Why requiring previous experience can create a cycle that prevents emerging talent from entering the industry, and how to assess capability through other forms of evidence.
The problem
Requiring experience for entry-level roles creates a cycle: no experience leads to no opportunity, which leads to no experience, which leads to rejection. This locks out talented emerging creatives who have never been given their first chance.
What good looks like
Employers assess capability through multiple forms of evidence, not just paid employment history. The message is not that experience doesn't matter, but that previous employment is one form of evidence, not the only form.
The Lab framework
The Evidence Spectrum: consider these forms of evidence alongside paid employment:
- University projects
- Personal projects
- Freelance work
- Portfolios
- Placements
- Volunteering
- Student societies
- Competitions
- Self-directed learning
- Transferable employment experience
Example
A candidate with no agency experience but a self-initiated rebrand project for a local business demonstrates creative thinking, problem-solving, and self-motivation. That project required briefing themselves, interpreting an audience, executing to a standard, and presenting work, all skills directly transferable to an agency environment.
Employer checklist
- Are we requiring experience that this role genuinely needs?
- Have we considered university projects, personal projects, and freelance work as valid evidence?
- Could a candidate with no professional experience but a strong portfolio succeed in this role?
- Are we assessing what someone has done, or only where they have done it?
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