What now? Practical advice from the creative community for 2026's graduates

It's a Tuesday in July. Your degree show has come down. The work is in bags in the boot of someone's car, and the studio that felt like home for three years is suddenly very quiet. You've graduated. You're a creative professional now. So why does it feel so terrifying?

Well, because it is, a little. The economy is sluggish. Competition is fierce. And the job postings you've been poring over seem to want five years of experience from someone who graduated last week.

No, you're not imagining it: the market is genuinely tough right now. But on the other hand, it's always been tough, and people have always found their way in. They still do.

To help you out, we asked our community on LinkedIn and in The Studio (our own private, free-to-join network), what advice they'd give to creatives graduating this summer. Their response was warm, generous and full of hard-won wisdom. Here's what they said.

Show how you think

Your portfolio matters enormously, but perhaps not in the way you think it does. Nathan Crosby, creative director at Fiasco Design, is clear on what he's actually looking for. "It's not about mock-ups—everyone uses the same ones—it's about passion and your thought process," he explains. "That doesn't mean showing every discarded sketch, but celebrate the mess. Show me how you got there."

Brand and packaging designer Daniel Poll, who regularly gets applications from graduates, couldn't agree more. "We see so many young creatives focusing on the execution of the work, which is important, of course, but with the rise of AI, the why, the reasoning and the big idea behind the work is so much more important," he reasons. "Show the execution and explain it, and you'll be ahead of 80% of the graduates landing in studios' inboxes."

Orun Uddin, creative director and D&AD and Cannes Lions judge, adds this. "Don't try to sell an entire project in your folio," he advises. "We don't expect you to be able to deliver anything whole. Be hungry, creatively astute, historically articulate and empathetic. Say yes to everything, and embrace chaos."

And if you haven't yet landed the brief you wanted? Brette Guilmette, creative director and founder of Like Magic Studio, has a direct answer: "Not all of the work in your portfolio needs to be 'real'," she points out. "If no one hires you for your dream project, create it yourself." That said, you will need to make sure you've labelled it clearly as concept work, as we discuss in depth in this article.

Get out there and talk to people

Portfolios are only one piece of the puzzle, though. Almost everyone involved in these discussions also mentioned networking. And they meant it in the most human sense: not transactional connections, but genuine conversations.

Vicky Zaremba, a verbal identity specialist, saw this principle in action at a recent Creative Boom IRL event in Leeds. "We had around 10 second-year and final-year students there, all asking questions about whether to go employed or freelance, where placement opportunities might be," she recalls. "It was lovely to connect them with seasoned pros and agencies for advice."

Eve Macdonald, creative growth specialist at KISS Branding, was there too. "Do what the second and third years of Leeds Arts Advertising were doing last night," she urges. "Go to Creative Boom IRL and talk to people you didn't go with. Be friendly and kind; you never know if your next opportunity is sitting on the train opposite you."

Vicki Lovegrove, director of Seventy Three Design, adds a broader point. "Don't get bogged down in other people's negativity," she stresses. "You have a fresh, creative outlook; use it. Build your network; it will be the backbone of your career."

Be strategic about where you aim

It's tempting to fire applications in every direction and hope something lands. But Joe Simons, co-founder and head of brand at Edna Studio, argues for a more considered approach. "Be realistic about your skillset and the type of work you want to do, and target agencies that reflect both," he advises. "The people viewing your work, sadly, often don't have the time to properly digest every project; they need to quickly understand if you can do the type of work that would be expected."

Nathan adds a note of caution about what you apply for. "Beware of unicorn job specs asking you to do everything from social media to media planning, all while churning out 'game-changing creative," he says. "Getting a break is harder than ever, but you should still question these roles. Ask about the day-to-day reality. Get second opinions from trusted peers. And remember: any studio worth its salt knows that junior positions are about mutual investment, not just returns."

Don't go it alone from day one

Illustrator Ben O'Brien has been freelancing for 25 years, but he doesn't romanticise the self-employment route. Instead, he recommends that fresh graduates should: "Find employment, and get your bills covered. You'll learn from others already in the industry, and build your portfolio and your contact list on someone else's time. If you're young, energetic and driven, you'll be able to hold down a job and build your dream at the same time. Whatever your path, don't risk it all thinking you can do it alone from day one, especially when there are bills to pay."

Illustrator and arts educator Lucia Vinti echoes this advice. "Try and get a part-time job that you enjoy, but one that leaves some brain-space and at least one full day a week to do your own work," she says. "And be extra kind to yourself: you've probably been in education for pretty much your whole life, and it can be overwhelming and weird to be out of it."

Keep making things

Sam Hawkins, a designer and illustrator at Firecatcher, recalls some advice from a lecturer that's stayed with her ever since. "You'll never be more prolific and productive than you are in the run-up to your degree show; don't lose that work ethic once you graduate. Keep your sketchbook every day, experiment, work on building your portfolio with the same energy you have now."

Logo and brand identity designer David Airey makes an equally important point. "Build something that's yours," he says. "A blog, a newsletter, a design showcase, a project that's just for you. It doesn't have to be polished. It just has to show that you care about the work beyond a client brief. And be careful whose advice you follow. There's a lot of noise, and some of it will knock your confidence for no good reason."

It's important, too, to be realistic. Not everyone will walk into something quickly. In truth, some of you will send applications for months. Some of you will feel, at times, as though the whole thing was a mistake. (It wasn't.)

Manny Dhanda, associate creative director at Yonder Consulting, offers something worth holding onto. "You've already navigated so much," he points out. "And this next step into the industry is where you can fully exercise your curiosity and your craft.

"Sweat the small details over and over, and let that build your confidence. Let your portfolio show how you think. Someone will recognise that passion, enthusiasm, and care."

Take it from us: the industry is not as far away as it feels right now. It's full of people who started exactly where you are, and who are genuinely willing to help. Go and find them.