More than 150 companies attended Savannah College of Art and Design’s annual career fair in search of the next great creative talent. They ranged from boutique outfits like animation house Bento Box Entertainment, to behemoths like Amazon and Proctor & Gamble. Whether these employers are design oriented in their function, or using design to enhance their mission, the talent they’re recruiting has never been better prepared or more sought after.
The awareness of and demand for what we do as artists and designers is ten times what it was 30 years ago. – Doug Grimmett, Primal Screen
Doug Grimmett, whose motion graphics company Primal Screen created the trailer for the final season of Mad Men, has been recruiting at SCAD for seven years. He’s one of the industry leaders who weighed in on our question: What are the most important attributes for future creative professionals to posses? Four qualities emerged on which this diverse group of employers agreed. The way they see it, the next great designers, animators, producers, art directors and more will:
Be generalists
The employers in our informal focus group agreed that an influx of rapidly changing technology means that too much specialization could render young talent irrelevant. Instead, they prefer young recruits to have a broad range of abilities that will enable them to be the ultimate team players. This is definitely the case in the growing world of independent films, shared producer Tamanna Shah, where time and budget constraints make the adaptable staffer a commodity.
Be mobile
The project-oriented nature of creative initiatives, in which teams are built today and disbanded tomorrow, means that the prospect who’s willing to travel is the one who might get the most work. Keeping with the film industry as an example, this is especially so given the dependence on state tax incentives, which production companies and their crews routinely relocate to capture.
Be detail-oriented
Recruiters repeatedly stressed their interest in the candidate who minds the details and mines the details. Reps from fair flung industries emphasized their interest in prospects who can grasp intricacies well before production, in the planning phase, especially through their sketches and drawings. As IBM designer Rebecca Lemker explained, the details are so important that the software giant recently introduced the new position of design researcher, whose task it is to surface the finer points that will ultimately help shape a better product. Rebecca and the others use portfolio reviews not only to evaluate a candidate’s eye for details, but also the decisions they made to include them.
Be brand aware
There have never been more ways for companies to communicate the essence of their brands so, it follows, that artists and designers who can support these initiatives would be in high demand. If talent is just the price of admission, as one recruiter put it, then prospects can distinguish themselves by demonstrating a grasp of the brand they want to work for, before they work there. For BCBG Max Azria HR director Christina Chiaro, reviewing a portfolio and seeing designs that match the brand is a signal the candidate has done their homework and posses the skill needed to succeed at the label.
@SCADdotedu So excited to be here: We're seeking #creative#talented individuals who bring a #fresh perspective to design & love our brand!
— BCBGMAXAZRIA Careers (@BCBGCareers) February 25, 2015
In addition to agreeing on these basic characteristics, the recruiters overwhelmingly recommended that job seekers, “Do what they love.” Unsurprisingly, that advice pairs well with the qualities they seek.
