On May 22nd
iStockphoto partnered with the Art Director’s Club to host Portfolio Night in more than 20 cities around the world. The Portfolio Night events were designed to connect aspiring young creatives with renowned advertising creative directors in hopes they would receive feedback on their work and ultimately secure career opportunities.
For up-and-comers not able to attend the Portfolio Night events, iStockphoto has developed a snapshot of the creative jobs industry as well top portfolio tips directly from iStockphoto’s pro – Rebecca Swift (Director of Creative Planning) – to further help young creatives find the right job with the best portfolio.
Based on data provided by
Indeed, () the world’s leading job site, in May 2013 there are currently nearly 20,000 Creative Job Openings in the U.S. The top 10 cities for these jobs are:
| City |
Jobs |
| New York |
1,964 |
| San Francisco |
1,275 |
| Los Angeles |
995 |
| Chicago |
897 |
| Washington |
702 |
| Boston |
623 |
| Seattle |
546 |
| Dallas |
426 |
| Philadelphia |
365 |
| Atlanta |
351 |
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that Art Director jobs are growing 9% year over year and it projects that by 2020 there will be 81,000 art director jobs in the U.S. Currently the average salary for these jobs is $81,000 per year or $38.77/hr.
Graphic Designer jobs are growing 13% year over year and it projects that by 2020 there will be 316,000 graphic designer jobs in the U.S. Currently the average salary for these jobs is $44,000 per year or $20.92/hr.
Rebecca Swift, iStockphoto’s Director of Creative Planning offered these 5 Tips to aid young creatives in building portfolios that will help them find jobs.
1 –
Embrace your signature style – Narrow down your subject matter to a topic you are passionate about
2 –
Tell A Story – Creating a visually cohesive collection of images will get your message across
3 –
It’s The Little Things That Count – Paying close attention to detail when editing will ensure your work shines bright and the presentation is professional
4 –
Quality over Quantity – Selecting the best image to tell your story is tough but critical to the success of your collection
5 –
Technique is Key –Sticking to your technical skills will benefit the outcome of your collection and images in the long run
All this information can be found in an
infographic developed by iStockphoto.