Hanbury Symposium

Hanbury was a very useful experience getting a greater insight into how to go about applying for jobs/agencies/companies after uni:

Publishing:

• NoBrow have an open submissions policy - they encourage people to send in work as they always try to give some feedback.
• Learn to deal with rejection as it will happen and you have to move on and keep applying. Be persistent.
• Follow publishers. Attend events/talks. Keep up to date.
• Bigger revenue for children books as opposed to graphic novels - harder to sell.
• Book covers are very important. Think about the production, size format. Needs to be eye-catching and think about the importance of the spine as this is what is going to be on display.

Anthroplogie:

• You need to work outside your comfort zone - if you are feeling uncomfortable in a working environment, you know you are challenging yourself and learning.
• Spend time to learn new things!
• Be guided by your authenticity, not your circumstances.

It's Nice That:

• Encourage people to submit work. Keep trying even if you don't get a response.
• Need to create a strong online presence - BEHANCE was mentioned a lot. They look for work both on instagram and Behance.
• Remember to keep updating your website - most of the time outdated.
• Make connections with anyone! You never know who could mention your name in conversation.
• BE PROACTIVE. Go to events, meet people in person, go to talks.

Agencies:

• More likely to be noticed.
• There is more communication with the client if done through an agency.
• You need to have a style that is Different. Try not to follow trends.
• CIA will happily take on graduates if their work is eye catching enough.
• Editorials a good way of making money. Less restrictive as the client doesn't really have an expectation.

Advertising:

• Mainly hire freelancers
• Find a sector of the industry that appeals best to you and stick with it.

On reflection:

The main thing i learnt was to continue in the pursuit of creating a strong online presence and keep it updated, as this is the most successful way a client will find you and contact you. Keep applying for jobs and sending work as long as it fits the aesthetic. Overall the experience has opened my eyes of the the endless opportunities available to me when I graduate. I guess it makes it feel a little less daunting. Before the trip I was set on working in publishing and working in-house but it's nice to know of the possible pathways which could be potential back up plans. Editorial is something I am definitely interested in looking into as something part time.

It has also made me more aware of agencies - I didn't really know much about them before but I guess its a really positive way of getting work as clients take you more seriously.