Tips and advice for career success

I know the career search can sometimes feel soul-destroying, but dont give up if you dont land your dream job straight away. Every role you work in adds value to your CV and personal development. Maybe a job as a sales assistant isnt what you see yourself doing for the rest of your life, but dont underestimate the key skills that this type of job can provide you with.

Employment experience in consumer behaviour, visual merchandising and customer service environments will give you essential knowledge which you can use to impress in a job interview at a later date. Similarly, for those of you that haven’t graduated yet- don’t miss out on the opportunity to get as much experience as you can whilst at University. Whether its becoming involved in projects, volunteering for on the job experience or opting to take certain modules based on their relevancy for your desired career role.

The years spent studying for your degree can be invaluable for gaining experience which will help set you apart once you start applying for jobs. That said, when it does come to the time to start applying for jobs, make sure you really make your application unique. Show potential employers from the offset why they should pick you. Be creative. Most importantly, tailor each application to the job you are applying for.

Dont send out your CVs in bulk; be specific and personal to each role.

To ensure that you make a great impression in an interview make sure that you are well-prepared. Read up and around current events and goings-on in the industry. It is crucial that you are aware of what is happening. Conversation and the ability to demonstrate your knowledge is key.

Also, dont be afraid if the career path that you thought you would be taking seems to change direction. I was actually taking the A-level options to study Zoology at University, but I ended up going to Art College after finishing my A-levels and it brought me to where I am today. For my first industry job, I worked at a Manchester publishing company in a Junior Graphic Design position.

The company produced private sector magazines such as the Royal Institute of British Architecture. My main tasks in my role included creating lots of small advertisements, designing logos and running quality checks on images for publications. However, it wasn’t until I’d been there a while, in fact towards the end of my role there that I actually had the opportunity to begin to design and layout pages. The software we used back then was something called QuarkXPress- we no longer use this archaic programme today, which many of my juniors like to taunt me about, reminding me that I’m old! My first real artistic memory that inspired me to follow a career in creativity and design was when I was about 6 years old.

I used to watch my grandfather in his workshop creating cabinets, tables and chairs and this really stuck in my mind. It gave me the perspective that there is creative potential in everything, even a block of wood. As a child I also used to love to draw, but looking back I think that was more of a way to communicate at that age rather than a method for conscious artistic expression.

George Burton is the Senior Creative Manager at Boohoo.com.

George is charged with determining the best way for boohoo.com to visually represent its brand identity online. which involves development of high-level concepts for design projects. working with teams, developing visual designs & more!