So you've decided you want to work in a creative field. You have a vision, you've set yourself some career goals. Now what?

Find yourself a mentor, and work hard! Your career won't fall serendipitously into your lap on a golden platter, but hard work is what make a creative pursuit so rewarding.
Remember, the creative industries are a hard place to spend your early career but I'm here to tell you If you're going to try: go all the way , and if you're ready to take the plunge then these websites and strategies will be sure to help you nail that first job.

I've created a scale of how much experience you might need for certain strategies to work. This is just a guide and I encourage you to check them all out and see where the search takes you.

Experience level required in stars

✭ - New to the industry
✭✭ - A couple of small scale projects under your belt
✭✭✭ - Intermediate - requires some previous work experience and/or formal training
✭✭✭✭ - Tafe, Collage or University Degree Levels
✭✭✭✭✭ - As above plus 2-5+ years paid work experience

1. PEDESTRIAN JOBS
Experience Needed: ✭- ✭✭✭

What is it good for?
Internships and entry level jobs
You can refine your search by creative industry, state and even regional areas
Jobs listed from NZ, AUS and the UK

MY ADVICE: Great place to find one off volunteer positions, internships and opportunities to get your foot in the door.

2. THE LOOP
Experience Needed: ✭✭✭- ✭✭✭✭✭

What is it good for?
If you're a recent graduate, this is your go-to site.
Create a profile
Network
Sort jobs by Junior, Mid-level and Senior levels
Search jobs through skill keywords
Find desks in co-work spaces and offices

MY ADVICE: A one stop shop for creative entrepreneurs, job seekers and office searches. Though note, most positions are advertised for Sydney and Melbourne.

3. GRAPEVINE JOBS
Experience Needed ✭✭✭✭- ✭✭✭✭✭

What is it good for?
Serious big player employers (as they pay a fee to advertise jobs on this site)
Small amount of jobs advertised but they are all of top quality
Easy to peruse
Specific to TV, Media, Entertainment
Jobs are not publicly advertised so only 'serious' industry professionals use the site
Jobs are taken down after 14 days ensuring you're only sifting through the newest openings.

MY ADVICE: The perfect place to drop in once a week to check on new listings. It will take you less than a few minutes. Quality listings across Australia with well written descriptions from good, reputable companies and organisations.

4. SEEK
Experience Needed: ✭✭✭-✭✭✭✭✭

What is it good for?
Make a free account and shortlist jobs
Easy to use smartphone app
Favourite searches such as "Advertising, Arts, Media" and specify a target city
You can also find retail and hospitality causal and part time jobs (to help pay the rent in your early career).

MY ADVICE: If you're new to the job hunt, Seek is a great place to see what job hunting is all about. Browse industries and shortlist jobs. Just note that as it is a popular site, you will need to stand out from the 100's of other applicants.

5. LINKEDIN
Experience Needed: ✭- ✭✭✭✭✭

What is it good for?
Following businesses and companies in your industry
Creating a profile and adding the link to your resume
More search engine results generated by your personal brand

MY ADVICE: Get yourself a LinkedIn profile and start to make connections, ask employers for recommendations and receive skill endorsements. LinkedIn is a great place to find new companies that you may be interested in working for.

EXTRA IDEAS -

6. GET AN AGENT
Experience Needed: ✭- ✭✭✭✭✭

What is it good for?
The same way models have agents, crew and creatives can find agencies too! Most specialise in production, music or extras work, but finding the right one is integral to getting your name out there.
Agents and agencies are all different so I recommend doing some local research to find out which agencies your dream companies are hiring from.

MY ADVICE: Research, Research, Research! Contact someone who is listed with the agent you are looking at signing with and see if they received value for money and would recommend the service. Some agents will take on newcomers and some will only take highly experienced industry professionals. Make sure you discuss the fees associated, the commission structure and be savvy about any hidden sign up, head shot or portfolio fees. All in all, a good agent IS worthwhile.

7. MAKE A LIST OF COMPANIES YOU'D LOVE TO WORK FOR and APPLY DIRECTLY
Experience Needed: ✭- ✭✭✭✭✭

What is it good for?
You! Creating a dream list helps you to focus on where you want to be.
Keep the list on your smartphone notes, laptop or on a physical sticky note on your dream board.
Be open to your list developing over time, you don't need to sit down and have it all sorted in one afternoon. Enjoy the journey of coming across new businesses and start-ups and adding them to your list as you go. You might also find that your path takes new turns and you drop some companies along the way too.
This is a good method if you have a plan to move abroad and want to find a business that have offices in other hub cities across the world.

MY ADVICE: Keep it short. Having a list of 10 or less will help you to follow your dream companies' journey on social media and through their website. You can check-in on their careers page once a month just to touch base on what kind of jobs are available. Follow them on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and engage with them. You never know, some people get hired through the most unusual circumstances.

Happy hunting! And all the best with your job interviews