Joules is presenting and Award in both Week 1 and Week 2 of New Designers. We talked with Liz Wallace, Head of Creative Services, who explained what they are looking for.
→ Why do you find working with New Designers so important?
Working with New Designers is a huge opportunity for Joules. This allows us to access the best graduate talent and offer some of the stars of the show a future within our business.
Joules values young people with creative degrees. Within the Creative Services department, as well as many other departments across the business, we support students and graduates with opportunities for both placements and paid internships. Often these individuals go on to become designers and creative leaders within the team. There are a lot of success stories within Joules that started with creative degrees, so all of the hard work really is worth it.
→ What do you look for in graduates and their work?
In graduates, we look for creative flair and originality. We love full of ideas and have developed their own individual style within a strong portfolio of work. Often there will be a spark, something that resonates with our brand or a campaign we are working on. There may be a strength or skill unique to the individual that makes them stand out. What really grabs my attention is someone who uses colour and type well, can demonstrate a social awareness and doesn’t take themselves too seriously – for a piece of work to deliver those attributes without explanation, is really special!
→ What advice would you give to graduates?
My advice would be to have confidence in yourself and remember less is always more when making contact. Prepare an accurate and well laid out CV along with a small portfolio of work – tailor this to suit the company you are contacting and present only your best pieces. Leaving university can be scary (believe me, I know) but with the right attitude, hard work and a little luck, it can be the start of a great journey.
