Having been in the recruitment business for over three decades, we’ve seen the rise of benefits and rewards packages as part of job offers. But with the spotlight on flexible working and work life balance in recent years – are they more important than ever to attract and retain talent? Here’s our guide to the benefits and rewards job candidates are looking for.
Before we get into the world of benefits and rewards, it’s important to understand what matters most to employees. One message is clear, post 2020 and the shift to remote working during much of the pandemic: flexible working is here to stay. Polls by companies including recruitment company Michael Page, and HR and payroll software provider CIPHR both found that more free time outside of work was a top priority across different sectors. And an even bigger study of 10,000 participants by Remote found that 76% of employees want flexible working hours.
So, what does this tell us? It tells us that rewards and benefits are part of a wider shift in working culture. You can’t offer ‘free time’ as a benefit, but you can offer working models that facilitate it, such as hybrid models that cut out long commute times, five days a week. And it comes back to creating a package of benefits that reflects what employees care about, beyond their day-to-day responsibilities.
Benefits are distinct from rewards as they refer to how employees are compensated for their work. There are a certain number of statutory benefits that UK companies are legally obliged to offer as part of any contract of permanent employment. Statutory benefits include at least 28 days paid holiday leave (which can include public holidays), sick pay, parental leave (maternity/ paternity and shared leave) and pension schemes.
Non-statutory benefits vary between sectors and businesses, but typically include flexible-working, health insurance, performance bonuses and subsidised healthcare. Rewards are also known as perks, and can be a mix of gift cards, cash rewards, regular team social events and brand discounts. Some companies are signed up to schemes like Perkbox and Caboodle.
Benefits and rewards packages can make a difference to working culture. They’re proven to boost workplace productivity and morale, combat stress and help with retention, as acknowledged by market reports including one by the CIPD. And according to the 1000 UK workers polled in the CIPHR survey, pay and benefits ranked as the second most important aspect of a job, after work-life balance and above job security.
But with a growing number of potential benefits packages how do employers know which ones to prioritise? Here are five of the most common benefits and rewards UK employees currently value the most.
Flexible working: This Covid-19 pandemic has increased the case for flexible working, and more employees are prioritising more free time. Although remote and hybrid working have dominated the conversations around flexible working in the past couple of years, it’s worth remembering that it isn’t just about location. If a job has to be office or site based, consider the option of flexi time, with core hours that aren’t fixed to the 9-5.
Health insurance: There has been a surge in demand for healthcare benefits in the past couple of years too. Larger companies might offer comprehensive healthcare packages which could include private health insurance, dental insurance and even life insurance. But small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly offering private health insurance benefits too.
Bonuses and vouchers: During these times of economic uncertainty, bonuses are becoming increasingly important to staff. Most are tied to performance, while others are end of year or periodic bonuses. Companies including Monzo, Co-Operative Bank, British Airways and Morrisons all offered non target-specific bonuses including sign-on payments and cost-of-living bonuses during 2022.
Gym memberships: Demand for discounted gym memberships has also surged and are an increasingly attractive benefit for attracting and retaining talent.
Employee assistance / wellbeing programmes: These could be a mix of access to mental health and wellbeing services including a certain number of counselling sessions per year, mindfulness apps, or financial helplines.
Rewards and perks are a broader category, but data from Perkbox suggests that employees have similar priorities here too. There are five of the rewards that employees value the most at work.
Perkbox also reported being allowed to work from home as a high priority too, but we’re classifying that as a benefit as it’s a long-term working policy, rather than a reward.
The key takeaways from the data on what employees are looking for is that they broadly fall into the following categories: Better work-life balance (flexible working), additional financial compensation and stability (bonuses and childcare vouchers). Insurance and healthcare, mental and physical wellbeing (discounted gym membership, access to mental health services, healthy snacks at work etc).
So, are companies and employees aligned when it comes to the benefits and priorities on offer? To answer that, we have collated examples from the kind of jobs our candidates are looking for in sectors including marketing, PR, digital, social media, events, copywriting, and design.
Here are five of the most common benefits currently being offered:
Here are five popular employee schemes currently being offered by UK businesses:
The good news is that companies are paying attention to what their employees value in terms of corporate benefits and rewards. And that is reflected in the job listings we’re seeing across all levels of seniority and salary bands.
Several companies also flagged ongoing training and professional development in their list of benefits. But this is arguably essential to talent retention and staff productivity, so therefore shouldn’t be classified as a benefit. Unsurprisingly, the biggest benefits packages were tied to premium job listings and larger companies. But there were at least one or two benefits listed under small company job postings too. The message is clear: when it comes to attracting and retaining talent – benefits and rewards do make a difference.
Over more than three decades, we’ve seen marketing careers and opportunities grow as it becomes an increasingly essential part of any business. At its core, marketing is about understanding customers and clients and building a relationship with them. And that is as true of digital and data-driven marketing as it is in more traditional marketing. But with so many different opportunities in this fast-paced industry – we wanted to shine a light on marketing jobs and careers in the UK.
Marketing is ultimately a process closely linked to sales. But other promotional activities like PR, social media and advertising can fall under the marketing umbrella too. And although it may feel like a sector that has only been around for a few decades, it’s actually much older. The first billboard was invented by Jared Bell to advertise a circus in America 1835. Search engine marketing actually began in 1995, a long time before Google.
