all comes down to it however, we don’t actually need to know anything, as Roy Barker, creative and design operations director and co-founder of Wonderhood Design at Wonderhood Studios adds: “Having no pre-conceived ideas, knowledge or expectation before joining the industry meant I just had to find my way. Work hard, learn fast and have fun doing it. I started in advertising at AMV BBDO and they were willing to employ me without prior experience in the project management department.
Article continues below“I had graduated from Central St Martins School of Art without a real clue where to go next. And, at no stage during my education was I introduced to the world of advertising. I had no idea what to expect. I was thrust into a giant agency of remarkable, esteemed history (that I gave no acknowledgment of) and put my head down and worked my ass off. Because I enjoyed it and loved the people and the place.
“There was no better place for me to be as a first role in advertising. I soaked it up and learned from some of the most talented individuals in the business. I quote ads and names to this day that I worked with. Without them, I couldn’t do my job now over 20 years later. Here’s to knowing nothing.”
Daisy Benn, managing director and co-owner of WMH&I agrees: “You’ll come across a million subjects you’ve never encountered before. Ask questions to build your knowledge but also try to hypothesise the answers. It forces you to think more deeply and accelerates your understanding.”
Laura Markwardt, strategic copywriter and host of the Niche ID podcast agrees, as she talks about the ‘Helsinki Bus Theory’ and why the best careers aren’t straight lines: “If I was being generous, I’d describe my career as ‘non-linear’. It took me a long time to work out what I wanted to do. I worked in photography archives, on fashion desks and eventually gravitated towards copywriting. Last year I started a podcast, Niche ID, went freelance and opened up a new world of creative connection, exploring niches and non-linear careers. It’s reassuring to know I’m not the only one on this circuitous path.
“Sometimes I wish I’d gone through that early career ‘fail fast’ phase a bit faster. I’m a big believer in the Helsinki Bus Station theory, which says that for the first few years of a creative career, you’re on the same route as everyone else, just getting out of town. It’s only after those early years that you reach open fields where you can really do something original and make a mark.
“The sign off for that theory is ‘Stay on the fucking bus’, and there’s definitely a lot to be said for just showing up day after day. But, it’s also important to make sure you’re on the right bus to begin with. I’m not sure there are many shortcuts for that.”
Alex Zeevalkink is the co-founder of The Subthread and she agrees, explaining how, the most useful tool in a young person’s box is curiosity: "When I started out, I just assumed everyone else knew everything and everyone, and had a clear path for the future. I spent a lot of time panicking and feeling inadequate, no matter how hard I worked or how far I'd actually come.
"But at some point I realised that our world, and our industry especially, moves so fast that it’s not about knowing everything but about learning to ask the right questions and feeling comfortable with that.
“We can’t predict the future, we can only be curious about it, try new tech, find new solutions and constantly learn. Doing that will give you the confidence you need to succeed and feel content. It did for me."
