APPLICATION GUIDANCE

• It’s important to be thoughtful when applying for anything.

Spend time on your applications, as those reading them may be in a position to offer you work in the future, and sending in a thoughtful and well-presented application can, if not then but later, win you a project or a job opportunity.

• Read the application thoroughly.

It’s easy to misinterpret a question so we always recommend giving things a second read over.

• Always reread your responses to the questions.

When filling in an application it's easy to miss a question or misspell something. It is always useful to read over what you’ve written one final time before submitting your application.

• Always double check before submitting your application that all the links you are providing work, lead to the right place and don’t need a password or special access for those reading them.

• Whenever applying for something you think is important, have the most up to date website, portfolios and showreels. Although this may not be something you do regularly and you may not have done in a while, having something up to date for an application is important. It not only helps the person looking over your work understand your currently abilities and style accurately, it also shows that you are proactive and serious about the opportunity. If your website does not reflect the information in your application it makes the goals within the application feel unrealistic.

• Think about who is reading the application and why they are asking these specific questions. It’s worth considering when you are completing an application what it is that the application is seeking out and what information you can provide in the application to better help you and your project.

For instance within the mentoring application, when we’re asking about who is an inspiration of yours we’d not only be using that information to understand the type of creative you aspire to be and the style that interests you, but also if that person may actually be in our community we could reach out to them as a mentor.

• When it comes to deliverables, we need to see a clear link between where you’re struggling in your career and aspirations you want to attain.

We want the application process to be an introspective experience, the more thoughtful you can be as to where you’d like to go and a way in which you can get there, the more we can support that journey. The more consideration you can give the application the easier it is for us to not only to match you with someone but support your project and your career goals.

• Make sure your project is achievable in the timeframe available.

Think about how long the programme is and whether you’d be able to complete your project within that time. We’re not looking for elaborate projects, we want you to propose something attainable that we can realistically support.

• Consider the context and design of your proposals.

We have seen a lot of different proposals for the mentoring programme. Some have been single line projects, others have been full decks. We’ve accepted people on the programme who’ve delivered both of these extremes but we thought it might be worth offering some notes for this and other proposals.

A proposal says a lot about you and how you’re going to approach a project. Consider making a small deck (slideshow/keynote/pdf) that includes an introduction about you, your current position, and your career goals.

Then lead with your proposal, what is the project outline, what do you need support with, and how does this relate to your career goals. Include references for what you’d like the project to look like, feel like and be like.

The clearer you can be, the better we can understand what your intention is for the programme. We think it’s good practise to start getting into the habit of making these kinds of decks. It creates a seriousness around not only your work but you as a professional.