How do I get to be? Stuart Newman, MD of Network Design, a recruitment consultancy, gives his advice about getting into the creative field.
I would like a job in design but I’m unsure which area appeals. Where can I get help? A visit to the Design Museum (www.designmuseum.org) will give you a fascinating insight into the industry. This will show how design is used on a global basis, from creating a product through to designing a poster. For initial advice on different spectrums you could either contact the Design Business Association (www.dba.org.uk) or the Design Council (www.design-council.org.uk).
Is there a lot of competition for jobs in creative industries? Currently there is demand for people in all areas… at least those with experience. Naturally, the competition for jobs is highly competitive as the UK still leads the world in most creative industries. Numerous universities offer courses but the leading consultancies can pick and choose who they employ.
Are qualifications necessary or can I work my way up? You could work your way up as a school-leaver by making the tea, but this route is extremely rare as competition to get a foot on the ladder is hard. Natural creative talent, combined with three or four years studying for a degree in a related subject, is the normal method.
How long should I stay in a job before thinking of moving on? This is the million-dollar question. If you enjoy your role and your company allows you to work on a variety of projects and clients, there is no rush to move. We would only advise people to move if they are becoming creatively stale and their career prospects are limited, or their salary is not within normal market guidelines. However, any experience is crucial and the initial foot on the ladder is important.
Design salaries are showing a welcome improvement over last year, especially in senior positions and in those parts of the industry that are not so sensitive to market trends. By Hannah Booth and Lynda Relph-Knight, with research by Kerstin Kühn
The tables suggest that the 'job of the moment' is that of project manager, especially outside London, where pay rates are up by more than 14 per cent. Consultant Stuart Newman, managing director of Network Recruitment, meanwhile points to the design manager role as one that is growing in earning power.
A 'glut' of senior designers in the market, who have been made redundant because of cost-cutting, has had a knock-on effect on freelance rates, believes Network Recruitment's Newman.
It may not seem like the best time to go freelance, as stories of consultancies cutting costs by making staff redundant circulate, but Mike Exon thinks
Stuart Newman at recruitment agency Network says consultancies have a stronger hand because the pool of freelance staff has inevitably grown. He also points out that there are now a lot of experienced senior creatives on the freelance scene. 'Because they were not directly responsible for bringing fees in, they were some of the first full-time casualties of redundancy,' he says.
'There are some signs that things are improving though. The larger consultancies have been taking a long hard look at costs and have rightly placed an emphasis on income earners. As a result, a lot of senior creative people, who have represented a large cost for their consultancy, have lost their jobs,' he says, echoing Newman's reasoning.
Recruitment Agency Network Design Recruitment & Management Consultants has updated its identity for the first time in 12 years and truncated its name to Network Recruitment.
The revamp has been created by freelance designer Nicola Mansfield. It is designed to reflect the company's emphasis on the future, says Network managing director Stuart Newman. "We believe that a job for life is a thing of the past and that we have the power to design our own future," he adds.
The identity launches this week across all corporate material.
A shortage of quality design personnel is causing wider problems for recruitment agencies and design groups, says Mike Exon. Research by Natalie Spencer
A lack of knowledge over Schedule D taxation rules, both from the freelance community and consultancy-side, is another bugbear which needs addressing, says Stuart Newman of Network
Could spring really be in the air? After a four-year slump in design recruitment, it seems that a recovery is finally underway, says John Stones
Among recruitment agencies, there is near unanimity about the two areas where there is greatest demand for designers - packaging and on-line design.
Packaging in particular seems to be the hottest area, with nearly all recruitment agencies struggling to meet demand. 'In pure brand and packaging, there is a real lack of suitable individuals,' says Network managing director Stuart Newman
Interiors and account management are two other areas where Newman is seeing 'strong demand and the beginnings of signs of skill shortages'.
Network's Stuart Newman says candidates can afford to be quite picky. 'The willingness of candidates to consider going in-house depends very much on the company involved. Many are reluctant to move outside of London and we have seen small satellite offices being created just so companies can get the right people. There is still a stigma involved with going in-house in this country, whereas it is seen as just as prestigious in the US,' he explains.
However, Stuart Newman of Network notes that employers are also looking for old-fashioned skills. 'We are seeing employers looking to see what traditional skills designers have,' he explains. 'There has been too much emphasis on technology. They [now] want to see if a designer can draw and present a concept in rough format.'
Network's Stuart Newman agrees, adding, 'Candidates are calling the shots, and this is creating inflationary pressures on salaries.' He adds the concern that 'it might then all go pop'.
As the industry regains its economic health, few suggest it will assume a radically different structure, save for a trend to working in-house and a commonly suggested requirement for designers to adopt a more flexible attitude to working across disciplines. According to Newman, 'Designers are very specialised in this country compared with the design labour market in Europe, where is it much more common for designers to cross over. Perhaps this will develop here as well.' He also predicts that there will be more concentration on design rather than on brand consultancy.
These are lean times for freelance designers, but as consultancies take on more business, they are tentatively calling on experienced casual staff to tackle the extra workload, as Christopher Kanal discovers
Many recruitment consultants believe that 2004 brings considerable promise. Stuart Newman of Network Recruitment describes the current climate: 'We have noticed a pick-up in the last two to three months, which is more confidence-related than anything else.' He believes freelances are giving consultancies the extra horsepower needed to kick-start the industry. 'Clients want one more product to push themselves over the top and [they] need freelances,' he says.
Whatever the sector, it's all about meeting demand, says Newman. 'There was heartache over the market not expanding,' he asserts. 'Now there are not enough designers. FreelanNewman feels the industry will sustain itself, but it needs to find its feet first. 'The market is incredibly volatile at the moment,' he explains. 'It's a lot better than it was a year ago but there is a lot of catching up to do.' Newman feels the industry will sustain itself, but it needs to find its feet first. 'The market is incredibly volatile at the moment,' he explains. 'It's a lot better than it was a year ago but there is a lot of catching up to do.'
Newman is confident there has been a change. 'Big companies are taking up big projects. If they can come to us then the market is definitely improving. It's all about confidence.' And talent, which is always in demand
'Salaries have increased dramatically over the past year because it is a supply-driven market. But the quality of some college graduates has, if anything, gone down a bit.
I am finding it more encouraging that employers are looking for more traditional design skills rather than just computer-conceived skills' says Stuart Newman, Director, Network Recruitment.