Graduate satisfaction

Thank you for featuring our recently published report, ‘Creative Graduates Creative Futures’ (AP211). However, there is some misrepresentation of our findings. You state that “almost 80% of those employed at the time of the survey were only in part-time work”. The picture is not this bleak. Almost half the graduate respondents were portfolio workers. Around four out of five (83%) had at least one full-time job, and a similar proportion (79%) described at least one of their jobs as part-time. This suggests a considerable overlap between full-time and part-time working. There is a predominance of micro-enterprises in the sector and a contract economy, so full-time employment and linear career progression are not appropriate models. 

At the time of the survey, 79% were in work that related significantly to art, craft and design; they experienced high career satisfaction and were achieving their career goals, but were not high earners. The key findings are that creative graduates are doing what they want to be doing and are settled in their portfolio careers. They aspire to achieving a good life/work balance, and their career plans are most influenced by a strong desire for new learning and the pursuit of creative practice above high earnings.