In 2026 Heres What Creative Recruiters Are Looking For In Juniors

Creative Boom: Tips Starting Out In 2026, here's what creative recruiters are looking for in juniors It's tougher than ever to get hired as a junior. But knowing exactly what studios are looking for right now can give you an edge—and we've got the skinny. Written By: Tom May 21 May 2026 The days when a design degree was enough to catapult you into an entry-level position are long gone. AI, competition and a challenging economy mean that as a newbie, you're going to have to work harder than ever to get a foot on the ladder. The good news is, there is still work out there, and many recruiters are desperately crying out for new talent.

So there's no need to get depressed; you just have to put a bit of work in, get yourself out there, and think carefully about how you approach people. To help you out, we asked founders, studio owners and creative directors what exactly they're looking for, via LinkedIn and our own personal network, The Studio. Their responses were generous, candid and, most importantly, surprisingly consistent. Show thinking, not just results Here's the tip that came up most often. Recruiters don't just want to see what you've made, but how and why you made it.

"The biggest thing for me is: can you explain your thinking behind the work?" says Matt Redway, senior creative director at PlayStation. "I can see you've used the latest typeface from the sickest foundry, but why is it appropriate for the client? I don't care if you've followed a hype trend, as long as you can say why it amplifies the idea. We had a designer come in for an interview once who had an awesome portfolio, but he couldn't explain any of his creative decisions. We're in the business of telling stories." Daniel Poll, founder at Noramble agrees. "Anyone can execute a beautiful bit of work these days," he reasons.

"But it's the understanding of the big idea and the 'why' behind that work that separates juniors. You can teach the execution part, but it's much harder to teach someone to come up with bold ideas that make commercial sense." James McNaught, senior creative director at Wolff Olins, adds this. "For junior roles, the work doesn't have to be perfect or polished, but it does have to be unexpected and meaningful. It doesn't matter if it's paid work or for a real client; I'm interested in how it makes me feel." Attitude outperforms talent Yes, you want to show off your technical skills in your portfolio.

But this is not the primary thing managers are looking for. Ask them what they value most, and the word that comes up again and again is "attitude". "I've always believed attitude will outperform raw talent in the long run," says Edward Dalton, co-founder at HelloYes. "Passion for design is important, but so is curiosity. Design is about solving real-world problems, so the best young creatives usually have a genuine curiosity about the world around them, not just the industry itself.

We look for proactive people who are willing to learn, engage with the process and keep pushing themselves forward." Pablo Marques, co-founder and chief creative officer at Raw Materials, a D&AD design agency of the year, looks for three qualities that are hard to fake and hard to teach: "Good taste, willingness to listen, and fearlessness." Oh, and that common phrase 'fake it till you make it?'; best not overdo it. In contrast, Pablo prizes "young folks who are aware that they don't yet know what they don't know".

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The article addresses evolving expectations in the creative job market, which is significant for brand strategy professionals, but the focus on personal qualities is a common theme in recruitment discussions.