Designing a Creative Career: A Job Search Workshop

Geared toward designers and creative professionals, join us on April 1 for a virtual workshop on navigating all stages of the hiring process in creative industries.

Are you a creative professional looking to advance your career, transition to a new role, or break into the field? This April 1 virtual workshop will help you define your career path, find opportunities, and walk you through all stages of the hiring process — from applications to interviews to salary negotiations. 

We’ll focus on industry-specific strategies for landing roles in UX/UI, graphic design, design research, branding, arts administration, and other creative fields. You’ll gain insight into common hiring challenges in creative industries, how to effectively showcase your work —whether through a portfolio, resume, or case studies — and ways to build a strong professional network. By the end of the session, you’ll have a clearer vision of your next career move and the tools to make it happen. 

Topics include:

• Defining Your Next Step: We’ll explore a range of career options in creative fields, and discuss how to identify your strengths and tailor your job search to align with your skills and interests.
• Where to Find Opportunities & Network Effectively: Learn how to leverage industry job boards, events, and professional organizations. We’ll also cover informational interviews, LinkedIn strategies, and how to stay visible in the creative community.
• Crafting Strong Applications: Tips for refining your resume, cover letter, and work samples, including common application pitfalls and how to avoid them. 
• Mastering the Interview: Strategies for presenting your work confidently, answering tough questions, and preparing for field-specific assessments. 
• Negotiation & Career Growth: Understanding salary benchmarks in creative industries, negotiating offers, and fostering long-term professional relationships to sustain career growth.

Whether you’re job hunting now or in the early stages of planning, this workshop will provide practical insights and confidence to take your creative career to the next level.

About Maria Villafranca
Maria Villafranca is the Executive Director of CoDesign Collaborative, a nonprofit with the mission to inspire social change through the transformative power of design. She has held leadership positions at a range of institutions that support creative producers from small community-based organizations to large national arts funders, in addition to leading career development training sessions and providing executive coaching for designers and creative professionals around the country. She lives outside of Philadelphia with her family.