No internship? No problem!
Written by The Arena, with contributions from:
Stephanie Howe, Leon Edler, Hannah Tudor, Harriet Newman & Adam Moore
Published 3rd September 2021
Internships can be a great experience, there’s no denying that, but are they the be-all-and-end-all? Are you going to fail without one? No. When it comes to getting experience and building your network, there are plenty of other ways to do this.
Sadly there has always been more emerging creatives in need of these opportunities, than those able to offer them. In short, demand far outweighs supply. And unfortunately, there are people and companies willing to take advantage of that.
In this piece, we hear from five kick-ass, successful creatives without a single internship between them, to discuss why internships really aren’t everything.
© Stephanie Howe for Laura Nevill x Westfield ‘Let’s Do London Better’
Name: Stephanie Howe (she/her)
Location: Greater London
Job title: Social Media Creative Designer & Freelance Illustrator & Animator
How did you break into the creative industry?
I started taking on freelance work in my second year of uni (2019) as well as setting up my Etsy shop to sell prints of my work. It was pretty slow to start as I was focussing more on my degree than working, but it gave me a lot of time to potter about with my products and navigate freelance relationships and start building a client base.
After finishing my degree (BA Illustration) amidst the first wave of COVID, it's pretty common knowledge that it was not a good time to break into the creative industries. So I spent my time working on my folio, applying to any of the roles that were available, and funnelling most of my time and energy to securing freelance work.
As lockdown started to lift, there was a nice surge in freelance work available and I was able to work on projects with a range of independent and commercial clients in different creative sectors, which massively strengthened my skills in areas other than just illustration, which ultimately lead to my hard work paying off in June 2021 when I was offered a full-time position as a creative designer for a social media marketing agency. I’m now trying to balance my time between full-time work and taking on freelance work in my specific areas of interest to grow my illustration career.
Why was an internship not the right route for you?
I wouldn’t say that an internship wasn’t right for me per se, I applied to a fair few of them! But unfortunately never managed to secure one. I think any internship can be a really great way to get your foot in the door but unfortunately, there are far more people looking for internships than there are positions available, and unpaid internships are somehow still a thing.
Looking back, I think an internship might have actually hindered the progress I’ve made over the last year; where I was working full-time freelance, I had to really work to get work and make meaningful connections myself, which is still easier said than done! But in the long run, the range of projects I worked on with different clients, gave me connections, good references, and a varied skill set that enabled me to secure a mid-weight design role in my first year out of uni.
What advice would you give to emerging creatives who are struggling to gain experience, but unable to do an internship?
Do as much creative work as you physically can, whether that’s contracted or freelance work, or self-driven personal projects, expanding your portfolio and technical skills will always help you to move in the right direction.
Engaging, building friendships and networking with other creatives on social media is also a great way to learn more about the industry. Also taking advantage of any creative mentoring opportunities! In 2020 I was lucky enough to be a part of The Arena’s mentor scheme and it was so so helpful to get to pick the brain of another creative, get some feedback on my portfolio, and make another connection!
There’s no “right” way to break into the industry. Something I say to myself when the good ol’ imposter syndrome sets in, is as long as I’m moving in the right direction, no matter how slow, then I’m doing okay.
“Something I say to myself when the good ol’ imposter syndrome sets in, is as long as I’m moving in the right direction, no matter how slow, then I’m doing okay. ”
Name: Leon Edler (He/him)
Location: Leeds
Job title: Dirty Commercial Artist
How did you break into the creative industry?
Slowly. I'd always wanted to work in a creative industry, but I thought it would be TV. I loved comedy as a kid and was told I wasn't particularly good at art. I just wanted to make stuff, especially funny stuff, and I watched loads of TV, so that seemed like the most attractive option.
For numerous reasons that didn't happen, but I always drew gag cartoons - for peoples birthday cards and in notepads. My girlfriend at the time made me enter one into the Young Cartoonist of the Year Award and I won it, then again the following year. That gave me the confidence to pursue cartoons, which grew into conceptual illustration, which I do now. I moved into a studio with other artists who taught me a lot. I worked as a freelance editor while I practised illustration in my free time and eventually, after 2 or 3 years, I started to pick up work.
