No award? No problem!
Award winners - if you’re reading this then congrats, you deserve every ounce of recognition and you surely worked hard for it - but this piece isn’t for you.
This piece is for all the losers, the just-missed-out-ers and the didn’t-want-it-anyway-ers. If you’re feeling somewhat disheartened for not winning this time around, then keep reading.
Between the three of us at The Arena, we’ve won one award during our creative journey so far (not including the odd gold star in primary school of course). Together we know exactly how it feels to win, but mostly, to lose 😔
We all set out to do our best creative work and of course, who doesn’t want an award to back that up? It’s an ego boost, impresses your mum and looks snazzy on the CV. But does not winning make you a worse creator than your peers? No, of course it doesn’t.
There are massive benefits to entering competitions and awards, regardless of the outcome - so don’t get us wrong, we’re not anti-awards. Assuming you’re not out of pocket, the motivation to work on live briefs, finalise your portfolio and polish up your social media presence are all massive pros for getting involved.
“We’re exposed to the people who win because naturally, we don’t shout about losing. But it’s time to look beyond the pencil and start reflecting on what went on the paper.”
The issue is with the announcement culture and the fact no one is talking about it! We’re exposed to the people who win because naturally, we don’t shout about losing. But it’s time to look beyond the pencil and start reflecting on what went on the paper.
Say it with us: You can still be successful with no awards on your shelf!
We’d like to introduce you to someone who graduated without a single award to their name...doing pretty well for themselves:
I’m Maisie, I’m a senior designer about to start a new role at JKR having worked my way through the ranks at B&B studio for the past 7 years.
I graduated from Falmouth University with precisely zero awards under my belt, I’d entered D&AD, ISTD, YCN, you name it - I’d entered it! And I had come out with nothing. I remember the knock in confidence that was, wondering at every interview if all my projects were terrible! However, I quickly found my summer filled with internship opportunities and before I’d even embarked on my first internship post-university I was offered a job at B&B!
I can safely say that whilst awards may feel like the be-all and end-all, the best possible thing you can have when graduating is a willingness to learn and enthusiasm for getting stuck in. If you’ve got these you can’t go far wrong. Good luck!
Maisie is the co-founder of #HappyToHelp, an initiative set up to connect students with industry professionals and share advice. To see who’s involved, check out the Guides on Instagram and List on Twitter.
The main beauty of winning an award is also having the excuse to shout about yourself and how great you are under the modesty blanket of the award title. Because it’s easier to say “Yay. Someone else said I’m great!” than “I think i’m great!”...right?
Bury that feeling right now and go take a trip to self-promo bootcamp.
“If you think that your dream job is going to land on your lap because of the sparkling medal around your neck, think again.”
At the end of the day, you create your own opportunities. If you think that your dream job is going to land on your lap because of the sparkling medal around your neck, think again. There are few shortcuts in this industry and we truly believe that what you put in is what you’re going to get out.