But back to business. The good news is that despite the economic challenges of the pandemic, marketing job vacancies began to rise again in 2021 along with media, advertising, sales and PR, according to the Total Jobs Hiring Trends Index.
According to a report by Marketing Week marketing managers have been in particularly high demand, along with roles paying between £25,000 to £50,000. Although there are plenty of opportunities in marketing across all levels, and according to recruitment company Hays, these are the ten marketing roles that have seen the highest pay increases since pre-Covid 19.
But one area of concern is a skills gap across marketing. Hays, Marketing Week and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) have all highlighted this issue. A study published by the CIM and training body Target Internet highlights a decline in digital skills across all job levels and sub-sectors, with the biggest gap in analytics and data. With data and digital fast-growing, it’s important for employers to invest in training, and for marketers to up skill to keep pace.
And when it comes to attracting and retaining talent, more companies will need to offer flexible and hybrid working models. According to the Marketing Week Career and Salary Survey 2022, 82 per cent of marketing professionals surveyed identified both as important, and around half are currently working in hybrid models.
The world of marketing is and always has been highly competitive. But the good news is, there are different routes into it, and plenty of entry-level positions. According to career sites like Monster and Target Jobs the qualifications required vary by company. But university degrees in creative or digital and commercial disciplines such as journalism, business and communications have been identified as providing relevant skills for a career in marketing. Entry level opportunities might come through graduate schemes, which are typically offered by larger companies.
Graduate schemes can run from a three or six-month placements to two-three year programmes. And some of the longer schemes are geared towards management and leadership opportunities. Organisations that currently run graduate marketing schemes include Aviva, DHL, Virgin Media, Diageo, Mitsubishi and Centria.
Another route into a marketing career is by taking an assistant or junior role. Entry level marketing or marketing-related roles include marketing assistant, marketing administrator, communications assistant, junior copywriter, social media assistant, and sales and marketing assistant. Most of these jobs will involve supporting a team and learning some of the creative, digital, and promotional skills that will help you progress and specialise later in your career.
There are also industry-specific sites with dedicated marketing, advertising and PR listings including Campaign, Marketing Week Jobs, PR Week Jobs and The Drum Jobs. You should also set up alerts on job sites such as Indeed, Total Jobs, Monster, Reed or LinkedIn.
Most marketing jobs are in-house, with just under a quarter of marketing professionals working on a freelance basis.
Some of the main types of marketing include:
Offline marketing: Although this is a more traditional form of marketing including print magazine, newspaper, billboards, – TV ads still have huge reach.
Digital marketing: Involving any kind of marketing and promotional activity using the internet as the primary messaging channel or platform. Examples include SEO, social media, and blogging.
Content marketing: This is a type of marketing that is focused on the creation and distribution of consistent, relevant and valuable content to engage with your target audience. It can overlap with digital marketing and examples include for example videos, social media posts, newsletters and podcasts.
B2B or B2C marketing: These types of specialist marketing activities are usually carried out by agencies rather than companies. B2B stands for Business to Business and B2C stands for Business-to-Consumer. Some agencies marketers might switch between both, but as the name suggests B2B involves businesses marketing to other businesses, while B2C is marketing products to services directly to consumers.
Based on job listings on sites including The Guardian, Reed, Hays and Indeed, mid to senior level management and executive positions are among the most advertised. Roles include: marketing manager, sales and marketing manager, marketing and brand manager, social media manager, digital marketing manager and content manager.
This is also consistent with the kind of roles being searched for by candidates, especially in digital marketing, according to research by the Open Business Council. Some people work across different marketing platforms, but more often you’ll find the type or specialism reflected in the job title when roles are advertised.
It’s worth noting regional differences in marketing salaries. Although this information isn’t broken down in the Major Players report, some of the figures above align with median earnings in London and the South East.
Recruitment website Reed gives the £37,754 the UK average salary for marketing and media. Elsewhere, according to the CWJobs salary checker, the average annual marketing salary in London is £52,500, that’s compared to £47,500 in Warrington, Edinburgh and Cardiff, £42,500 in Bristol and £37,500 in Manchester. But the area where the average marketing salaries are the lowest is currently the East Midlands with Leicester and Peterborough on the lower end at £32,500.
Marketing in the UK has already weathered several difficult periods over the past few years. Different factors like Brexit and Covid 19 have all had an impact. But as we’ve seen from the rise in opportunities during the second half of 2021: it’s also an incredibly resilient industry. So, although 2023 will bring more economic challenges, it’s worth remembering the UK has one of the best-performing advertising sectors in the world. And it’s likely that data ad technology will continue to drive marketing, which means more job and learning opportunities for marketing professionals.
