The purpose of this post is to provide you with a basic structure for your personal statement or essay for the Creative Capital workshop. The details (e.g., topic, length, and style) may vary, but the raw material (i.e., the content of your personal statement) will remain the same.
This is the first in a four-part blog post series about the workshop. You’ll find the second part, Career Strategy, here; the third part, Personal Statement, here; and the fourth part, Interview, here.
Introduction
You stand at the intersection of culture, commerce, and media. Your task is to write a 750-word personal statement that succinctly articulates your understanding of, and vision for, the role you play in the Creative Capital ecosystem.
Ensure that your statement is distinctively your own, with words, phrasing, and ideas that you are willing to own and build upon. When drafting your statement, resist the urge to edit or alter what you have written. Instead, write a first draft (rough copy) and then revise it extensively (in order to double-check for spelling errors and awkward sentence structures). Only then should you consider incorporating some elements from earlier versions.
Your Vision
This section of your personal statement will serve as your elevator pitch. In it, you’ll state your vision for the future of Creative Capital and the type of person you are, both individually and as a team member. Consider the following:
- What makes you special? Why should someone care about what you have to say?
- How do you intend to change the world?
- What does the future of Creative Capital look like and what are you willing to do to make it a reality?
Your Strategy
When you set out to change the world, you’ve got to have a plan. This plan will serve as the framework for your strategy, which will be the meat of your personal statement. Consider the following:
1. Identify the goal or goals that your strategy will help you to achieve.
Your strategy should consist of a series of measurable, attainable goals that will put you on the right path to securing the role you seek. As much as possible, you want to align your activities with the following framework:
- A clear idea of the problem you’re trying to solve (e.g., “I want to be the go-to person for content strategy and social media for creative businesses”).
- An indication of how you intend to solve the problem (e.g., “With the help of my team, I’ll develop a content strategy and publish weekly blog posts for creative businesses”).
- A series of actions you’ll take to get there (e.g., “I’ll interview subject matter experts, conduct market research, and analyze competitor’s strategies”).
- The resources you’ll need to achieve your goal (e.g., “I need a writing sample to complete the application”).
2. Select a relevant case study to build your strategy on.
You’ll use your personal statement to illustrate the value you can bring to the table. For your case study, you can choose any industry or business within the Creative Capital ecosystem (e.g., advertising, marketing, public relations, digital marketing, and so on). Since you’re applying for a job in marketing, you might want to choose an industry in the marketing space (e.g., SEO, content strategy, content creation, and so on).
Within that industry, you’ll want to pick a company that is representative of the type of work you’ll perform once you join the Creative Capital group. Research the company’s website and social media to get a sense of what they are doing and how you can help. If possible, look into their blogs, case studies, and other content they’ve published to get a sense of the kind of person they are and what they’re looking for.
Once you’ve identified a potential case study, take some time to understand its inner workings, challenges, and objectives. Additionally, you want to consider the following:
- The type of person the company is looking for (e.g., “They’re looking for someone with a growth mindset who can take on a leadership role”).
- How quickly will you be able to make a difference?
- The skills you need to succeed (e.g., “I need to show that I can strategically plan and implement marketing initiatives to grow a business”).
3. Create metrics that you can track to determine if you’ve reached your goal.
This is important because it will help you measure your progress and determine whether or not you’ve reached the goal you’ve set for yourself. For your metrics, consider the following:
- The number of interviews you’ve conducted.
- The number of blog posts you’ve published.
- The number of case studies you’ve written.
- The amount of research you’ve completed (e.g., books, whitepapers, and so on).
- The number of pitches you’ve executed (i.e., pitches to big brands or organizations that can help your cause or agenda).
4. Create a list of pros and cons.
Now that you have a clear idea of what you’ve set out to achieve and the company you’ll be working for, it’s time to put your strategy to work by listing the pros and cons. This is where you’ll consider everything you’ve learned and determine whether or not it’s the right fit for you. When doing so, be as objective as possible and consider the following:
- The opportunity to grow your career (e.g., “I can grow my career here based on the platform I’ll be provided with”).
- The financial security you’ll enjoy as a staff member (e.g., “I’m able to forecast a steady increase in income based on the role I’ll be performing at Creative Capital”).
- The resources available to you (e.g., “I can access the skills and training I need to do my job, as well as the information I need to succeed in my role”).
- The chance to make a difference (e.g., “I can help to drive marketing strategy and execution for a business that will have a significant impact on the world”).
- The location of the office (e.g., “The location of the office is very convenient for me, as I’m located in the city where I live and work, and it’s within easy reach of public transportation”).
- Whether or not the organisation is for-profit (e.g., “Does this organisation have a social conscience? If so, how will your work impact those around you?”).
- The culture of the organisation (e.g., “How does the team work together? Is there a shared sense of purpose? Do they have a can-do attitude?”).
It’s also important that you consider the following when putting your strategy in place:
- Your own personal preferences (e.g., “I prefer to work in the public eye, so the idea of a quiet office intrigues me”).
- Your strengths and weaknesses (e.g., “I’m a strong leader, but I tend to be a little controlling”).
- What you expect from the role (e.g., “I expect to be part of a team that drives forward the strategy and objectives of the business”).
- The level of support you’ll receive from your boss (e.g., “I expect to receive continuous support and guidance from my manager”).
This is a brief introduction to the Creative Capital hiring process. If you’d like, you can continue reading the rest of the post series or visit the Creative Capital website to learn more.