The class of 2010/11.
Anyway, this post is a guest one from Samantha Jenkins, a recently graduated student from the School of Communication Arts 2.0.
I will let her explain more, but suffice to say, the School is after a 2011 intake. If you like the sound of a creative career, you should definitely read on.
Anyway. Here's Sam:
"Some people believe in luck, fate, a big-break, chance, destiny and fortune.
It’s where you’ve come from, who you know, your lot in life.
Others trust in sheer determined hard work and tireless perseverance.
Ball-breaking, back-aching commitment.
Some people regard phenomenal genius, which needs neither rabbit’s feet nor elbow grease, enough to propel one’s vision into a world of desperate anticipation and quivering awe.
One thing’s for certain. All people have hope.
Hope that one day lady luck will whisper sweet nothings, promising everything.
Hope that sweat and tears will turn to rain, drenching the drought of dreams fulfilled.
Hope that raw talent will be plucked whilst ripe and bursting with vitality.
Hope that after studying for years to earn the perceived right into the Promised Land of employment, one does not end up circling in and out of the spiraling, rotary doors of the dole office.
After quitting my A-Levels in the hope that I did not need them, I discovered I was right after securing a place at university.
After quitting degree course, after degree course in the hope that I did not need them, I discovered I was right after securing a place in the dole queue, even after eventually obtaining the highly desired graduation photo.
Something had gone pretty wrong – or had it?
Degree in hand, I was meant to get a job; and I did.
Bartender. Quit. Retail Assistant. Quit. Telesales Operative. Quit. Receptionist. Quit. Tour Guide. Quit. Bungy-jump Coordinator. Quit. Gallery Assistant. Quit. Online Marketing Assistant. Quit.
All of the above merely a small handful of the job opportunities given to me as an Applied Arts graduate, hopping from country to country trying to discover who on earth I was; what, for heaven’s sake, I wanted to do with myself; but more importantly, how the hell was I to get there.
The church was my saviour.
The house of worshipping creative freedom that is The School of Communication Arts 2.0 happens to exist within a Methodist church in Vauxhall, South London.
Having now completed study at SCA 2.0, I now realise that the Job Centre was the best possible place for me as I walked through its doors little over a year ago. It was here, at what should have been the lowest point of my career’s journey - signing on to my weekly giro - when I signed out of my old way of thinking.
A state of mind that had crippled me by a rigid set of rules which led me nowhere; the same brain washed mind-set that leaves young creative people unemployed or in jobs that they despise all over the country - the belief that spending 3 years within the UK creative education system will result in a career.
A-Levels and degrees are not needed to become a creative.
Once realising my degree meant jack shit, I just started to do stuff I wanted to do.
It was this stuff that got me noticed and this stuff that started my journey of luck, fate, hard graft, perseverance and self-belief that has, in just a year, earned me a work placement in the Amsterdam based creative agency, Strawberry Frog.
Stuff. Looking at stuff. Being interested in stuff. Caring about stuff. Finding stuff. Sharing stuff. Creating stuff. Being stuff.
HAVING IDEAS AND DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THEM.
How can these ideas bring value to a brand and therefore bring value to an agency?
The SCA accepts students because they are creative and then shows them how to translate their ideas into a format that agencies will want to hire. Have a look at some of the work here.
The people that work within these agencies have written the entire curriculum that is available for anyone to view. Here, take a look.
This curriculum is taught to students by the very minds that wrote it – the industry itself.
The school only has a handful of employed staff. Creative professionals visit the school everyday, delivering the curriculum, giving talks and workshops, imparting tips and advice, helping develop ideas, critiquing work, offering mentorship and friendship.
Additionally, the networking opportunities offered at SCA are unrivaled. With over 400 mentors and only 30 students, there is plenty of time and attention spent on the needs of every individual.
Students get to work on live briefs for real clients, getting to see their work become a reality before even stepping foot inside an agency.
And step foot they shall as the course offers every student guaranteed 6 month work placements in some of the top advertising agencies.
The SCA 2.0 changed my life.
To all of you who’ve just received your A-Level results…
Pass or fail – YOU DON”T NEED THEM!"