Whether you listen to them on a walk or have them on in the background while you work, there’s a podcast for pretty much every niche. But podcasts are also a great source of inspiration, learning and professional tips for people in the creative industries. From entrepreneurship and freelancing to marketing and design insights: here’s our guide to ten of the best podcasts for creatives. All the podcasts mentioned in this article and are free to stream or download.
https://howtofail.podbean.com/
Listen for: Inspiration and entertainment
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Podbean, Audible
Author, journalist, and podcaster Elizabeth Day has made quite a success out of failure. Inspired by her best-selling book of the same name – How To Fail is based on the principle that our failures can often make us more successful in the long run. Each episode, she interviews a guest about their life and they choose three failures to discuss. Although many of her guests are famous, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and actress Minnie Driver – there are plenty of episodes featuring less well-known creatives and entrepreneurs including fashion designer Henry Holland.
https://www.emmagannon.co.uk/award-winning-podcaster
Listen for: Inspiration and entertainment
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, Podbean
Another book-inspired podcast for creatives is Ctrl Alt Delete with author and podcaster Emma Gannon. Gannon’s podcast is aimed at people who want to shape their careers, rather than be defined by what they do. Each episode features interviews with creatives and business owners. Like How To Fail, there are a lot of famous names in there, and they’re an entertaining listen. But there are some standout episodes that might feel closer to your experiences, such as creative coach Sara Tasker on how she built her business, behaviour expert Dr Katie Tryon on hybrid working, and journalist Anna Codreo-Rado on freelancing.
https://www.ted.com/podcasts/ted-interview
Listen for: Inspiration and ideas
Where to listen: TED.com, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music
Like the TED Talk series, The TED interview dives into big ideas on everything from tech innovation to climate change. Host Steven Johnson talks to creators and thinkers from around the world including former White House photographer Pete De Souza. As well as fascinating stories and insights – there are also some episodes on relevant topics including economist and sociologist on the benefits of a four day working week, and Harvard professor Francs Frei on leadership. Listen on TED.com to get the transcripts.
https://www.beingfreelance.com/the-best-freelance-podcast
Listen for: Freelancing and advice
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts
Hosted by freelance video and podcast producer Steve Folland, Being Freelance is actually a whole community of freelance creatives including copywriters, illustrators, company directors, graphic designers and marketing professionals. Steve chats to creatives like marketing consultant Nadine Campbell and creative director Reuben Krabbe for candid chats about freelance life, how they got started and their hopes for the future. It’s worth a listen whatever stage you’re at in your freelance career.
https://www.instagram.com/rebelscreate/?hl=en
Listen for: Inspiration, insights and advice
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, You Tube, Spotify
As the name suggests, The Creative Rebels is a podcast by and for people who have rebelled against the 9-5. Hosts David Speed and Adam Brazier are co-founders of Graffiti Life and Parlour Tattoo. Some episodes focus on creative advice based on their own experiences, but they also interview interesting creatives including The Business Survival Kit authors Bianca Miller Cole and Byron Cole and Lucy Wener, founder of PR and design consultancy The Wern.
https://www.bentallonwriter.com/the-creative-condition
Listen for: Insights and advice
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, Soundcloud
Illustrator and writer Ben Tallon is an interesting and prolific creative. He started The Creative Condition to speak to other creatives for honest conversations about their work and processes. It’s often a candid and informative look at different challenges we face in our work life. Some episodes dive into wider social and creative issues, including mental health – while others are more focussed on career challenges including how to maintain creativity and joy in an agency environment and how to start over in a new creative discipline.
Listen for: Insights, inspiration and advice
Where to listen: Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, Spotify
Hosted by poet and creative coach Mark McGuinness, The 21st Century Creative explores creative careers and insights. McGuinness interviews creators including artists, writers, commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and thought leaders. Guests have included coach and creator Kay Lock Kolp on parenting and creativity, marketing expert Naomi Dunford, and entrepreneur Vicki Saunders on women in business. And if you fancy something a bit more interactive, each guest will set a creative challenge based on the theme of the episode.
https://monocle.com/radio/shows/the-entrepreneurs/
Listen for: Inspiration, ideas, thought leadership
Where to listen: Monocle 24, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Soundcloud
Monocle 24 is a 24-hr global radio station with several podcasts including The Entrepreneurs. It’s a weekly 30-minute podcast featuring interviews with inspiring business owners from around the world including startups, design, art and branding. There is a pretty big archive to listen through. But if you just want a quick burst of inspiration, listen to one of the 5-10-minute Eureka episodes including Eureka 278 with fundraising lessons from creative networking site The Dots founder and CEO Pip Jamieson.
Listen for: Career advice, community
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
An archive of fortnightly podcasts hosted by creative coaches Sara Tasker and Jen Carrington that ran from 2018-2020. Letters From A Hopeful Creative is an agony aunt-style podcast where they help a listener to resolve a creative problem each episode. It’s an insightful, empathetic podcast that most creatives can resonate with from broader concerns like business burnout, comparison and authenticity to more specific queries around marketing yourself on social media, taking the leap into self-employment and knowing your worth. Although it doesn’t look like there are new episodes being produced, most of the dilemmas and advice is still pretty evergreen. And at just under an hour per episode, Sara and Jen are great company to break up your working day.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-digital-marketing-podcast/id373596600
Listen for: Marketing industry insights
Where to list: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible
This ad-free panel show-style podcast with expert hosts Daniel Rowles, Ciaran Rogers and Louse McDonnell aimed at being informative but entertaining on all things digital marketing. Each episode is around 20-30 minutes, and the podcast is a mix of panel discussion and expert interviews on topics including privacy changes, marketing & AI and video marketing. The Digital Marketing podcast is a great, bite-sized way to keep up to speed with digital marketing trends, forecasts and tips.
Whether you’re looking for something entertaining on your lunch break or something to help you solve a problem, podcasts are a great source of inspiration, research and professional insights for creatives of all disciplines. Let us know if you decide to give any of these a go.
As recruitment and training experts, we work with lots of freelancers and people considering self-employment. But with the impact of an unstable economy, Covid-19, and more economic uncertainty to come – what is the current landscape for freelancers in the UK creative industries?