Why was studying art / illustration not the right route for you?
It just never really occurred to me. I studied linguistics and that was after being kicked off a geology course and a media course. At no point did I think about studying art or illustration. I think I perhaps have the sense that if something is good - like a frog - dissecting it just kills it. I like to explore on my own and maybe felt that I would be pushed too much in a certain way if I studied it. Working in a studio really felt like an apprenticeship to me though. I learned so much and there's no way I would be doing this had I not moved in there.
What advice would you give to emerging creatives who are struggling to get their foot in the door?
Everyone struggles to get their foot in the door and because you are emailing people and not getting replies, you don't even know if your foot is in the door. But it is. Just keep at it. Do the work that interests you and feels unique to you. Make consistent work. Try and enjoy the time when you are developing your style. Keep admin time and art time separate - Just contact everyone every couple of months in one go and spend the rest of the time making stuff.
“Everyone struggles to get their foot in the door and because you are emailing people and not getting replies, you don’t even know if your foot is in the door. But it is. Just keep at it.”
How did you break into the creative industry?
I'd wanted to work in the creative industries for as long as I could remember and had always been studying something creative, whether it was Graphics in school or Photography in college. I then went to university to study advertising where I managed a week's work experience in London, but nothing else. When I returned home, there was no advertising jobs around but I managed to get a job in a manufacturing company as a marketing assistant (purely because I had a degree and could use a computer). After a year of searching, I managed to use those skills to get into an advertising agency as their Team Assistant before finally moving again and into the creative department at my latest agency.
Why was an internship not the right route for you?
From a logistical standpoint, it just wasn't possible. I didn't have the funds to relocate to London and work for free, nor the desire to live in a tiny shared house paying through the roof.
I also didn't have the time or money to go into every agency and ask for the opportunity, as bad as that sounds. It's always suggested that grads should go knocking down the doors of every big agency with elaborate schemes to even get a look in, for me that just wasn't an option.
“It’s always suggested that grads should go knocking down the doors of every big agency with elaborate schemes to even get a look in, for me that just wasn’t an option.”
What advice would you give to emerging creatives who are struggling to gain experience, but unable to do an internship?
You hear so much advice as a grad about how to get started, but here's some things I didn't hear during mine:
Don't be worried that your journey doesn't look like everyone elses. It doesn't matter how you get there if you still get there by the end.
Something that really helped me was realising the skills I'd got from doing non-advertising jobs. I was writing tweets as part of my first Marketing Assistant job because no one else wanted to do them and now I'm a copywriter writing tweets for brands - all skills are worthwhile no matter where you got them from. (And you often don't know what ones will come in handy later down the line!)
And lastly, every step is a step in the right direction. I went from a manufacturing company to advertising agency to creative in an agency one step at a time and it still got me there. It may not be the big leap we were sold in uni but it got me to the destination none the less!
“Every step is a step in the right direction.”
Name: Harriet Newman (they/them)
Location: Buckinghamshire, UK
Job title: Lead Content Creator at Huel
How did you break into the creative industry?
I managed to blag my way into a Creative Artworking job (aka creating artwork for hammers and the like) for a Tools and Hardware manufacturer after showing them projects I had done for friends and family. I created wedding invites for my sisters, brochures for the local art shops, and music cover videos for some people from my school (honestly I thought I was basically a fully-fledged freelancer, when I was actually far far from it).
Why was an internship not the right route for you?
An internship wasn't the right route for me as I didn't think there were any available for what we do. I was straight out of Sixth Form, didn't have the funds to go for a course or uni. I was put off going to uni since I work in social and everything changes all the time. I thought it would never keep up with the teacher I will always hold dearest to my heart, aunty YouTube. Fortunately diving straight into work gave me the best education I could have asked for. Don't be afraid to use Google.
“Fortunately diving straight into work gave me the best education I could have asked for. Don’t be afraid to use Google.”
What advice would you give to emerging creatives who are struggling to gain experience, but unable to do an internship?
The best advice I was ever given was to start creating mock jobs to have in your portfolio. Be very selective about what you're creating, only create things that you dream of creating. AKA don't make a fake poster if you want to be a videographer. Pretend Nike has asked you to create a new immersive AR experience or whatever. Just start creating for free.
