It felt like everyone and their mom graduated this weekend. (If that’s you, congratulations!!!) If you would’ve asked me 5 years ago, what I would be doing with my life post-college, I never (ever ever) would’ve said “running my own business in my own office in a house that I own with my husband.” (Still not over it). It moreso would’ve sounded like “hoping to not be surviving on Ramen alone in a too-tiny Manhattan apartment trying to “make it” with the rest of ’em without losing sanity and/or hope in humanity”. When I started college, blogging wasn’t exactly a job option recommended by career counselors. In fact…it wasn’t even considered “a job” by many, because influencer marketing wasn’t even yet in its prime. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do (and if I wasn’t blogging fulltime, I would be doing that, because I do lovelovelove it), but I really had no clue just how many options are out there for self-proclaimed “creatives.” Yannno…those of us who think more right than left, are jazzed more by art than math, and might be more abstract in, well, everything. Creative careers are totally a thing, but they’re not necessarily the easiest to recognize right off the bat without knowing the in’s and out’s of an industry already.
I think more scientific or math-based careers have more straightforward paths; wanna be a doctor? Pursue a science-based undergraduate degree, ace the MCAT, go to more school, land a residency, and get a medical license to seal the deal and getting that coveted white coat. Just like 2 + 2 always equals 4…there’s no getting around the MCATs if “DR.” is in your future. With more creative careers, tho, there tends to be more wiggle room for…creativity. In the job itself, all the way through to how you land it. Now that I work in a super-creative field, I’ve had the opportunity to meet the most amazing fellow creatives. And my eyes have been opened – there are so many more options than what exists in some college guidebooks.
Even better, there are so many options for post-grads. Even if you’ve already donned a cap + gown (heck, even if you took an alternate route altogether!), where there’s a creative, there’s a way – a creative way at that. 😉 So, I rounded up 16 creative careers – no matter where you are in the journey of #life, it’s never too late to follow (or find) yo’ passion and do what you truly lovelovelove!
(as seen here as a thing I lovelovelove – SO versatile and a must in every girl’s closet!) // c/o // Jeans (from Primark – lovelovelove the denim selection here) // c/o
16 TOP CREATIVE CAREERS
Creative director – The Creative Director is basically the head honcho of all things creative in an agency or editorial setting. When there are many moving pieces, someone’s gotta take the reins and lead the creative direction. Enter, the creative director. They work with everyone else on the team to define the plan for advertising and the overall creative process to ensure that goals are met (like, products being sold).
Boutique manager – My first in-person internship was at a boutique, and I was always so stinkin’ inspired by the two chicas in charge. They’ve literally been best friends forever, and their lifelong dream of starting their own clothing line together is now a reality – complete with the *cutest* brick-and-mortar boutique and Philly’s first-ever fashion truck along the way (which I got to work – SO FUN). Abby and Katie are creatives to the core. From designing the layout of their store to the clothes themselves, it’s all in the aesthetic.
Personal assistant – Being a personal assistant to someone in an already-creative field is a surefire way to dip yo’ toes in a creative pool! Perfect position if you already lovelovelove a brand (especially a smaller one) and wanna be reaaaaaally up close n’ personal with it. Also a really good way to a get a creative yet all-inclusive sorta experience
Graphic designer – If you’ve got a strong visual eye, graphics may be the name o’ yo’ game. Graphic designers’ job is pretty self-explanatory – design graphics! You might be designing anything from print ads to social media graphics to merchandising displays or print packaging, so it’s a mix of creativity + optimizing the space you’re workin’ with.
PR girl – As a blogger, I get to work with PR girls all the time! Public relations girls are tasked with spreading the word on things like new product releases, etc, and getting as much press as possible for companies – building brand relationships with the public. In PR, you’re doing everything from writing press releases (creative!) to communicating with other creatives (like bloggers!) to try and secure press of the brands you’re representing. When I’ve visited some of my favorite PR girls’ offices (which are always HELLA cute, btw), I got to peek inside the day-to-day, too; especially for girls at more lifestyle-focused agencies, or whenever fashion/beauty/food comes into play, testing products and playing with samples to know the products you’re promoting yourselves is always part of the job description. So, it’s creative AND fun. 😉
Stylist – If you’ve got an eye for fashion and lovelovelove dressing other people, stylists can work anywhere from a personal closet to a brand showroom or runway show. Stylists are obvi creative when it comes to clothing, but it’s also got that sense of “make the best of whatcha got” goin’ on. What’s the best thing you can do with limited resources? That’s the thought process of someone styling. Whether you’re helping someone feel like the best version of themselves or helping a brand show off their work to the point of selling it off the shelves, it’s all about making the most of what you’ve got!
Copywriter – Writing copy typically involves getting in the brain space of someone else to write as “they” would! That might mean writing copy for someone’s personal website, if they’re an entrepreneur or business owner, or writing copy for a brand. A brand copywriter is also getting in the brand’s brain space everyday, thinking as the brand thinks, so to speak. So, if the brand was a person…how would they talk? What would they say? A copywriter’s creative power comes in identifying + learning this language of a brand, and speaking/working/living in it everyday instead of in his or her own personal lingo.
