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Entering any field requires more than a few skills. The creative arts are no different. More than a few of these will be obvious and specific to a particular role. A good copywriter will need excellent writing skills, for example.
Not all of the skills you need are unique to the position you work in, however. They’re also not the kind of things that you’ll need to complete specific courses or get a certification, such as by completing high-risk work licenses.
Instead, they’re the softer skills that support your career. Though these mightn’t be the most technical things, there are a few business skills that all creative professionals need to thrive.
Business Skills All Creative Professionals Need
Communication
Good communication skills may be an obvious business skill that creative professionals need. You should refine this much more than you’d think, however. Your job will be to turn someone’s ideas into reality.
That means being a proactive listener and asking the right questions. That will get you and a client on the same page and help you deliver a better service. That’s also true of full-time positions, as you’ll have to work with management to develop concepts and design them from scratch.
This can be more complicated than you’d think, although it will cut down on a significant amount of time and hassle once you’ve done so.
Financial
If you plan on freelancing, then you’ll need to know your numbers. You might think that this will be complicated, although it could be easier than expected. In most cases, you’ll simply need to keep track of your income and expenses.
If you have the funds, you can hire an accountant to take care of your taxes. On the other hand, doing so yourself could be easy. It’s worth noting that filing your taxes as a self-employed freelancer will be different from filing them as an employee.
You should research these differences before trying to file your taxes.
Negotiation
Knowing your worth in the market is essential, regardless of whether you’re applying for a full-time job or freelance gig. There’s a difference between this and actually being paid what you’re owed, however.
If you want to negotiate better, there’s a multitude of resources available online. Setting a higher price than you believe you’re worth will be key to this. By doing so, you give yourself wiggle room to negotiate down.
In some cases, you could find that clients agree to the higher price. Should that happen, then you can expect a higher payday than you originally thought. Knowing when to say ‘no’ will be a part of this.
Wrapping Up
If you want to succeed in any career, then you’ll need a range of skills. You could be one of the best designers in your area; if you can’t capitalize on that with other skills, then you won’t thrive. Thankfully, the majority are easy to learn, and mastering them shouldn’t take too much time.
The earlier in your career you develop them, the faster you’ll start to see success. With the benefits that they’ll have for your career, there shouldn’t be anything stopping you from learning them.
Want to learn more?
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We’re here to help you to take action just like we’ve helped thousands of other entrepreneurs, business owners and creative professionals all around the globe.
Now is the time to let your passion SHINE.
Now is the time to Make Tomorrow Today!
To your success,
Vinh Van Lam & Stuart Horrex
Your Coaches ArtSHINE industries