Freelancers currently make up around a third of creative industries (32%), according to The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS). Film, TV, and Theatre production have always heavily relied on freelancers.
But the creative industries are growing and include everything from marketing and social media to podcasting and client services and project management. In fact, the UK now has the second-fastest growing freelance market. However, it’s important to remember that some people do freelance work part-time, alongside staff jobs.
A large portion of the freelance workforce in the creative sector work in entertainment and the arts in TV, film, and theatre roles. But the creative industries extend beyond entertainment into PR, branding and social media, digital, editorial, and tech. And within those sub-sectors, there are plenty of technical, support and non-creative freelance roles too.
According to the research by Hiscox, the top 5 most searched for freelance roles within the UK are:
Day rates are usually determined by experience level, specialism, and discipline. Some creatives are hired as a team, most commonly a copywriter and graphic designer or copywriter and art director. This is usually the case in advertising and creative agencies. Agencies tend to be hierarchical and will advertise for junior, mid-weight or senior positions or teams. It’s less common with non-agency clients.
If you’re looking for a particular job role or discipline, professional organisations like The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), and Pro Copywriters are good resources for average day rates.
But let’s look at the bigger picture. Data from the 2022 YunoJuno Freelancer Rates Report gives a good overview of day rates across different disciplines. YunoJuno is a platform and community for freelance contracts across 16 disciplines including client services, UX, digital, content and photography.
The good news is that day rates began to increase across the board in 2021, after taking a hit in 2020 due to the biggest impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the report, these are the average day rates for freelance by discipline and category:
Creatives (including copywriters, directors, strategists, and creative directors):
Client Services (including account directors, business directors, account managers and client services directors
Designers (including 3D artists, storyboard artists, graphic designer, illustrators, and branding designers)
Data (including business analysts, data scientists, and data architects)
The Major Players Salary Survey shows current data for marketing, PR, and social day rates. Overall, there are fewer freelancers in these disciplines than in content, editorial or creative roles. According to the report, most of the marketing, PR & comms (89%) and social (89%) respondents were also permanent staff.
Marketing Assistant
Marketing Manager/Campaign Manager:
Head of Marketing:
Press Officer / Comms Executive:
Senior PR / Comms Manager
Head of PR / Head of Media Relations
Social Media Manager
Social Media Strategist
Head of Social
Why are so many people going freelance vs working in house?
People go freelance for all sorts of reasons. But agency culture and production work often mean long hours. That’s not to say you won’t ever work longer hours on any given freelance project in other disciplines. And chances are you’ll have more autonomy over what you take on.
But it’s not just agency workers who have made the switch to self-employment. According to recent figures from IPSE, people currently employed in media, marketing, PR, and sales are likely to consider going freelance.
According to research by IPSE and The Work Crowd some of the most common reasons why more people are choosing freelancing over salaried positions include:
As well as:
For many, the rewards outweigh the risks. And it’s worth remembering that freelancing itself comes in different forms. You’re no less of a freelancer if you take an interim job covering sick leave or maternity leave at a PR firm or have a bill-paying admin job one or two days a week, especially in the early days.
Clients also benefit from working with good freelancers, with 66% of respondents to the IPSE freelance landscape report stating that freelancers bring specialised talent to their business. Many also reported that freelancers provide fresh ideas and perspectives and help take the pressure off their in-house talent during busy periods.
What kind of protections are there for freelancers?
Even if you work mostly solo, you never have to go it alone. In fact, succeeding as a freelancer relies on building up contacts and having a supportive network. We run an opportunities and networking Facebook group for creative and marketing professionals, many of whom are freelance.
But who do you turn to for advice over late payment, contractual disputes, or other workplaces issues when you don’t have an HR department to ask? Well, on a practical level unless you’re freelancing via PAYE, you’ll need to have professional indemnity insurance and potentially public liability too (if you’re working on site or with the public).
It’s not just about making sure you have adequate cover, there are plenty of organisations including unions and professional membership organisations who are advocating for better support for freelancers including ISPE (quick definition here) and BECTU, a union that represents over 40,000 staff, contract and freelance workers in media and entertainment.
What does the future of freelancing in the creative sectors look like?
For all the flexibility that freelancing brings, it also comes with challenges including a lack of security and protections against discrimination, unfair treatment, and late payment. We can’t make any big predictions for the next few years. But one thing is clear – collective action and collaboration will drive better conditions for freelancers in the creative industries.
In summer 2022, a freelance-led network including Freelancers Make Theatre Word, Inc Arts, and Migrants in Culture came together to launch the FREELANCE: FUTURES event aimed at building more equitable conditions for freelancers in the culture sector. Larger organisations are doing work in this area too. At the time of writing, independent network Creative UK is commissioning the UK’s largest freelance survey to drive change, the survey results of Redesigning Freelancing should be published in 2023.
(please note copy will be updated early 2025 with news)
We’ve all had these daunting questions when trying to put together a good CV. And with all that information out there, it can be even tougher to find credible facts.
So, we thought it might be a good idea to share some useful tips and tricks to help you avoid the most common CV mistakes. Also, as a bonus, we’ll make it relevant to the creative industry. And those looking for a job in PR, Comms, Marketing, Digital, and Design!
Firstly, let’s start with the correct term – is it a CV or a Resume?
