As research for this small project I have looked at my target market, these are employers who are looking for Heads of Digital Design as this is what I advertised myself as in my promotional video.
The first job I looked at it for a make-up and skincare company Charlotte Tilbury, London. In real life, it would be highly unlikely I would choose to work for a make-up and skincare company however I chose this as the Head of Digital Design job description did match some of the skills and experience I have. When looking for jobs or looking for jobs that you aspire to it is important to really research your industry and find out what employers are looking for.
This job description begins with 'This role will see you working on a variety of creative projects across the business. With leadership experience, you will have a demonstrated passion for navigating a team of talented individuals in improving digital marketing creative, and have a keen eye for detail in all things digital marketing.' On my video, I stated that I had leadership skills, creativity, and innovative digital solution in marketing, so good start in the expected skills. I then looked at 'Key Selection Criteria' this is most important to discern whether I actually have all the skills needed for the job so let's look at these and whether my skills are up to scratch!
Key Selection Criteria:
• Proven experience in team management and leadership of an army of creatives
At present, I lead and manage a team of very creative art, design and media tutors so I am hoping that this would be provable experience that I have clearly stated on my CV
• Experience working on digital + ecomm design, ideally agency experience
Here I clearly work in Digital and I understand e-commerce and digital design through building websites and through working online, however, I have never worked at a design agency therefore in my cover letter I need to ensure I highlight the key skills I have in this area.
• Experience in, and enthusiasm for, developing creative ideas for digital platforms, as well as 360 campaigns, from brief to delivery
Clearly I have experience and enthusiasm for developing creative ideas on digital platforms and I have work online to show this skill. I have not worked on a 360 campaign but understnd the process from brief to delivery through academic teaching and working online
• Ability to marry art (creative) and science (data); analytically looking at data, reporting and applying it to future projects and creative
In my job now I can give very good examples of working both creatively with and art and design but also in management we use data and statistics throughout the year which we create reports for quality assurance and board meetings. This again would be outlined in my Cv and could be discussed at interview
• Understanding of online accessibility, UX / UI
As you are aware from last term I discussed with you the importance of UI/UX design and this is something I have an in-depth knowledge of through working in digital design
• A strong track record in project planning, including accurate estimation of costs and timings
In academic work planning is everything to ensure that everything is delivered in a timely manner so this again is a provable element of experience. However, I do not work with budgets or costings and this area would be a weakness.
• Expert knowledge of user interface, application, mobile and responsive design, using the latest prototyping and design tools
I am very up to date on current design tools and strive to keep ahead in this area of digital design as it is part of my job
• Great sense of design and composition with a strong eye for layout and appreciation of brand guidelines across all devices and channels
I do have a strong eye for good design and I have worked to brand guidelines at DMU and for other companies online so I understand and can execute this very well
• Ability to work at pace, with a confidently calm demeanour
I do work at pace, not sure I am always calm but for the most part I would say as I am confident in my work and therefore I do carry out tasks with ease
• Exceptional information presentation (visual and written) experience
I think writing the programme for IYZ Art & Design and IYZ Media and preparing and making the majority of the presentation resources I am confident that I have in-depth experience of this.
• Infectiously positive and passionate energy
I am passionate and positive about my work and working is art, design and media and I think this comes through when discussing this aspect of my work.
• Proficiency in Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, Google Suite (email, docs, drive, slides)
I am clearly proficient in Adobe Suite and Google as these are digital tools I use every day. I had not used Sketch before but as I was doing this I checked it out however I think that it works more for Apple Mac users
• Experience using Dropbox, and project management tools such as Trello
Have experience of using dropbox and I am aware of management tools programmes and how they work but have not used Trello before.
From looking at this and considering my skills I might be tempted to apply for this as I do think that I have the digital design and management skills required. I think doing this and considering carefully each requirement is key to success when applying for jobs. Essentially you should apply for jobs that you want and that you are genuinely interested in but also that you have the right requirements for, as you can see above I did not have every single requirement but I would consider I had enough to apply and send my CV. if the company think that I am suitable they will invite me for an interview but if not nothing has been lost by sending my CV and giving this a go.
While I was doing this I found several jobs as Head of Digital Design, as I stated at the beginning I perhaps would not want to work for a make-up and skincare company as this is not an area of interest, particularly for me but I would enjoy the design and marketing elements of this job. On further research, I looked at several jobs of this kind and discovers that the key criteria and skills needed were very similar. Therefore if I was looking to move into this sector I think I would work on familiarizing myself with more digital business and management tools and looking at budgets and as these are my weakest areas here.
Overall this was a interesting exercise and it did make me consider my skills, knowledge and employability and what transferable skills I have from the education sector.
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