© Adam Moore - 18 Camels Poster designed at Studio Blackburn
How did you break into the creative industry?
My journey started well before I actually got my first job as a designer out of university.
I was lucky enough to study at FEED which was essentially the graphic design department of Birmingham Metropolitan College. FEED was special in that it was taught in a studio space separate from the main building and was all about bridging the gap between education and industry. The tutors were all passionate and experienced designers, illustrators and animators who taught the real fundamentals of design, not just how to use Adobe CC.
Thanks to Paul, Adam, Patrick, Tjark & Simon I learnt the beauty of typography, the complexity of Wim Crouwel’s grid systems — and most importantly the history of the Hacienda and Factory records — all in a college environment which is bloody rare.
The briefs were industry-focussed, narrative-driven and often live, meaning we worked on real world jobs as part of a student run agency.
Thanks to the experience gained at FEED, I got offered places at St. Martins & Chelsea — however I chose to stay in Birmingham due to the love for my home city and went on to study at BCU under Jane & Jonny who are also brilliant.
Alongside my final major project, I was constantly working on my portfolio behind the scenes and began approaching studios, both in Birmingham and London, very early on. At the time my portfolio consisted of university and college work, live work from FEED and also work that I had done for friends — mainly photographers and musicians.
I had some interviews, some rejections and a lot emails that drifted into the ether without a reply from some of my absolute favourite studios, but finally I was very lucky to land a job as a Junior Designer at Z3/Studio in Birmingham’s Jewellery quarter almost instantly after graduating. Z3, in my humble opinion, is the best design studio in Birmingham and has been for a very long time. I owe the creative directors Scott Raybould and Richard Hunt a lot. I am where I am because of their trust in a very rough around the edges recent graduate. Their teachings, advice and critiques, albeit sometimes very harsh, remain invaluable and I urge all Brum based students and graduates to get a meeting with them.
I spent around 4 years as a designer in the JQ before I made the difficult decision to move to London in March 2020 to work as a Designer for Studio Blackburn.
Why was an internship not the right route for you?
As I said, I was very fortunate to get the job I did straight from uni. I honestly never really even had time to consider an internship post-university. However, during university It boiled down to time and money. I imagine that’s the case for a lot of people. I was a full time student that had a part time job to pay for living life as a 20 year old. On a monetary level I couldn’t afford to give up the job and on an educational level I had ambitions and ideas, like entering D&AD (unsuccessfully), that required time. It’s really easy to overload yourself as a student and burn out...I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen.
Instead, to gain a little experience, I undertook two unpaid placements during my time in education. Both of which ran for about two months and only required one day a week of my time. In honesty, the work wasn’t great but it did give me an idea of how a studio ran which never hurts as a student.
I’d like to follow that up with acknowledging there are certain sensitivities regarding unpaid work in exchange for experience, even if it is just for a day. At the time I was fortunate enough to be living with my parents and not have very many expenses and I am extremely grateful that I was able to do that as I’m sure there are many people who would not be able to.
What advice would you give to emerging creatives who are struggling to gain experience, but unable to do an internship?
To students — get ahead of the game! Don’t wait until graduation to send out portfolios. Start reaching out to studios while you’re still studying, make connections with them, build relationships and invite them to university shows!
To graduates — it’s never too late. Carry on sending out portfolios and keep making contact not just with studios, but with other creatives that you want to work with. Start a self initiated project to bolster your portfolio. Talking and connecting with like-minded people is your greatest asset. Go to talks, go to exhibitions, go to design festivals. It will open so many doors.
“Talking and connecting with like-minded people is your greatest asset. Go to talks, go to exhibitions, go to design festivals. It will open so many doors.”
To everyone — Having a style is great! If you look at my Instagram it’s clear I love massive sans type. However, learn new things! Experiment! Great animators and 3D artists are very sought after.
One last portfolio tip, if I may…
Treat your portfolio like an extra project. The way you show your work is just as important as the work itself. It needs to be laid out beautifully. Same goes for your CV, this is the perfect chance to show someone you can set hard as nails, beautiful typography before they even look at your work.
Good luck!