The term ‘CV’ is predominantly used across the UK and is an abbreviation of the Latin ‘Curriculum Vitae’ meaning “story of (one’s) life”. The word ‘resume’ derives from the French ‘résumer’. It means “to summarise” and is a more common term in Europe. Sounds simple enough, but which one should you use?
Liz Gadd: “We’ve noticed that the term candidates mainly use is ‘CV’. And while this is the accepted norm within the UK, we believe that both terms can be used. I should also note that the content of the CV or Resume is much more important than the term you choose to use”.
So then, what exactly is a CV, and what should I include in mine?
A CV is a short, written summary of your professional experience. Your CV should be relevant to the job you are applying for, drawing on your key achievements and demonstrating you are prepared to do the job. It should also be clear and concise, with essential information structured and formatted plainly.
Starting from your contact details (full name, address (or at least town/city), phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile). You should also include your work history, qualifications, accomplishments, and education.
And while there’s no right or wrong way to structure your CV, it is always best to start with your most recent work experience. Follow a reverse chronological order and list your full working history.
“Regardless of the industry you are trying to enter and the job you are trying to land, your CV should always include detailed work history. List your most recent employment and any previous, relevant experiences.
“Your CV should also embody an education and profile summary. Add relevant links to previous work, and certificates or qualifications you have obtained”, explained Liz Gadd, founder of Moxie and Mettle.
What should I not include on my CV?
“There is a recurring trend in creative, PR, and digital CVs we constantly see – the most dreaded ‘references upon request’ sentence. It’s obvious that you have references on request, but you don’t need to state it. Although it’s always a benefit that you have people who can endorse you and your skills, you should remember to mention your referees by name, their relationship with you, and their contact details. Ask for permission from your referees, of course.
“This will create value in the eyes of the hiring manager or recruitment consultant. It will also mean that your references can be contacted quickly and easily. Of course, you should state any that are NOT to be contacted until after you have accepted a new role. Or don’t provide your current employer’s details until after your new role is secured”, Liz Gadd mentioned.
How long should a CV be?
Again, there is no right or wrong answer – it really depends on the quality of your CV and your writing. While some career sites and industry experts will tell you CVs should not be longer than one page, we believe in quality AND quantity. If your CV is interesting, contains enviable information, and has your working experience, then in all cases, it should be longer!
According to Liz: “Anything between two and four pages is acceptable. More than that, your CV can quickly become redundant. At the same time, if you are applying for a design role and have various examples of your work included in your resume, then you shouldn’t worry as this only proves your extensive experience!”
Should I include any special designs and fonts?
Our friend and copywriter Katie Palmer once said that you should make your CV stand out from the crowd. But does that mean including any special design features? The truth is you should keep your CV simple and easy to read. Likewise, if the company you apply for is using an Applicant Tracking System or ATS software to navigate the high number of candidates, including such special designs and graphics can result in never being seen by the employer. Keywords may not be recognised by the software.
But if you have been successful in passing through the ATS software, it is also important to mention that contrary to popular belief that recruiters spend 7.4 seconds on resumes, most resumes are explored thoroughly.
Liz explained: “I’ve been in recruitment for the past 30 years, and so I’ve learned that if you want to get the information you need, you actually need to spend some time looking at the CV. We always make sure to read through all your applicable employment history. And take into consideration your skills and achievements and match them to our jobs.”
What about the tone of voice and accidental typos? Surely, these won’t get noticed…
Having typos or spelling mistakes is a big NO, especially if you’re applying for a role in the creative industry. You should always ensure to proofread your CV. In fact, one too many candidates have been turned away by our clients for spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors. This is especially true for candidates applying for marketing, communications, and PR roles, where grammar and punctuation should be perfect.
“You should strive to write your CV in an active and energetic tone of voice. An employer will almost always reach out if you’ve included action verbs and phrases.
Is there anything else I should consider for my CV?
An application with a cover letter is always stronger than one without. Write a personalised cover letter addressed to the interviewer or hiring manager. Keep a lookout for our cover letter checklist for the perfect cover letter.
How about getting additional help with my CV?
You can also make sure to check these CV templates that are simple yet creative:
You have put together the perfect CV and Cover Letter, and with a bit of luck, you have scheduled your first interview. Now it’s time to do your research and prepare your answers. All so that you can land a job in the creative industry. But if you don’t know where to start, we have put together a list of useful interview tips and advice to help you ace the job interview!
A cover letter, covering letter, or even covering email is a document that goes along your CV and forms part of your job application. But why is it so important? Writing a personalised cover letter gives you the chance to introduce yourself to the hiring manager and make them think about your application. In fact, an application with a cover letter is always stronger than one without. This is especially true for jobs in the creative industry, where promoting yourself is everything. So, we decided to put together this cover letter checklist to guide you and help you check all the cover letter requirements.
Your personal details: your cover letter should contain your full name, address, phone number, email address, and useful links (e.g., LinkedIn profile, portfolio). Your details must be consistent with your CV and follow similar formatting, font and style.
Hiring Manager’s details: you should always address the Hiring Manager by name, if it’s not provided, make a call and find out who it is. It adds a personal touch and can make the difference between being called for an interview or being declined right there and then. So next time, address your cover to the right person.
Job title and reference number if there is one: make sure to include the job title and, if applicable, the job reference. The company you’re applying to might be advertising various roles at various levels, so it is always important to distinguish between the jobs.
