This one goes out to my baby creatives: you’re not behind, you’re just starting

So. You’ve just graduated. Congrats!!

Your cap has been tossed, your LinkedIn has been updated, and you’re ready to finally dive head-first into the big shiny world of copywriting, art direction, design, whatever your particular flavour of creative magic is.

You find a job listing that sounds like you, until you scroll down and see it: “Entry-Level Position. 3–5 Years Experience Required.”

Excuse me??? Be so serious rn.

Let me tell you something that not enough people say out loud:

You're not imagining it… this bit is hard. Really hard. You’re not broken, untalented, or falling behind. You’re just… in the gap. That weird little space between being qualified on paper and bursting with talent in real life.

And that space can feel like a creative purgatory. But here’s the good news: It’s temporary. And it’s not the full story.

I’ve worked in marketing for a while now, and I’ve seen how this industry works. Yes, it can be gatekeep-y and experience-obsessed. But I’ve also seen brilliant creatives get hired because they made a meme out of their resume, or a giant version made of 64 individual pages glued together (no, literally.) Or turned their portfolio into a zine. Or sent a fake campaign pitch to the brand they wanted to work for.

I’ve personally rooted for people not because of their degree or job history, but because they had bold, smart ideas and the guts to share them.

Your spec work? That’s still real work. That passion project? Also real work. 

That weird branding assignment you made up for a fake oat milk brand in uni? ICONIC AF. AND, YUP, YOU GOT IT, REAL WORK. You don’t need a Cannes Lion to prove you’re creative. You just need proof that you care, you can think, and you can do. And believe me, THAT can come in way more exciting forms than a 2-year agency internship.

The truth is that creativity is your currency. Spend it on yourself. Build your own brief. Make the work you wish you were getting paid to do. Start a fake agency with your friends. Launch a TikTok series roasting bad ads. Slide into a creative director’s DMs with a campaign idea that will knock their freaking socks off. Make your portfolio a love letter to your brain.

The grads who stand out aren’t always the most polished. They’re the ones who show us who they are before we even ask.

What I am trying to say is, if you’re a baby creative that happens to be here, reading this, feeling stuck, discouraged, or like you're screaming into the LinkedIn void, this is your reminder that you are not behind. You are not too late. You are not invisible. You are just starting.

And frankly, that’s the most exciting place to be! Keep going. Keep making. We see you.

Love, A Fellow Creative (who was also once a confused, broke, post-grad with a Canva-made CV and a dream)

-Sophie Randell, Writer