Fashion buyer – When I interned for Burlington during college, I was hanging out with fashion buyers everyday – even got to swap roles at one point and play buyer in the Big Apple’s Garment District. If you’ve got a passion for fashion and a knack for strategy, this is the gig for ya! My fellow intern from back in the day is actually now a buyer (go, Jenna!). Buying for retailers means you’re spending some days analyzing sales reports to know what “worked” and didn’t in stores (meaning, what actually sold, etc), and others, you’re in the market, going to different brand showrooms to see what pieces they’re sporting and what trends they’re working with for the season. Buyers then literally buy for the store – they choose which pieces the store should have, in what color specs and sizes, etc. If you’re creative, strategic, AND love shopping (on someone else’s budget, to boot), buying might be a perf career for ya!
Photographer – Man oh man…this one’s a fun one. And when it comes to creative careers, something like photography that’s SO entirely visual takes the cake. My mom and I both had to learn the in’s and out’s of photography for le blog, and now it’s just so FUN. From envisioning the overall shoot to setting up the perfect shot, and then editing it all to create a cohesive finished product…it’s pure art. Being able to set up shot and envision things in your head is huge, as well as knowing how to work with technology + light to create masterpieces, is key.
Author/writer/columnist – One of my best friends, Molly, is about to add “children’s author” to her resume. She’s a speech pathologist by trade (and a damn good one at that), but her creative outlet comes through her special needs cat, Otitis. Molly’s creative juices were flowing one night, and she whipped up a children’s book that was booked up by a publishing house the next day (seriously). She’s teaming up with illustrators to bring her book to life, and her creative baby will be born soon!
Baker – If you’re good with the oven and a KitchenAid mixer and live for things “from scratch,” you were born to be a baker. So many times, we forget that people have created the most amazing, kickass businesses making unicorn cupcakes and fancy tarts. #goals. Once you’ve got your base recipes and the actual baking down bat, it’s all creativity from there! Designing cakes or decorating cupcakes is culinary art, and you need the eye AND the taste to get it right. 😉
Magazine Editor – When I was a senior in high school, I had the opportunity to intern for the county paper, running the for-teens-by-teens section. My boss was the one adult on staff, and the editor of the section. She was a baller; besides managing the entire team of high schoolers from across the entire county, she had to brainstorm the paper holistically, coming up with appropriate themes, curating the perfect selection of pieces, getting the right writers on each piece, and, of course, editing everything before it went to publication.
Fashion designer – Totally self-explanatory and destined for anyone with a knack for styling, AND a knack for sewing.
Advertising executive – Advertising is an AWESOME creative outlet, combined with human psychology. I geek out over this stuff. Folks in advertising need to understand how the mind works and understand how people think and rationalize, what people want and need, etc, and then come up with a creative vision that speaks directly to that and effectively sells a product. It’s like a big game, and can be used for good if people opt to only advertise products that they actually believe in (so not all advertising is scummy!).
Florist – The job that’s really coming up roses. 😉 Being a florist involves a bit o’ science, cos #plants. This girl’s thumb is anything but green, so I’m definitely not one for the floral profession. But, I definitely can (+ do) appreciate a solid bouquet or arrangement! Putting florals together is actually an art. Certain flowers + plants go together versus not, and mixing + matching to create the ultimate curation of blossoms is a science. If you’ve got great visual taste AND a green thumb, florals are fo’ you.
Social media girl – Near and dear to my heart, obvi. 😉 If you’re creative on social media, that can go waaaaay farther in today’s day + age than just accruing likes on Instagram. You’ve got options! Option A: Run social media on the marketing team of one company. This means you’ve living/breathing/sleeping/sneezing the brand (so…you’ve gotta lovelovelove it). Option B: Run social media for multiple companies via an agency. This might mean that you’re managing a few client accounts, and you’re bouncing back n’ forth between a few on a daily basis. Option C: DIY it. If you’ve got a great social media presence yo’self, there’s a chance you can monetize that ish and start your own brand – woo!
Which of the above creative careers is most “you”?
Are you a creative? I’d reaaaaally lovelovelove to get to know YOU more. So, drop a comment down below, wouldja? Let me know what sorta person you are, and what your dream career is! I’m definitely a creative careers kinda gal, but not everyone is – and that’s the beautiful thing. So whether you’re a fellow creative or entrepreneur, a scientist, a teacher, a biz owner, a nurse, a calculus wiz (bless you), WHATEVER, I wanna know. 🙂
P.S. Got not one, but TWO giveaways for ya today – cos it’s Monday, and we could all use the pickmeup, amiright??? $500 to Target and a gorgeous Gucci bag are both up for grabs!
Have a BOMBDOTCOM week.
WIN a $500 Target Gift Card!! Bless up. Just use the Rafflecopter widget below – Each entry has a link so it makes it easy to do the actions, make sure and perform the actions. We do check! Giveaway runs from June 12 – June 26, 2017 (concludes at 12:00 AM on the last day). Winner will be announced within 10 days of the conclusion of the giveaway and entries will be verified by the hosts.
AND AND AND, giving away a Gucci Marmont bag – #swoon. Use the widget below to enter the giveaway. The more “tasks” you complete, the more entries you will receive. The winner will be announced (on the widget) within 2 weeks of the giveaway ending – Open to the U.S. and Canada.