Opening sentence: include a brief opening sentence to introduce yourself. Capture the reader’s attention by adding a powerful opening statement. This will highlight your expertise and why are you a great fit for the position.
Company research: show that you’ve done your homework. Include short information about your reasons for applying with THIS company and for THIS position. You can consider things like company values, work culture, clients, and company statistics or results. Or simply explaining it has always been your dream to work with them.
Your experience: include details of your most relevant experiences. Read the job description again and identify some of the key skills the company’s looking for. Demonstrate you are a strong match by incorporating those key skills. Mention how they relate to your previous work experiences. Give clear examples – do not simply repeat your CV.
Specific questions: answer the Hiring Manager’s questions. If the job description asks you to answer any specific questions such as “how would you deal with this situation?” make sure to include your answers in the cover letter.
Structure your answers: use the STAR method to provide examples. The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method allows you to highlight particular skills and qualities clearly and concisely. But you should also remember to show your personality.
Include your personality: show who you are. While it’s important to use the company’s tone of voice when writing your answers, make sure to be yourself. With this in mind, you will stand out from the competition and make a positive impression.
Use bullet points: break the text down. Break your answers down to deliver your message to the reader quickly. If you have one long block of text, include a couple of bullet points to make it more interactive and interesting. After all, you want to catch your reader’s attention…
Closing paragraph: thank the reader and reiterate your interest. Thank the Hiring Manager for taking the time to read through your cover letter. It shows appreciation. Make sure to also express your interest in the role again and demonstrate you are eager to start.
Identify the next steps: follow up with the employer. Explain how you can be best reached and when you can follow up for a possible interview.
Sign off: add your signature. End the cover letter with a formal closing. Use ‘yours sincerely’ or “best wishes” when you have addressed the hiring manager by their name. And ‘your sfaithfully’ when you did not know their name (but this should be avoided, find out their name!)
Formatting: be consistent. Consistency is key when you are applying for a job in the creative industry. Try and match your CV format, including any special fonts, colours, and designs. This will show that you are conscious of your representation and that you can adhere to brand guidelines (even if they are your own).
Length: pay attention to it. Ideally, your cover letter should not be over one A4 page long or between 350-400 words. If you have gone over that – try to paraphrase and use some bullet points to cut back on the length.
Spacing up your cover letter: it depends. Your cover letter should not be double-spaced. Keep it tight and single-space your letter. Of course, if you have used a special design in your CV, then your cover letter should match that formatting. It should be consistent with your CV, even if it means not single-spacing it.
Spelling and grammatical errors: proofread it! From the moment the Hiring Manager opens that cover letter to the first time they meet you, you’ll be assessed. Make a positive impression and proofread your cover letter. You can also ask a friend or a family member. Roles in the creative industry needsgreat spelling, grammar and punctuation, fact!
Action words: be the storyteller that you are. Describe your experience as you would tell a story. You are entering a creative profession, so that would be expected of you. Use action verbs and words to highlight your accomplishments within your previous role(s).
Don’t assume: say it as it is. Don’t assume the reader knows all abbreviations related to your field. Explain technical language or language used in your previous role that might not be clear to all. Use abbreviations only when you have explained the meaning of the word.
Numbers and statistics: visualise your competencies. Did you manage the marketing budget in your previous role, or did you increase the marketing ROI by 25% in just two months? See the difference? Mentioning numbers and statistics in your cover letter will present tangible results to the Hiring Manager.
File format: choose between a PDF or a DOCX file. The most accessible file formats by employers are PDFs and DOCXs. Alternatively, you can also write a covering email, in which case you do not need to save your file. Add a subject line, preferably with your full name, the job title of the role, and the reference number.
You are now completely ready to send in your application and start preparing for your interview! Check out our list of useful tips and advice that will help you land your next job.
To have the best interview experience, it’s super important that you are well-prepared, have done your research, and are ready to make the best out of the opportunity. There is so much to prepare and here follows some great tips and advice for you. Getting to interview is such a great and positive part of the job application process, you really must make sure you are ready to truly demonstrate that you are the right person for the role.
You’ve already done a great job in demonstrating through your brilliant CV and covering letter that you are very worthy of consideration for the role, now it’s time to demonstrate that in person (even if the first interview is via video link). Whether you are at entry-level or in a senior leadership role, the same advice applies every time. Turning up for an interview without extensive preparation is frankly, just a waste of time (yours and the potential employers).
Interviews should be an enjoyable and informative experience on both sides and your efforts in preparation will definitely put you in a much stronger position after the interview, and you will feel 100% more confident during the meeting.
This is probably the most important tip – prior to the interview research the company in depth. Start by looking through their website and understanding the company. Pay close attention to the products or services they provide. Record everything you research and find such as the company’s revenues, annual data reports, target audience, competitors, new product releases, role in the industry, and all recent news coverage. Ensure you fully understand the requirements for the jobs you are applying to. Read the job description thoroughly and ensure you have referenced it back to your CV on all the key points. Always look through their social media presence, and understand the platforms they use the most.
Before the interview, refresh your memory with your own professional experiences. Every interview should be an opportunity to leverage your experience in the context of the PR, communications, digital marketing jobs, or marketing jobs you are applying for. Go through your CV and list out the projects you have spearheaded, the times your innovative idea was successful, and when you’ve needed to problem solve. Reflect on these experiences and think about how they added value to the company. An easy way to do this is by prepping a specific experience to talk about for each requirement of the position. This shows that you understand the position fully and that you have got the experience for the position.
Turn all your past experiences and successes into a brand and add value to yourself. Stories are great, but numbers stand out more, particularly for digital marketing jobs. Back up your success and experience with data and metrics. For example, tell the interviewer how much profit or sales you’ve generated in your current role, explain how many advertisement clicks were generated from your ad campaigns, and how many followers you gained on the social channels you managed. From this, you are proving the value you will bring to the company and that you understand that activity needs to lead to results.
To help with tip three, use the star method to ensure you convey your answers in a structured way. The STAR method stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result (this is where you can quantify your success). Here is some information and examples of STAR. This method can help you prepare some answers that highlight your particular skills and qualities in a structured way and always come across as meticulous and organised.
Along with leveraging your experience and quantifying your success, prove to the interviewer that you will be an asset to their company. A great way to do this is by explaining to employers how you see yourself helping the company in the first three months, and offering them a proposal based on your employment. Highlight how you will be an asset in their upcoming projects, your ideas for improvement or growth, and how you see yourself fitting into this marketing job and their team.
When you are interviewing for a marketing position, show your creative side. If you’re a copywriter, bring some writing samples or special ads with you. If you are managing an account, show how you’ve sold to clients. Instead of saying what you can do for their brand, prove it with examples. Along with this, have a list of references printed out and ready to show the employer.
Remember an interview is a dialogue, not a monologue. You can size up the company as well as the other way round. Prior to the interview, during your research, make a list of thoughtful questions that highlight your understanding of the company. Your questions should also showcase your interest in the role and demonstrate your relevant expertise. Asking questions about their market and growth plans demonstrates your interest in the company and shows you have researched them. Make sure you have at least five questions, so you are always ready. Take your notebook, that’s fine too!
When you show up to the interview, dress as though you’re ready for the job. If the company is a little more fashion-forward, show that in your outfit during your interview. Similarly, if you are interviewing at a professional business, dress professionally. No matter if your interview is via Zoom or in-person, dress for the position. Along with wearing a professional outfit, ensure your background is prepped for virtual interviews. That means a plain background, a quiet area, and a fully charged computer with good Wi-Fi. Top tip; ask! Your consultant will be able to help you with what the dress code is at the company, or ask directly from your HR or recruitment contact – it’s okay to ask!
93% of employers use social media to screen interview candidates before or after their interviews. This is a crucial place to underscore the expertise you’d bring to digital marketing jobs and showcase how you market yourself. Start to brand yourself now if you haven’t already started to. If you can’t show that you can market yourself, it’ll be difficult to show a personal brand that you can market their brand. Promote your skills and develop a following on popular social networks like LinkedIn. Ensure your social media platforms highlight your experience and work in a positive light. Interesting article here, from HR Magazine, discussing this exact point!
Any candidate who wants to land the job should show an appropriate level of confidence. Get some ideas about how to help you build your confidence prior to the interview. You are the expert on your own experiences and strengths, so show that with confidence. Employers want to hire marketers, for example, who can confidently lead their next marketing campaign, so it’s important to bring this energy to your interview.
Istoria Group, the Bristol-based collective of creative agencies, has announced two new Group-level appointments. Silka Mitchell is the new Group Creative Director, whilst Bryn Isaac has been named Group Financial Director.
Istoria Group, which became a B Corp last autumn, is comprised of exhibition and events specialists Ignition, known for being sustainable pioneers and as recipients of The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development 2020-25; hospitality and retail designers Phoenix Wharf, known for their work for regional operators such as Yeo Valley, The Bristol Loaf, Better Food and Spicer + Cole, as well as for national retailer SpaceNK and Apprentice winner Harpreet Kaur – and purposeful digital transformation experts Tiny Spark, whose virtual exhibit expertise during the pandemic helped Istoria Group survive the period’s challenging business conditions.
Silka Mitchell
‘Creative Director at Group level was an important role to fill and it was proving difficult to find the right candidate’, Sam Rowe, Istoria Group’s CEO commented. ‘We were delighted therefore to be introduced to Silka Mitchell, who brings not only top London agency experience as a former Director of both Brinkworth and Neu Architects, but also broad international experience, delivering projects in the commercial and public realms across Europe, Western Asia and China. Silka is German-born and has lived and worked in both Germany and in the UK. Her languages and multi-disciplinary, cross-sector experience will bring fresh energy and a new level of design sophistication to our studio.’
‘My ambition is to help Istoria Group grow and develop an even stronger 3D identity’ Silka Mitchell commented, ‘becoming known for creative originality and excellence. I look forward to unlocking further potential from the talented studio and to bringing in the next generation of talent to complement my vision. I further hope to instil creative leadership, inspiration and motivation and improve processes and the working environment through creative intervention and dialogue. I’m really excited to be working with a business with such a wealth of knowledge, strong ethics and a truly sustainable ethos.’
Bryn Isaac
New Group Financial Director Bryn Isaac is Bristol-born and bred and brings great expertise in and knowledge of regional markets and business to his role. Bryn joins Istoria Group after 8 years as Financial Director of We Are Fearless, an integrated marketing agency specialising in sports, culture and music sponsorship and partnerships. He has also worked with both start-up and group-owned agencies previously, including TBWA/Worldhealth, Momentum Worldwide and Given London. For Istoria Group, Bryn will provide the financial lead within the business across all the agencies in the Group and will manage financial planning covering both opportunity and risk.
‘I aim to use my experience of young and dynamic businesses to update processes and modernise systems at Istoria Group to help all parts of the business become more efficient and productive’ Bryn Isaac commented. ‘I’m looking forward to working alongside the leadership team to plan future strategic business growth, both operationally within the internal team and externally as the business grows in size.’
‘I am delighted that Bryn has joined us as Finance Director’ Sam Rowe added. ‘Bryn’s relevant knowledge and experience are vital as we continue our ambitious plans to grow and develop sustainable creative solutions for clients. As a B Corp, our ambition is to grow in the right way – with the right clients and the right team in place. These two new senior appointments are a huge leap in the right direction.’
Since 2009, the Bristol based creative recruitment agency mustard jobs has grown exponentially. As a result the business requires a fresh perspective to enable success during this time as they grow and scale the business. The intention of these roles is to prepare the business for onboarding more staff, increasing the sales aspect of the business and improving the operations to support this increase in business activity.
Promoted internally, these director level roles have produced an advanced progression route for high achieving members of staff.
Archie Harvey, previously an Associate Director, leading the XP division (Experiential, Events & Exhibitions Recruitment) has now been promoted to Sales Director. Having amplified the XP division’s output, he is perfectly placed to take on this new role, working with mustard’s Divisional Leaders to elevate the client and candidate experience, helping them to understand the best recruitment solution from the range of products that mustard provides.
“9 years ago I joined mustard off the back of working in the music festival industry with no previous experience in recruitment, so it’s personally an exciting period of time to be taking on the responsibility for business wide sales at mustard. We have a fantastic team of dedicated Manager’s and Consultants that I can work with to get us there, along with the freedom to implement our sales strategy and direction. At the moment, an ever changing market makes this a challenge but one I’m looking forward to continuing to tackle it!” – Archie Harvey, Sales Director.
At the forefront of mustard’s business operations, Joe Bungey has been placed as Operations Director. Having started his journey as a trainee recruitment consultant in the BE division; Joe worked his way up the business with skill, passion and determination. This new role will support all the departments of mustard and oversee management of the systems we use to provide the best possible service to both candidates and clients.
Keeping the people within the business happy is a crucial element to growing and scaling a business, therefore mustard have promoted Phil Boshier to Associate Director of People and Culture. This new role involves developing our existing sales staff but also managing our internal recruitment strategy, along with onboarding and training new starters. As a previous team leader to the ID division, Phil’s an expert in our culture and has gone above and beyond to support the mustard family.
“The whole team has worked super hard to grow and scale the business over the last few years, as a bigger business we can provide opportunity to capable and loyal members of the team. All 3 of these people add real value in their respective arena’s to help us push on further in a structured and organic way… exciting times!” – Peter Browne, Founding Director.
B2B and corporate PR and communications specialists, AMBITIOUS PR is celebrating the second year of achieving 50% year-on-year revenue growth.
Now, the agency is setting its sights on £1.65million revenue in 2023, securing its position as one of the largest independent PR agencies in the South West.
The agency’s expansion over the last year came from new retained clients including Acorn Property Group, Albert Goodman, BGF, Lifetime, Neighbourly and Truespeed. Growth also came from the agency’s existing client base expanding their remit.
To drive forward further development, AMBITIOUS is investing in marketing technology to deepen the insight they can provide to clients through data and analysis.
The agency will also be launching a dedicated digital PR offering and an end-to-end content strategy, creation, and marketing service.
Based on client demand for international PR support, AMBITIOUS has joined the IPRN (International Public Relations Network) – the international network for independent agencies. This will provide clients with access to a global network of PR agencies as well as driving new business and international knowledge transfer.
In the last year, AMBITIOUS owners Lis Anderson and Sarah Woodhouse have promoted four team members and have now created four new positions which will represent a 22 per cent growth in headcount, taking the agency to a 22-strong team.
Sandra Hodgson has been promoted to Finance Director, Joe Wright to Strategy Lead, Katy Barney to ESGLead and Joanne Wilson to Office Manager.
AMBITIOUS is now hiring for an associate director, senior PR consultant, PR executive, and bookkeeper. Working with UWE Bristol and The Strive Internship Programme, the agency is also committed to a comprehensive internship programme to support entry level talent.
The agency, which has experienced no staff attrition in the past three years, has invested in a competitive benefits package designed in consultation with employees and created to be industry leading.
Lis Anderson, Founder & Director, AMBITIOUS said: “Our growth has been fuelled by investing back in the business – investing in our employees through personal coaching and development, through our competitive salary and benefits package, through new hires, new software and new technology to constantly develop and move our business forward.”
Sarah Woodhouse, Director, AMBITIOUS said “Many of our recent new business wins have come from large companies based in the South West or companies with a regional office here, procuring the national, regional and sector PR and communications support they need on their doorstep.”
AMBITIOUS focuses on b2b and corporate PR in core sectors including technology, ESG, property and placemaking, professional services, financial services, education and skills, healthcare, and the public sector.
Core services include strategic planning and communications, media relations, digital PR, press office management, thought leadership campaigns, issues and crisis management, stakeholder mapping and engagement, employer brand communications and media training. Content services include content strategy, creation, and marketing.
Female-founded, owned, and run, AMBITIOUS celebrated its first decade in business in 2022.
Interested in working for or with AMBITIOUS? Please email Sarah or Lis at [email protected]
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